Sabyasachi Laskar- CBSE Class 10 Topper with a Perfect Score of 100% Recommends Educart Books
With a perfect score of 100% in five subjects, i.e. Science, SST, English, Bengali and Arts, Sabyasachi Laskar, a student of the BDM International School, Kolkata, tops the CBSE Class 10, 2023-24 Board Exam.
Although CBSE has not released the official list of board toppers, aiming to reduce unhealthy competition, various sources reveal that Sabyasachi Laskar from Kolkata has topped the 10th board exam.
Sabyasachi, a student of BDM International School and a resident of the Acharya Prafulanagar area of Sonarpur, has scored 500/500 marks, emerging as the probable topper of the CBSE Class 10 2023-24 Board Exam.
He is also a talented singer and great artist, and he aspires to pass JEE Advanced and get into a premier IIT to pursue research in the fields of Maths and Physics.
In one interview, when asked about his expectations for the results, Sabyasachi said, "Actually, I didn't expect a perfect score—I expected that I would get a good result, like 99 and around, but I didn't expect an exact perfect score, so I was really happy about it."
Here are excerpts from his recent interview given to a top news channel.
Sabyasachi, you've turned the seemingly impossible into possible. You must have employed various methods and worked hard to clear up many concepts. What would you like to share about your journey with everyone?
First of all, it is not impossible today. This is very much possible because these days, the internet and book publishers provide a lot of resources which are easily available. so it has become easier for students to study today compared to 10-20 years ago.
Then the exam pattern of CBSE has also changed. So it is not at all impossible to get a good result. Keep in mind that from the first day of class 9th, you have to maintain consistency and slowly clear the concept. Don't come in 10th and say that I will clear this and that a few days before the exam. No, don't do that. Then you have to concentrate on the time of the exam and keep your time management skills at the peak. So, if you are familiar with the old questions, then these two skills come naturally to you. So, I think, yeah, this is the key to making the impossible possible.
Sabyasachi, you mentioned that clearing concepts is very important. Can you share which resources you used to achieve this, such as specific books, YouTube channels, or other materials?
I believe NCERT should be the primary focus of the board exam. Along with that, we also require some reference books for all subjects. So, talking about maths and science subjects, I practised the books from different boards, like ICSE and West Bengal Boards, very well. I have also read the Educarts books thoroughly. Among the YouTube videos, I watched Digraj Sir's and Prashant Sir's videos on SST and Science, and they were a great help to me. I think the role of school teachers is also very important. You have to clear all your doubts with the school teachers because they are also the examiners of CBSE. They know what answers CBSE expects from us.
Sabyasachi, we have received over 10,000 queries from students asking which books, apart from NCERT, you referred to while preparing for your exams. Could you share the subject-wise books you used?
The first thing is that NCERT should always be the main focus. NCERT books should be read thoroughly and practised well. Reference books provide extra-important practice. To practice and understand the question pattern, I referenced Educart books. Their sample papers and question banks helped me cover good-quality questions and step-wise answers to tricky, long-answer questions. Mainly for SST and Science, I used Educart. For English, I used only NCERT, and for Maths I referred to RD Sharma for a few chapters of extra questions.
So, you mentioned Educart; why their books?
I found Educart books very reliable and only bought them because my teachers suggested them to me. All the books of Educart are aligned as per the latest official syllabus, the question pattern, and most importantly, step-wise answering as per the marking scheme of CBSE.
Sabyasachi, I have come to know that you do singing and sketching. There is a saying that if a child only studies and is not involved in extracurricular activities, he becomes a dull boy. And you have balanced your studies with your co-curriculars. How important is it to balance your studies with co-curricular activities?
If someone doesn't pursue any extracurricular activities along with his studies, then at some point, his stress will increase so much that his productivity and time management skills will start decreasing.
So, we have to keep at least one hobby. And that hobby has to be pursued not in any recreational way but in a way that increases your concentration and furthers your productivity. Like, say, singing or drawing, which requires a lot of focus and leaves you refreshed at the end.
Sabyasachi, you must have also felt board pressure at times while you were preparing for the exams. What advice do you want to give to all students on how to handle board exam pressure or peer pressure?
If you remain consistent from day one and your basics are clear, you won't feel any fear. If by any chance there are doubts, then first of all, get the help of your school teachers or anyone whom you consider your mentor and clear up the doubts as soon as possible. Don't leave anything for tomorrow.
To handle peer pressure, you first have to become self-dependent. People's expectations and taunting don't bother you if you become self-dependent. In one test, I also got two or three marks less and was experiencing self-doubt, but then I thought I didn't have to be like that. I should believe in myself, and I have to understand how prepared I am. Even if I am not prepared, I have to understand my weak points calmly instead of taking tension and should try to refine myself.
So don't pay too much attention to what others say.
So, what you are saying is that it's a relatively easy formula. We need a peaceful mind so that we can relax and keep studying. However, it's difficult to get 100 out of 100. So, when you talked about self-doubt, I'm sure you would have experienced it. How did you handle that situation, and how did you get out of it? What were your processes? How did you get out of that doubt phase? Did you take someone's help? Did you talk to someone? What did you do?
First of all, yes, whenever I doubted that I wouldn't be able to achieve this or I was unable to do it; I had my school teachers. Always ask for help from your school teachers. In this matter, I think the cooperation of family members, especially parents, is crucial because we often see your overall development getting questioned if the marks are low. But it's not due to that. Your marks could decrease due to some unexpected reasons. So you should work on that.
Lastly, what is your advice to students preparing for board exams 2024-25?
If you score less in any subject, don't think—oh! I am weak in that subject. If you can understand the intent by looking at the questions, it means your subject is prepared; you just need to learn the techniques, understand the problem, and specifically address it.