‘No Substitute for Hard Work’: Teen With 94.8% in CBSE Class 12 Exams Shares Tips

This article has been sponsored by Oswal Publishers.

Currently pursuing her chemical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, Palak Singh, shares some tips and strategies that worked for her in her class 12 CBSE board examination. Having scored 94.8 per cent in her exams, Palak says that there is no substitute for hard work.

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Palak had chosen the science stream, and her subjects were Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, and English. Palak was also preparing for the JEE exam simultaneously. She says some of the strategies overlap for both exams.

Practise all exercise and examples

“Ensure that you practice all the problems and samples that are given in the textbooks,” says Palak. In solving the examples given in the textbooks, students will better understand the concepts. Palak urges students to ensure that every model and exercise mentioned in the notebooks is attempted.

Palak also says that the first reading could be done as you would with a novel – just read through the entire book and let the concepts and diagrams make a mark on you. The next few rounds of reading can be more detailed and focused.

If like Palak, you are also preparing for the JEE exams simultaneously, you could consider picking up Oswal’s Maestro Series of Fundamentals of Physics and Chemistry for CBSE & JEE Main available for both Class 11 and 12 having a set of Textbook and practice book. These will help further strengthen your concepts.

Solve sample papers

Students are often told that there is no better practice than match practise, and in this case, it refers to solving the previous year question papers. It is ideal to replicate the examination setting and attempt the paper in a similar environment. “I would attempt one paper a day, and that helped me understand my strengths and weaknesses,” says Palak.

Chapter wise Last Years Solved Paper and 10 Years Solved Papers for CBSE class 12 will be beneficial for students who wish to practice. You can click here to access the same. Oswal Publishers answer key is as per the Board Marking Scheme, which will further help students fine-tune their answers.

Get your doubts cleared

Students must get their doubts cleared. “I would ensure that all the questions I had doubts with I got cleared with my teachers. I would circle the ones I could not understand, and once I had a substantial number of doubts, I would fix a time with my teachers and seek their help.”

Find ways to relax

For Palak, it was music, and she would use her free time to listen to music. “It helped me relax and take a break from the monotony of studying. This is very personal, and I know many friends who enjoyed dancing and did that,” she says.

Technique to attempt the paper

Palak says that she stuck to the flow of the paper and attempted it in the same order. “I would begin with answering the questions with the least marks and move upwards. I would leave the questions that I was unsure about and come back to it at the end of having completed the paper,” she says.

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If along with studying for the CBSE class 12 exams, you are also preparing for JEE, you could refer to New launch IIT-JEE Solved Papers for JEE Main and Advanced.

Head to Oswal Publishers for various Exam Guide books for 2021 Boards.

(Edited by Vinayak Hegde)