CBSE class 12 Exam Tips: ‘With a vast syllabus, it’s crucial to revise smartly’

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has slated the History exam for March 28, 2024. Students must have already completed their initial round of prep for the exam. However, studying the chapters needs to be complemented by solving several question papers to ensure one is exam-ready.

To make it easier for students, Amarjot Kaur, TGT History at Apeejay School, Nerul, shared some important tips not just for what to do a day before the exam but also how to attempt the question paper on the final day of the exam.

“As the CBSE Class 12 exams approach, the pressure mounts, and the race against time feels more daunting than ever. But fret not, below are five strategic tips to ensure you’re leveraging your study hours effectively, focusing on what truly matters,” Kaur said.

Prioritise important questions: With a vast syllabus, it’s crucial to revise smartly. Concentrate on revising important questions, especially those that have frequently appeared in past exams. This targeted approach ensures you cover the core concepts likely to be tested, optimizing your revision time for maximum retention and impact.

Skim Through Headlines of Main Topics: A thorough understanding starts with a bird’s-eye view. Take time to read through the headlines or subheadings of main topics in your textbooks and notes. This technique helps in structuring your revision, enabling you to map out the key areas to focus on and ensuring you don’t miss out on any significant topics.

Tackle Source-Based Questions: Source-based questions are becoming increasingly common, designed to assess your analytical and interpretative skills. Familiarise yourself with these types of questions by practicing with as many examples as you can find. This will not only improve your ability to understand and interpret sources but also enhance your time management skills during the exam.

Master Picture-Based Questions: Visuals are a critical part of many subjects, especially in subjects like History, Geography, and Biology. Ensure you devote adequate time to practicing picture-based questions, as they test your ability to interpret information and draw conclusions from images, diagrams, and charts. This practice will aid in sharpening your observational skills and your ability to correlate visual data with theoretical knowledge.

Thoroughly Revise Maps: For subjects that involve map work, such as Geography, it’s vital to revise thoroughly. Understand the geographical locations, and significant landmarks, and how to accurately represent data on maps. Practicing this skill will not only boost your confidence but also ensure you can secure those crucial marks allocated for map-based questions.

The educator also shared tips for students on how to attempt the question paper on the day of the exam.

·         Read the question paper thoroughly. Utilise the 15 minutes given properly. Identity the answers for the MCQs at this time.

·         Starting from the first question and moving sequentially ensures a structured approach, aiding in time management and maintaining focus throughout the exam.

·         Attaching the map to your answer sheet prevents it from getting misplaced, ensuring it is reviewed along with your responses.

·         Drawing maps with a pencil allows for cleaner corrections if needed, leading to a more polished and accurate presentation.

·         Keeping corrections to a minimum results in a neater answer sheet, making it easier for examiners to read and positively impacting your scores.

·         Proper headings for each question help in organising your responses, making it straightforward for the evaluator to follow your thought process.

·         Utilising flow diagrams where applicable can effectively illustrate processes or concepts, enhancing the clarity and impact of your answers.

·         Accurate historical dates lend credibility to your answers; however, it’s better to omit them than to include incorrect information, which could detract from your overall score.