Term 1 exam of Tamil Nadu State Board (TNSB) will be held in the month of September, students need to focus and plan for the same. Below are tips to ace the exams from a BYJU’S expert
Refer syllabus regularly
In Tamil Nadu Board, for Grade 6 and 7 there are term-wise books and for Grade 8, 9 and 10 portions were given in books till the first week of September (Quarterly)/December (Half Yearly)/February (Annual), which makes it easy to find the syllabus map from the beginning of the year itself. The paper pattern for the exam should be referred to for preparing effectively.
Question pattern sample for Grades 6, 7 and 8:
1) ‘Choose the correct answer’ question format will have 10 questions of 1 mark each
2) Followed by 5 questions for ‘Fill in the blanks’ with 1 mark for each
3) Another section will have ‘True and False’ with 5 questions and 1 mark for each
4) Another 40 marks questions will be for short and detailed answers which will have optional questions, where students can choose 10 questions out of 15 and 4 questions out of 6 for short and detailed answers respectively
For Grade 9 & 10
Math - Question Pattern
1) For Math, the first 14 questions will be around ‘Choose the correct answer’ and will be of 1 mark each
2) Another two sections will be optional and students can answer any 10 questions out of 13 which will be of 2 marks each
3) The last section for Math will be compulsory and will carry 2 marks for each question
Science - Question Pattern
1) ‘Choose the correct answer’ question format will have 12 questions of 1 mark each
2) Followed by short answers which will be optional and students can choose 7 questions out of 9 questions which will be of 2 marks each
3) Another section will also be options and students can choose 7 out of 9 questions which will be of 4 marks each
‘Detailed answer questions’ will be the last section for Science with 3 questions, 7 marks each
Students should keep checking the syllabus to get a better understanding of the exams since at the last moment, the syllabus for the term examination may be reduced or a few portions can be excluded.
Understanding concepts
Basically, students should concentrate on understanding the different concepts and theories in the syllabus. Try to concentrate and understand it through the meaning and reasons behind every explanation. Make it a habit to revise your lessons on a daily basis and focus on the important topics which are asked frequently in the examinations.
These are the important topics from the sample question papers.
For Grade 6
Important chapters in Science can be Force and Motion, Matter Around Us, The Living World of Plants, Living World of Animals
In Math, students can focus on Numbers, Introduction to Algebra, Ratio and Proportion, Geometry and Statistics
For Grade 7
In Science, students can focus on Force and Motion, Matter Around Us, Atomic Structure and Reproduction and Modification in Plants
Important chapters for Math can be Number System, Measurements, Algebra, Direct and Inverse proportion, and Geometry
For Grade 8
Important chapters for science can be Changes around us, Microorganisms and Plant Kingdom
One can focus on topics like Life Mathematics for securing good grades.
For Grade 9
Important topics for Science encompass Measurement, Motion, Fluids, Matter Around Us, Atomic Structure, Periodic Classification of Elements, Animal Kingdom and Organisation of Tissues
In Math, students can focus on chapters like Set Language, Real Numbers, Algebra, and Geometry
For Class 10
In Science, students can focus on Optics, Electricity, Atoms and Molecules, Periodic Classification of Elements, Solutions Plant Anatomy and Plant Physiology, Plant Anatomy and Plant Physiology, Transportation in Plants and Circulation in Animals and Reproduction in Plants and Animals & Genetics
For Math, Relations and Functions, Numbers and Sequences, Algebra, Geometry, Coordinate Geometry and Trigonometry, should be studied well for scoring marks
Make a timetable
Students should make a timetable on their own and decide the topics that they want to study in a particular week. In the timetable, there should be proper breaks to relax their minds. This should be a uniform practice which enhances their confidence and avoids stress at the last minute. This will create discipline within them.
Stop procrastinating
Most of the students avoid the important and hard topics since it will consume a lot of their time to understand them properly. But those topics should be revised at the beginning. In that case, students should not hesitate to ask teachers to teach the topic once again to understand it properly. Students should make sure that all the portions and topics are completed and they should not skip any topics.
Preparation techniques
Students should be aware and they should prepare properly by using some techniques like keywords, flashcards, formula booklets and previous year's questions. They can practice time management to complete the exam on time and get time to review it before submission. Almost 10% of the questions are asked from the depth of the syllabus, so students should have conceptual knowledge and understanding.
Revise concepts
As far as the Tamil Nadu Board is concerned, 90% of the questions will come from the books. It is an added advantage for the students to revise the syllabus without any hassle. Students can revise and practice the same from the questions given behind the book and the additional questions given by the teachers.
In Math, problems will be in three categories easy, medium and hard. For these types of questions, students can revise all the patterns and they should focus on the part which takes a lot of time to solve. They should also revise Geometry and Graphs since it needs accurate readings. The same should be done for science too.
Solve papers
As per the Tamil Nadu State Board Examinations, 90% of the questions are from the books. Students should practice and go through the questions which were given during the monthly/unit test. They can rectify their mistakes by looking into the answers once again, and after that, they can practice twice to avoid the same mistake in future because these questions can be asked in the Term Examinations too.
Students can also refer to the previous question papers and answer keys on the web from the following websites like www.padsalai.net and www.pallikalvitn.blogspot.com.
Stay healthy
Students should maintain good health during and before the examinations by consuming healthy foods and drinking lots of water. Some of the healthy activities that students can practice for better concentration are power yoga, jogging, meditation and so on. Only a healthy body and mind will not let the hard work go to waste.
(The article is written by Kalainirraicelwon Pillaikani, Zonal Academic Head, BYJU’S. Opinions expressed are his own.)
