Three Steps to Boost Your Confidence before Exams

The summer is on its way and so are the examinations. However, examinations do not necessarily have to fill you up with stress and tension. With the help of a few simple steps you can easily do well in the exam.

Step I:
Revise your notes including all the important formulae, equations and diagrams.
Go through the SUMMARY, POINTS TO PONDER at the end of each chapter in the NCERT books.

Step II:
Go through all the unit tests, class tests, pre-board tests and make sure you have corrected yourself with all the conceptual and numerical errors.

Step III:
Evaluate yourself with at least five previous years’ questions papers and try to solve all the questions asked there. More the number of previous papers solved, higher the chance of getting COMMON QUESTIONS.

Boost your confidence:
Nobody knows 100% of the syllabus perfectly. Be confident with whatever you have prepared. If your preparation is 80% and you are confident enough to answer any question within that domain, then your score will exceed (80+)%. Yes! you can always score more than you think you will score. For the rest 20% of the syllabus which you have not prepared properly, you can attempt questions from that topics after you complete answering whatever you know. Just recall what the teacher explained in the class and write it down in a logical format. Make use of the step marking system!

Exam is tough if the questions are easy. Over-confidence can easily mislead you to incorrect answers. Greater number of students will answer the easy questions and hence there will be a tough competition.

Exam is easy if the questions are tough. Tough questions are tough for all students. Comparatively less number of students will attempt all the tough questions. As a result competion will be easier.

All the Best!

Team Meritnation

 

Exam Tips for English (Class 10)

Hello students,

It’s time to give a final touch to your preparation for the upcoming examination. Scoring good marks in English needs systematic preparation, conceptual clarity in grammar and revision before the exams. Given the time constraint, your syllabus is huge and needs a quick glance before you enter that examination hall. It is the time to ruminate and review on whatever you have learnt till date. To help you in this process, we would like to share with you some tips through a few articles on English.

Hope our contribution helps you in scoring the best!

The Question paper is divided into four sections:

Section A : Reading 20 Marks

Section B : Writing 20 Marks

Section C : Grammar 20 Marks

Section D : Literature 20 Marks

We are providing some sure-shot preparation strategies which would ensure you good marks.

To tackle questions of English grammar section, you need to go through all the solved exercises that you have done throughout this second term

You should, again and again, revise the rules of certain important topics such as articles, reported speech, active and passive voice, transitive and intransitive verbs, modals, etc.

- Memorise the formats of formal and informal letters, e-mails, notice writing, biosketch, debate, speech, etc.

- Go through the summaries thoroughly to get a good grip on all the lessons of the textbooks.

- Jot down the most important poetic devices and figures of speech used in various texts of your syllabus.

- You are advised to take a mock test on your own by randomly selecting a sample test paper.

- During the test, do not take any break in between and adhere to the rules followed in the examination hall.

- If any confusion crops up in the mind then feel free to post your queries to us.

Practise to become perfect in time management to avoid losing time unnecessarily. Always answer to the point and according to the marks assigned to each question. You might lose out on long answer questions while going into details in the short answer type questions.

We would like to share with you the importance of preparation through a quote which says:

“Preparation. There is no substitute for it. You can have the most talent in the world and be beaten by a lack of preparation. So regardless of your talent level, whether you are a 1 or a 10, make your preparation a 10.”

Good Luck !

Team Meritnation

 

Exam Tips for Social Studies (Class 10)

Hi Students,

It is that time of the year again, with examinations looming round the corner. It is natural that those appearing for secondary school examinations for the first time are apprehensive about them. However, it need not be the case. The important thing to remember while approaching examinations is to concentrate on the process rather than results. If the process is correct and followed with diligence, results would take care of themselves. This includes covering the necessary topics point-wise, understanding the concepts and ideas that form the foundation of each chapter, having a regular study schedule and periodically assessing the progress one has made. As with any other discipline, doing is often the best form of learning in social science. Writing helps to grasp concepts like no other activity. Thus, taking mock tests and focussing on writing skills is necessary.

The Social Sciences paper consists of four sections of equal weightage. These are as follows:

History- 20 Marks

Geography- 20 Marks

Economics- 20 Marks

Civics- 20 Marks

Structure of paper:

• MCQs- 16 Questions
• 3 marks- 13 Questions(80 words approximately)
• 4 marks- 5 Questions (100 words approximately)
• Map question of 2 marks from history and another of 3 marks from geography.

Maps and social science-

Maps are an important component of social science. Therefore, a student is advised to familiarise oneself with the location of places of historical significance. In geography, maps are often used to highlight patterns and distribution, a visual representation of data. Correlating distribution with location is an important method of understanding the concepts of geography. Thus, even though map questions by themselves constitute only a small section of the paper, learning through maps helps one to remember key concepts.

Approach to the examination-

It is important to approach the paper with a calm and relaxed mind. A little bit of stress would be usual as it drives a student to work hard. However, one must not let that distract the mind from the task at hand. The focus should be on one question at a time.

One of the myths associated with social sciences is that lengthy answers fetch more marks. It is advised to adhere to the word limits that are associated with each type of question. This can be achieved by writing the answers concisely and expressing them point-wise. It helps in evaluating the paper with a degree of objectivity and allows the examiner to gauge the depth of a student’s knowledge.

Also, one should first attempt the questions that one is familiar with, to save time. The remaining questions can be tackled later.

MCQs and map questions present good scoring opportunities as they are based upon factual information. Therefore, they must not be left unattempted. Do spare time for revision at the end of the paper as well.

To sum up, it would help to play to your strengths. While answering, stick to what has been asked without diverging from the core subject of the question. Stay relaxed and put your best foot forward. The results would undoubtedly be positive.

All the very best!

Team Meritnation

 

Tips for CBSE Mathematics Exam (For Class 10 – SA II)

Piles of notes, loads of books around, last minute revision and late night studies! Yes, Boards have reached your doorsteps. The last few days before the examination call for ‘smart and quick study’. Previously maths was considered as the only subject where it was possible to score hundred percent. Even today this holds true for the well-prepared.
Let us start by analysing the unit-wise weightage of marks.

SECOND TERM	MARKS: 80
UNITS	MARKS
II ALGEBRA Quadratic equations and Arithmetic progressions	20
III GEOMETRY Circles and Constructions	16
IV MENSURATION Areas related to circles, Surface areas and volumes	20
V TRIGNOMETRY Heights and Distances	8
VI COORDINATE GEOMETRY	10
VII PROBABILITY	6
TOTAL	80

• From the chart, it is apparent that the units, Algebra and Mensuration account for 50% of the total marks, so prepare these units well.
• But do not leave any stone unturned, prepare for the rest of the units with the same vigor.
• Construction (Geometry) is one such topic where one can score full marks if they are fully-versed with the constructions.

Pattern of the Paper
The Mathematics paper has 4 sections viz. A, B, C and D. Section A contains MCQ questions of 1 mark. Section B and C contains short answer questions (SA) of 2 and 3 marks respectively. Section D contains long answer questions (LA) of 4 marks each.
There is no overall choice in the question paper. However, internal choice is provided in one question of 2 marks, 3 questions of 3 marks and two questions of 4 marks.

To know which type of questions come from which chapter, have a look at the table given below.

 

SECTION	A	B	C	D	Total Questions	Total Marks
UNITS	MCQ (1)	SA I (2)	SA II (3)	LA (4)	Marks	Total
Algebra	2	2	2	2	8	20
Geometry	4	1	2	1	8	16
Mensuration	2	2	2	2	8	20
Trigonometry	1	-	1	1	8	8
Coordinate geometry	-	2	2	-	4	10
Probability	1	1	1	-	3	6
Total Questions	10	8	10	6	34
Total Marks	10	16	30	24		8

(Even though the weightage remains the same, the pattern of the individual questions may vary.)

1) Long answer questions usually come from algebra, geometry, mensuration and trignometry. So, prepare long answer questions of these chapters very well.

2) Answers of MCQ should be given in one or two words only. So, do not waste your time in writing the question or whole solution during exam.

Some common mistakes that students do:

Here are a few common mistakes that students tend to make.

Mistake: -21+4 = 17 Correction: -21+4 = -17 (Take care of the signs) Mistake: 2(x2+1) = 2 x2+1 Correction: 2(x2+1) = 2×2+2 (Caught within Brackets) Mistake: sin (x+y) = sin x + sin y Correction: sin (x+y) ≠ sin x + sin y (Tricks with Trignometry)

Tips to Revise

1. Maths is a subject that cannot be read. Practice makes maths perfect. So, practise maths by writing and actually solving the questions.
2. Practice all the NCERT questions including the solved examples.
3. You can solve additional exercises from reference books and those available on www.meritnation.com for additional practice.
4. Practice all the Board questions asked in the last five years (that comes under current syllabi). To have a look at the board papers, visit here.
5. On the eve of the exam, go through the revision notes available on www.meritnation.com.
6. You can write down all the formulae/identities/results to speed up recollection of the same during the exam.
7. We advise you to take proper sleep, do not do overnight revision because a fresh mind is very important on the D-day.

All the best friends!!
Team Meritnation 

 

Special Tips for Exams!

Exams are round the corner and most of you must be busy studying hard, sometimes even through the night! A little bit of exam pressure spurs most students on and they report that they are often able to get down to doing some serious studying! It is however important that you do not let exam stress get the better of you. Keep the anxiety in perspective and remember that at the end of the day, it is after all just an exam!

Here are some tips that you might find useful in preparing for your exams-

• Know your syllabus well. It just might be a good idea to refer to the updated syllabus for your class from the CBSE website just so as to ensure that you have not missed out on any topic.
• Be thorough with your NCERT textbook. Being completely familiar with all question types from the NCERT text book is good way to study while preparing for your exams, particularly Board Exams.
• Solve previous years’ Board Papers. Lay your hands on Board Papers from the previous years and practice. Do make sure that the publisher is authentic
• Understand the marking scheme followed by CBSE. Your familiarity with the marking scheme will help you work along by keeping in mind the marks allotted for the various steps in the correct answer.
• Avoid last minute cramming. It is important to understand your concepts well if you really want to score high in your exams.
• Sleep well the day before exams. Getting a good night’s sleep will only help you remember all that you have studied and will help you focus better
• While writing the exam, pay attention to the number of marks allotted to a question and write your answers accordingly. Just cos’ you may know a lot more than is asked, writing it all down will not fetch you extra marks!
• Pay particular attention to the key terms used in the question and organize your answer accordingly. For example if the question has ‘Differentiate’ your answer should look different from the answer when the question is ‘Explain’. Simple stuff, yet critical to get those marks!

Best of Luck!
Team Meritnation
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CBSE changes exam pattern for class XII History paper

News for all you students in CBSE class XII appearing for your History paper this year! Starting this year CBSE has modified the exam pattern for the class XII History exam. The following changes have been made in the paper that is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, March 14, 2012-

• Each question in the long answer section would now carry 10 marks as compared to 8 marks earlier and the suggested word limit for each long answer has been enhanced to 500 words (earlier word limit 250 words).
• The number of very short answer questions of 2 marks has been reduced from 5 to 3.

Weightage of Questions

Form of question	No. of questions	Marks for each question	Total Marks
Long answer (LA)	2	10	20
Short answer (SA)	8	5	40
Very short answers	3	2	06
Passage based questions*	3	8	24
Skill (Map work)	2	5	10
Total	18		100

Note: Each Passage based question will have 3-4 questions with marks ranging from 1 to 4.

Good Luck!

Team Meritnation

 

A Good Result In Class XII Exams Becomes Important For IIT Aspirants!

There is news for all you students preparing to get into the IITs or any of the other engineering colleges! Beginning 2013, you can no longer afford to ignore your class XII exams. It has been decided that at least 40% weightage will be given to class XII marks for admission to the 15 IITs.

A common aptitude-cum-advanced knowledge test is all set to replace the IIT-JEE and AIEEE in 2013. The single Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) proposed for admission into the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)/National Institutes of Technology/Indian Institute of Science Education and Research/Indian Institute of Information Technology and state government-run engineering colleges, will be based on a system of varying weightages to class XII results.

Thus, while there would be single test for admission, class XII weightage would have variations that would cater to the needs of the different engineering colleges and state governments. The variations in the weightages have been devised to deal with the different systems of evaluation in each state. Put simply, the weightage given to class XII results would be different for admission to IIT and different for other engineering colleges.

So, whatever the ‘weightage band’ one thing is clear – good grades in school can now go a long way in realizing your career goals! Schools across have welcomed this move, as they feel that now the students will start focusing on their class XII exams and not blindly run after coaching centres that merely “equip” the candidates to crack competitive exams, caring little for concept-based teaching.

A single exam would also mean that as students you do not have to prepare for multiple exams! A step in the right direction, would you say?

Cheers!
Team Meritnation