During the Board Exam Preparation, a student goes under a lot of pressure and stress. This is because the board exam results make their way into good colleges. While they prepare for their board examinations, they also have a lot of added pressure due to the preparation of their competitive examinations. They have to prepare for both simultaneously.
The Differences between board exams and competitive examinations are that:
- While board exam papers are set keeping in mind the ability of an average student, entrance exams offer more complex questions and are way ahead in terms of question paper standard.
- Usually, the board exams start in the month of March, while competitive exams begin a month later
This year IIT-JEE is scheduled to be conducted twice. The first attempt for IIT-JEE will begin from January 9 onwards.
Following these, along with board exams, the students will be burdened with 18 other competitive exams, this can put them under immense stress.
With the exams knocking on the door the key to achieve one’s goal and fulfil the dream of getting admission to a desirable college will depend on how efficiently the students balance their time and tackle stress while preparing for both the competitive and board exams together.
Few tips to balance board exam preparation with that of competitive exams:
1. Go by the timetable and systematic revision plan
Forming a timetable and having a revision plan at this hour is a very wise decision. It enhances both clarity and concept. Furthermore, it also allows them to keep a track of their performance.
“The timetable and revision plan should be devised in a way that the course for both competitive exams and the board exams are covered with an equal focus on both the conceptual and theoretical topics.”
An ample amount of time should be dedicated to practicing and revising the weaker subjects and basic concepts as students often make big mistakes while attempting the basic questions during competitive exams.
2 Go for Mock Tests for better preparation
It has been observed that syllabus of Board Exams and competitive exams are more or less same. Board exams follow the traditional way of forming questions of short and long answers, while the focus in entrance exams is on multiple choice questions.
“The preparation can also include solving/answering previous years’ question papers. To be able to do this well, students have to be regular to class and follow a proper time table.”
Mock tests enable students to differentiate between basics and higher level questions of a subject. This helps them face the board exams where basics are crucial, and the competitive tests, where complex questions are vital.
3 Correlate topics of Board and Entrance Exams
“This could make problem-solving easier and result in positive outcomes from both the exams.”
In case a topic you are studying at college is similar to the one at your coaching institute, try to complete studying this topic as fast as possible so that you can concentrate on other topics.
4 Make your Exams stress-free
It is obvious for students to have stress for their exams This gives rise to anxiety, fear, and restlessness leading to decrease in concentration and overall efficiency of the students.
Students shall maintain calm as there is no point in panicking and studying for 8-10 long hours when one cannot retain the concepts that can be grasped in just two hours.
“It is essential to follow a good sleep pattern of at least four to six hours and maintain physical health by participating in activities such as yoga and meditation.”