‘Practice tests, quizzes during online classes prepared us for MCQ exam pattern’: Apeejay Kharghar CBSE toppers

When Riya Stanley, a class 10 student of Apeejay School Kharghar, got to know her CBSE term I percentage from her friend, she couldn’t believe it. “I got to know my score yesterday. Since I could not go to school, it was my friend who broke the news to me the moment she returned home. I could not believe it at first, especially the fact that I had topped in my school,” said the topper, who scored 99 per cent. “Later, my mother, who is a teacher in my school, came home and confirmed the news. I was extremely happy!”

Sharing how her family and relatives reacted, she added, “My family is very happy. While I was prepping for term I, my mother would ask me to study for 8-10 hours straight every day. But I would usually complete my daily target in four-five hours. She would always be nervous while talking to relatives about my term I exam, but now they are all saying that I have proved my abilities.”

Aarav Venketesh Baori, who came second with 97.5 per cent, was not even expecting such a high score. “I was expecting around 95. I am surprised and thrilled!”

Aarav, however, was confident of doing well in CBSE term I. “I have been writing the Olympiad exam for some years now. Prior to CBSE term I too, I was preparing for it while finishing my school syllabus. Like term I, Olympiad also follows an MCQ pattern, which is a very big advantage. I was accustomed to the exam pattern.

“I had joined a coaching class that provided us with practice papers for term I. These practice tests gave me some confidence that I was well prepared for the board exam. The teachers at Apeejay Kharghar were also very helpful. We were made to do practice assignments on the online platform, which was beneficial,” he mentioned.

Elaborating on the way the Apeejay teachers prepared the students for the board exam, Somesh Singh, who also secured 97.5 per cent, said, “Our SST teacher Purnima ma’am, Chemistry teacher Neetu ma’am and our Biology teacher Sunita ma’am all gave us a lot of questions to practise. Meenakshi ma’am, our Physics teacher, made us solve a lot of questions in the class. Similarly, our English and Hindi teachers also made us revise the chapters and practice MCQ.”

Riya added, “We had a lot of quizzes during the online classes, which prepared us for the MCQ exam paper. I obviously read the NCERT thoroughly as well, which is what our teachers repeatedly emphasised. I would usually study two subjects simultaneously to increase productivity and prevent monotony. I also watched explanatory videos on YouTube.”

Apart from practising, what also matters is a clear understanding of concepts instead of relying on memorising, Somesh believes. This is exactly what helped him manage exam stress. “I was never stressed. In fact, I used to go out to play for one-and-a-half hours every day during the boards. What one has to focus on is having a clear understanding of concepts, which makes your job much easier and can keep you stress-free. I was confident that all my concepts were clear.”

So, what are their goals for term II? “I am aiming for 99 for sure. Term II will be subjective for which I am practicing writing more. For the past two years, we have been attempting quizzes mostly, so focusing on writing is of paramount importance now,” Riya stated.

Somesh, too, has been practising how to write his answers. “Our school pre-boards gave us an idea about how to approach the questions. I worked out a strategy for term II—keep the answers to the point to be able to complete the paper on time; if there is extra time, I can go back to answer and add more arguments. I aim to get around 98-99 in term II to keep my total percentage above 97.”

“It is rightly said by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam ‘If you want to shine like a Sun, first burn like a Sun’. Congratulations to all the toppers for their hard work and perseverance. I would also like to congratulate our teachers for their diligent work and persistence.”

–Tejaswini Shamish Katdare, principal, Apeejay School Kharghar