TEN PERFECT TIPS FOR BOARD EXAM PRESENTATION
1. GET
YOUR BASICS RIGHT
It has
been said time and again, but keeping all your examination material ready a day
before the examination is very important part of your success at board exams.
Create a checklist of all the things you need to carry such as hall tickets,
pens, pencils, writing pads, and other instruments, and make
sure you
carry them. All your basic information such as your name, seat number, etc.
should be filled in neatly on your answers booklets. Make sure you get these
basics right.
2. START WITH YOUR
BEST
“First impression
is the last impression” and the same is true for your board answer paper also. If
the examiner gets a good first impression of you, it can only work in your
favour. Therefore, the first answer that you write, take extra precaution to
make sure there are no careless mistakes, cancellations or any turn-offs that
will create a bad impression. Also, attempting questions in order is preferable
but not necessary.
You can
start with the answer that you know best if you are not so confident.
3. LEVERAGE THE
EXAMINER’S INERTIA
The
examiner is only human and if he/she feels that you know your subject matter
perfectly, then he/she may automatically tend to overlook some minor mistakes
you make later in the paper. Thus many top ranking students choose to answer
the questions they are most confident about first. If the examiner is ticking
your earlier questions, chances are he will keep ticking. You don’t want the
examiner to keep crossing your answers. Thus write your best answers first and
your not so perfect answers last. This can be a useful strategy especially for
your subjective papers such as English, Hindi, Marathi and History-Civics.
4. PRESENT YOUR PAPER WELL
Examiners
cannot deduct marks if a student has not underlined important terms and not
written neatly. However if you present your paper well, it makes it easier of
the examiner to award you marks. Few students waste time in decorating their
paper with sketch pens etc. This too is not needed. The trick is to give the
examiner the confidence that you know what you are writing.
5. PAY ATTENTION TO
SUBJECT SPECIFIC DETAILS
In all
Maths and Science papers, writing the proper units is one of the most important
things. Presentation of the solution of any sum of Algebra should be done
systematically with proper statements, formula wherever applicable and complete
step by step solving. Scale is important while drawing a graph. Highlighting
the final answer is compulsory in any sum of Algebra. For objective type
question, rewrite the complete statements with underlined answer. A balanced
chemical equation with proper explanation is required. In ray diagrams, circuit
diagram arrows are important. For questions like give reasons, short answers,
distinguish-properties and uses, the number of points should be as per the
marks allotted for the specific answer.
6. WRITE GOOD CRISP
ANSWERS
In
subjective papers, examiners have to read a lot of text. Many answer sheets
contain long blocks of text which are very inconvenient for the examiners to
check. Whenever possible, write your answers in bullet points one below the
other. Always write short paragraphs with just enough explanation of each
point: not too much, not too little. Many of our professors who have also been
board moderators say that this single mistake can cause good students to lose
up to 4-5 marks in the paper. Make sure you do not make this mistake.
7. DRAW SIMPLE & NEAT DIAGRAM
The goal
of drawing a diagram in any paper is to show the examiner that you know the
name and location of various parts. Many students lose marks because their
diagrams are too complicated. A simple, clear diagram that you can draw in a
minute or two is much better than an artistic diagram with too much detail. The
labeling must be in FULL CAPS and the diagram should have a Title.
8. RECHECK YOUR PAPER PERFECTLY
Examiners
don’t read 100% of your paper, word-by-word; they look for the keywords. Many
times under exam pressure while writing fast, we may skip writing few keywords
in some answers even though we know them. Carefully rechecking your paper is
the ONLY way you can spot errors and rectify them.
9. ATTEMPT OPTIONAL
QUESTION
Year
after year, many students leave the examination hall before time. Since there
are no marks for leaving early, its better to attempt extra questions so that
in case you miss out a point in one question you can make it up in another.
Attempting extra questions is a good strategy employed by top ranking students
year after year but this has to be done only if you are left with time after
completely re-checking your paper.
10. GET READY TO SUBMIT
After
tying your papers neatly, and thoroughly rechecking your paper you
can further improve it by drawing neat lines between two answers, underlining
the important sentences etc. Adding the final touches should only be done if
you are left with time after completely rechecking your paper. This will
definitely add a nice feel to your board exam papers.
Remember,
getting excited about writing your papers will automatically improve your actual
performance. So feel confident and write the PERFECT papers that you can. Best Wishes for your
academic success.
All the best.