How to Prepare for Class 10 Board Exams


You will be appearing for your 10th board exams this year. Till now you have been competing with classmates but now for the first time you will be exposed to greater competition, with numerous students across the country appearing for exam. This will be your first step towards achieving the goal you have set in life. This is because the 10th board marks will be a decisive factor for most of your future endeavours.

Tips to prepare

  • Know the syllabus clearly: Follow your class lessons properly to cover your syllabus in a systematic manner. The class lessons are probably the first introduction of the topics to you. After coming home, revise whatever is taught in the class, as the topics will be still fresh in mind. In case of confusion, clarify with your teacher the next day.
  • Solve questions: Try and solve the questions at the end of each topic and also the last ten years' papers. If you are stuck, make sure you have it resolved by the next day at the maximum. Take help from teachers and seniors, as needed.
  • Maintain separate notebooks for each subject: Jot down important notes and formulae that you come across during your studies. This will help before the exams as you can just grab the subject notebook and revise the portions you want.
  • Highlight important points: Highlight important points and formulae on textbooks and reference books to locate them easily. Revise the points as and when you get time.
  • Plan your studies: Chalk out a time table for board exam preparation and allocate ample time for each subject. Choose the time that you think is best for study. It can be early in the morning or late at night. Do not allow distractions to mar your studies. Select a study space that you feel is most suitable and convenient.
  • Know your strengths and weaknesses: Hone your strengths but do not ignore your weaknesses. Concentrate more to improve on them. Take guidance from your teachers.
  • Revise Well: Do not study anything new or from a new book right before exams, as you may get confused. Revise what you have studied and glance at important notes and formulae. Make note of important formulae and keep them handy so that you can take a look at them as an when you want. Make a weekly revision plan once you have completed the entire syllabus.
  • Keep fit: Eat healthy and take ample rest. Make sure you are also spending some time playing and re-energizing yourself.

Subject-wise tips

Physics
  • Get a grip on the fundamental concepts of the subject.
  • A major part of the exam contains direct formulae- and theorem-based questions. Therefore, revise them thoroughly to solve questions accurately.
  • Use the formulae and theorems extensively in solving various problems from last years’ papers and model papers.

Chemistry
  • The good news is this is a high-scoring subject, and also requires lesser time for preparation.
  • Speed and accuracy in solving different problems can be acquired through in-depth study of the subject and extensive practice.
  • Study the name reactions; make charts of formulae along with names and revise them as and when possible.

Biology
  • As the subject includes lots of diagrams, give special attention to important diagrams and their theory. Make sure you remember the important terms and their respective functions.
  • Biology involves learning and memorising difficult terminology. Write such terms repeatedly so as to get acquainted with them.
  • Get thorough with the important definitions as the subject is mostly theory.

Mathematics
  • Mathematics is a high-scoring subject once you are clear with the concepts. Do not fear it; instead, start practicing. You will see that you will slowly develop interest.
  • Calculations can be lengthy and time-consuming. Practice a lot to acquire both speed and accuracy, as it is the one and only trick to attain a high score in the subject.
  • Beware of the silly mistakes that you often make.
  • Jot down important formulae and tables that you need to memorise. Keep them handy so that you can glance at them whenever you want.
  • Practice common square root and cube root problems so that you can quickly solve the questions during the exam.
History
  • This subject contains facts as recorded by historians. So, the only mantra is to read, memorise and remember important events, names, periods and dates of different historical occurrences.
  • Study, revise and answer questions from time to time.

Geography
  • Practice map-pointing a lot.
  • Problems on latitude and longitude, among others, are quite high-scoring. Practice extensively to master them.
On Your Exam Day

  • Reach the examination hall a little earlier. Ensure that you have the important documents such as admit card, pen, pencil, etc., with you. Locate your seat and settle down comfortably, keeping everything in place.
  • Read the questions carefully, as any silly mistake of understanding the question can be damaging.
  • After you get the question paper, spend five minutes to glance through it. It is better to solve those questions that you are more confident with, instead of wasting time with the difficult ones.
  • Do not waste time if you get stuck with a question. Move forward with the others. Once the easier and moderate ones are done with, attempt the relatively tougher ones if you have the time.
  • Revise the paper carefully, provided time permits.

Some Recommended Books

CBSE Books

  • NCERT Books on Class 10 subjects
ICSE Books

  • ICSE Mathematics 15th Edition (Paperback) by Ravinder Kumar Vimal and Vinod Kumar Jain
  • Longman History & Civics for ICSE 10 (Paperback) by Singh
  • ICSE Geography For Class 10 (Paperback) by R.K. Jain
  • ICSE Physics For Class X (Paperback) by Pankaj Bhatt
  • S.Chand's ICSE Chemistry X 1st Edition (Paperback) by B.S. Bisht
  • ICSE Biology, by Sarita Aggarwal



Last Updated on : February 15, 2019