Board or competitive exams: Master the balancing act

With the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announcing the timetable for the examinations, the ­countdown has officially begun for students.

With the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announcing the timetable for the examinations, the ­countdown has officially begun for students. It also marks the beginning of a particularly ­challenging ­period for ­students juggling Board exam preparations with classes for competitive examinations, ­especially engineering and medical entrance exams. However, these examinations are not significantly different from the Boards.

Central-Board-of-Secondary-Education-CBSE-schoolchildren-look-at-their-textbooks

Identical ­syllabus
The syllabus for JEE (Mains) and The All India Pre Medical Test (AIPMT) is the same as that of CBSE Board. Hence, it is important that all the chapters are revised regularly in the run-up for the Board exams.

Revision schedule
Since there are five subjects to be revised for Board examination, it is imperative that the revision plan includes a balanced time allocation for all these subjects.

Testing pattern
Board examination question pattern is different from multiple- choice questions pattern that is followed in the competitive exams. It is important to practise mock papers.

Keep a clear focus
For JEE, there is a clear weightage of CBSE marks (40%), hence, students need to perform well in Boards. Though Board marks do not have a direct impact on the admission process for other examinations, it is important to note that the CBSE Board examination marks will stay in your CV for life. Hence, students should score well in Boards.

This article is written by Arindam Lahiri, Chief Academic Officer (Studymate) and can be reached at www.studymateonline.com