Boards exams: how to crack it better

Selected questions will be answered by our counsellors in the Quest page column.

With CBSE exams in full swing,students are sweating it out,spending hours with their textbooks. But a few questions still linger for students,parents and counsellors,ranging from handling last-minute panic to deliberating on “What next?” Quest brings you answers to some questions sent in by our readers. The answers have been given by CBSE helpline counsellors Dr Sangeeta Bhatia,Principal,New State Academy Senior Secondary School,Pitampura and Vijay Sehgal,Vocational Career Counsellor,Government Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya,Vivek Vihar.

We are also thankful to Nitin Goyal,HOD,Mathematics and Loveena Arora,HOD,Commerce,from New State Academy Senior Secondary School,Pitampura,for their support.

I want to know how to write answers in the English Literature paper. Should the answers be written verbatim from the book or can we write it in our own words?
Martina Roy,XII
Mater Dei School,Tilak Lane

Students should keep the marking scheme in mind and adhere to the word limit. There is no need to mug each and every word from the textbook,but you must incorporate keywords and concepts in your answers. Read the prescribed text thoroughly. This is very important — students often tend to ignore this as they believe that they have a good command over the language.

I tend to forget formulae very easily and get confused. What is the best way to retain them?
Akshi Bhambri,X D
Delhi Public School,Panipat

Revise formulae as often as you can. Make a note of all the formulae on a piece of paper and stick it in your room at a place where you can see it often. The best way to retain formulae is to practise their application. The more you practise,the longer you’ll be able to retain it.

I face a lot of problems while doing trigonometry questions involving identities. I don’t want to lose marks on these questions since they are compulsory. How should I attempt them?
Archit Khurana,X D
St Mark’s Senior Secondary School,Janakpuri

These questions relate to life situations. They require application of trigonometry. It is important to learn all the identities and remember them properly to be able to apply them correctly. You must be able to relate it to your life situations to solve them. Practise them a lot so that you can tackle as many situations and questions.

In the word problem of Linear Equation,students are always unable to construct the equations. What is the solution?
Poonam Sharma,TGT Maths
Abhinav Public School,
Pitampura

Read the question at least twice or thrice carefully. After reading the problem,sketch the picture and label the variables. Write down what the answer should look like,according to you. Think of the appropriate formula. Solve the equation for the needed variable. Write down the known numbers. Now you can solve your equation and answer the question.

If a child comes out of the examination hall and says that he could not attempt the paper properly,how should parents and teachers react?
Hardeep Kaur,PGT Commerce Cambridge School,
Indirapuram

Once the paper gets over,no negative feedback should be given,even if the child says that it did not go too well. Parents should take it in a healthy way. Their attitude should be positive. The parents should give moral support to the child for the next exam.

Students are unable to concentrate and memorise formulae of mensuration. They also get confused in applying them. What should they do to prepare well?
Poonam Sharma,TGT Mathematics
Abhinav Public School,Pitampura
Write all the formulae on a single sheet of paper. Then take another sheet and write the formulae with one space left blank. Make photocopies of this exercise sheet. Attempt this exercise sheet everyday and fill in the blanks. It will take you about 10 minutes every day but you’ll be able to retain the formulae easily. Practise as many questions from sample papers to avoid any confusion during application.

What is the contribution of the parents in motivating children towards a proper approach for the examination? What should be the strategy to enhance the confidence level of the child?
Sunita Kapoor,HOD English
St Angel’s Senior Secondary School,Rohini
Parents play a vital role in motivating the child. Providing unconditional support and encouragement to the child is their duty. It is required at every step. The confidence level varies from person to person. No two individuals have the same confidence level. You have to deal with the child accordingly,without giving him or her undue burden. The child or parents should not compare the amount he or she has studies with his peers. The child should follow his or her own pace. Discussing this makes the child panic.

Students face many problems while solving company accounts. How should they tackle them?
Sachin Bhatia,TGT Commerce
Abhinav Public School,Pitampura
The first thing that students need to do is prepare working notes properly. If this is not done,the whole question can go wrong. Take care to show all the narrations. 25 per cent of marks are deducted for not writing the narration and this is often ignored by the students.

I find word problems very tricky and often am unable to form the equations. What is the best way to tackle them?
Archit Khurana,X D
St Mark’s Senior Secondary School,Janakpuri
Read all the examples from your textbook and CBSE sample papers. Practise as many questions as you can. You can practise from CBSE sample papers and other available sample papers. You could also use the Internet for sample questions.

In XII English (core),the reading section has always been a problem. Despite enough practice,doubts and problems remain. How to handle it?
Saroj Bansal,Vice Principal
Abhinav Public School,Pitampura

At this point of time,and your focus should be on practice papers. You must do as many practice papers as you can. Reading skills are best developed by reading newspapers. Newspaper-reading can be used for comprehension practice. When you get into the habit of reading,you get to know different styles of writing and other skills used.

Throughout the month of February,I have been studying till the wee hours (5 to 6 am). I can’t concentrate during the day. Is it advisable? Should I continue this routine?
Kunal Almadi,X B
V V D A V Public School,Vikaspuri
It is not advisable to change the routine at this point of time. Since you are comfortable studying early in the morning,you should continue to do so but take care that you take proper rest.

Sometimes questions are asked to be answered from own experience without any reference to the contents of the prescribed text. Please throw light on this problem.
Saroj Bansal,Vice Principal
Abhinav Public School,Pitampura
Students should try and recall their own life experiences and relate it to the question and then answer in their own words. Reference can be given from the prescribed text.

What should parents do if the child complains a few hours before the examination that he or she has forgotten everything?
Sunita Kapoor,HOD English
St Angel’s Senior Secondary School,Rohini
Divert the child’s mind by talking to him in a light,casual manner on other topics. Allow him to take a small break by watching television for some time or take a small nap. Tell him to do what he likes doing the most. Try to boost his morale by using supporting words.

Children generally do not sleep well the night prior to the exam and go for the exam feeling fatigued and not with a fresh mind. What can be done to have a peaceful night’s sleep?
Anjali Aggarwal,Principal
St Mark’s Senior Secondary School,
Meera Bagh
Minimum of 8 to 10 hours sleep is required before the exams. Do not have a heavy dinner. You will not feel very comfortable and become lethargic. Parents play a very important role at this time. They should understand their child’s body clock and how many hours of sleep keep their child fit. They should make the child sleep early so that he or she feels fresh in the morning.

The questions can be e-mailed to quest.delhi@expressindia.com.