Strategies for CBSE Exam Success: Tips for School Students

Students appearing for their CBSE exam need to follow a well-planned strategic approach to smart learning to excel academically. Exams are often hailed as a hub for anxiety and stress among many students, and the fear of exams even leads to underperformance. Parents and teachers must instruct students about exam stress and encourage them to learn and prepare for exams beforehand instead of waiting till the last hours. CBSE-affiliated schools follow a set pattern of examination that is standard across the country and gets updated occasionally. Let us learn more about CBSE exams and how to tackle the stress to score well.

Importance of CBSE education

• CBSE board is a popular choice for parents looking to admit their students into the right boarding school. Let us take a look at the few advantages of CBSE-based learning.

• CBSE is the central board of secondary education in India and is globally recognized by universities abroad.

• Many boarding schools in India are affiliated with the CBSE board as it is India’s national board of education.

• CBSE aims to offer standard education to all students nationwide and is globally recognized for providing high-quality education balanced with extracurricular activities.

• Universities and schools abroad accept CBSE qualifications, making it easier for students to pursue higher studies worldwide.

• CBSE offers teacher training programmes to improve teaching skills and update teachers with newer technological integrations in education.

• It emphasizes practical learning more than theory-based learning and encourages students to develop their critical thinking skills, creativity, and problem-solving.

• The CBSE exam syllabus is structured to cater to the examination syllabus for competitive and entrance exams so that students have a strong foundation for theories and concepts.

• Since CBSE schools are all across India, it becomes easier for parents with transferable jobs to educate their children without any lapse in learning.

CBSE exam pattern

For regular classes, up to class IX, students must give an internal assessment for a designated score decided by the CBSE-affiliated school. In most cases, these internals are for 20 marks, and the main examination for all subjects is for 80 marks each. Exams take place twice a year- half-yearly and annual and students must secure a minimum of 33%, which means that a score of 26 and above out of 80 is considered a passing mark.

In the case of classes X and XII, CBSE has reorganized its exam pattern and updated that 40% of the questions in board exams will be multiple choice questions, 20% of them will be competency-based, and the remaining 40% of questions will be subjective or short answer type. The final exams will be held only once a year, but schools affiliated with CBSE may conduct pre-boards based on their needs. The internal assessment of every paper will include practical exams, viva, and tests to assess students’ competence.

CBSE grading system is not based on percentage but instead gives grades from A to E, denoting the range of percentage scored in each subject. It can also be a number from 1 to 10, representing the range of marks scored in a particular topic. For the final result, the cumulative grade point average (CGPA) is calculated by adding the numerical grade in each subject and dividing it by the total number of subjects. 

Causes of exam stress in students

Students preparing for regular or board exams are very likely to experience exam stress, especially when the exams are near. Let us explore the various reasons for exam stress among students.

1. Parents’ expectations– It is prevalent in families that students are often overburdened with parent’s high academic expectations and the pressure to perform well academically to score high grades. The intense pressure to achieve good grades is a primary cause of exam stress.

2. Mismanagement of time– Students throughout their school life have to tackle multiple subjects at once and prepare for viva, practicals and theories for each of them. It is essential to manage time for each subject. Students tend to overlook time management challenges and leave exam preparations until the last days, which leads to stress.

3. Lack of preparation– Students may find a few subjects easier while others are complex. It is advised to study and make notes for complex theories in advance to avoid burdening themselves at the last moment. Feeling unprepared or underprepared for any exam can lead to stress and impact student performance in every exam.

4. Health-related issues– Mental wellness and physical health go hand in hand. Mental health issues, such as illness, lack of sleep, or any existing mental disorders, such as anxiety disorders, can accelerate exam stress and impact the physical health of students. It is therefore advised for students to get proper sleep and meals at all times.

5. Peer pressure– Students often compete with their peers to score better. While healthy competition helps in encouraging students to study, excess peer pressure may also cause students to develop a fear of failure, which can be stressful.

Tips for CBSE exam success 

The CBSE exam is more about assessing what students have learnt and accumulated from their syllabus instead of just mindlessly learning and pouring into the answer sheets. To pass the CBSE exam, students must follow these tips-

1. Know your learning style– The primary learning style of every student differs; while some can memorize, others look for practical learning with visual aids. It is essential to know this before beginning exam preparations to have adequate resources and study material that careers to your learning style.

2. Categorize your subjects– While certain subjects and topics may be elementary to understand and grasp, other subjects can be tough and challenging for students to understand. It is necessary to give more time and attention to such subjects and be prepared beforehand to avoid exam stress.

3. Create a study schedule– Based on the subject categories, carefully plan a schedule that gives more time to complex subjects or theories. The rest of the time can be divided among other topics and revision.

4. Take notes– Students can make flowcharts, side notes, diagrams, or mind maps to help them revise and remember whatever they are studying. Notes are a crucial factor that helps retain the learned information in our eidetic memory.

5. Practising previous years’ question papers– Solving the previous year’s exam papers is an intelligent strategy for CBSE exam preparation. These papers are available for students at the school library. There are multiple books for students that compile ten-year papers of the CBSE board for the ease of students. Students gain more confidence while solving the papers and become familiar with the CBSE exam pattern.

6. Regular revision– Students overlook the importance of revising what has been studied. It is necessary to spend time on revision as it helps in retaining and jogging the memory, thereby storing information in the short-term memory from the subconscious.

7. Utilizing resources– Students use mobiles and other devices for entertainment purposes. These gadgets can also be used for extracting study material and expanding the use of available resources to learn and study in a simplified way. YouTube videos, blogs, and articles can help clear complex concepts.

8. Minimise distractions– Even if you study for an hour, ensure you are well-focused and not distracted by your surroundings or other thoughts. Parents must create a quiet, distraction-free study environment that nurtures the academic performance of students.

These are a few tips that will help students strategically prepare for their CBSE exam, keep away exam stress and perform well in their academics.

SKV is a CBSE-affiliated boarding school in India that educates girls from class VI onwards. We provide high-quality and all-round education to nurture young girls into competent and learned individuals.