HOW TO READ FOR MATHEMATICS EXAMINATION

How to Study For Examinations?

Examination!! Isn’t it a word that makes you tense?

Let me quote a Sanskrit text first and then we shall start discussing how to prepare you for the examination?
तावद भयस्य भेतव्यं यवाद भयमनागतम
आगतं तु भयं विक्ष्यम प्रतिकुर्याधथोचितम
The meaning of the text is ---- Get afraid of fear as long as it doesn’t comes to you. The moment fear approaches you, come forward and embrace it.

Hey guys , don’t get tensed over the examination. The tension at little amount is essential as it motivates you to work harder. Prepare well in advance and keep the tension away. Here are few tips and strategies that will work well if you follow it as advised.

1. Exams are terrible and stressful things to study for, especially knowing that they can make or break your final mark. In the age of Technology, we have different types of books available in the market or e-book available on internet. You can buy a ten years question paper or sample paper to see the pattern of question paper. If you are net savvy, you can download the previous year question paper or sample papers from the CBSE /ICSE or respective Boards’ websites. Besides that, you can download the blue- print of the syllabus which will guide you to decide which chapter will fetch you maximum or minimum marks. The blue print will also guide you about the number of questions being asked in the examination and marking scheme. The most interesting part of the question paper available on the internet on the CBSE website (www.cbse.nic.in) is it has also a solved question paper with detail description of the step-wise marking scheme. If you go through this solved paper, you will get the knowledge about the marks being awarded in the Board Examination. Even this pattern is being followed in the school.


2. You can buy sample papers available in the market. The publishing company has now designed the sample paper on the CCE pattern for Secondary classes. For the senior secondary classes you can get books on sample papers. This book contains solved and unsolved question paper on the Board pattern. Now look for a peaceful space in your home where you can sit 3 hours continuously to solve the sample paper. Mind one thing, you won’t be able to study while there are distraction like ----- A) your little sister or brother is running screaming around the house. B) Your favourite program or film is running on TV. C) There is dim light in your room. D) You are in a mess. Statistics say that 75 % of guys that study in a better light will focus better on study. For girls it is indicated that 90% of time, they study and focus better in a brighter room with little noise, their chance of grasping the matter is better. So chose a peaceful place where you don’t get any distraction. Close the room and sit there for three hours. Don’t practice in installment. Though you can take 1-2 minute break in between but that too in emergency call.
3. After practicing 2-3 papers, reduce the time by 15-30 minutes so that you can keep these 15 minutes for revising the papers. 4. Once you complete the paper, get it examined by your class teacher or tutor so that you get to know the area where you need to put extra labour. 5. The ideal time to start sample paper is 2- month before the final examination takes place. A sample paper book of 20 odd papers should be finished in 30 days so that before the examination is scheduled to happen, you get to revise all the sample papers at least 2-3 times. 6. Solving sample paper will not only control the mistake you make in examination but it will help you to learn the effective way of writing in examination. Besides that, you will learn how to complete your paper within the stipulated time. Solving sample paper before examination will serve three purpose: - a) It will control the mistake b) manages your time effectively c) you learn how to write the paper effectively. What to do a night before examination?



If you are studying one night before examination, you must have some hours left to prepare. So don’t get frightened, you need time management and you can manage to get pass or get good marks depending upon your earlier preparation.


1. Eat some brain food:- A night before examination is a crucial moment for your life. The tension grows if you haven’t had studied much in past or you have examination phobia. Get some brain food. Brain food not only gives us energy and helps us to live longer but it can also help you to get good marks. Green tea is a best brain food as it contents polyphenols. The bitter tasting substance protects the brain from wear and tear plus it helps in mood enhancement. You can eat walnuts, eggs, dark chocolate etc. Brain food boosts your brain’s workability by giving it what it needs to function properly. Moreover, by eating something before study you will be less tempted to get hungry and quit study early.


2. Dress comfortably: - Hey, I am not joking. Go to the bathroom and dress comfortably so you don’t fall asleep. Prepare your body as much as you can so that when you start the study season you have no excuses to get up and go somewhere.

3. Organize your study materials:- Get all the materials such as class-notes, text-book, reference book out on your desk so you can see what you have to work with. This preparation should be done in advance so that you don’t have to break your study every now and then.


4. Don't cram. Cramming the night before is proven to be useless, because you're taking in so much information at once that it's impossible to memorize it at all -- in fact, you'll hardly retain anything. I know it's been preached to you many times before, but it's true: Studying before and going over it multiple times really is the best way to learn the material. This is especially true with things like history and subjects dealing with theory. Most of the math is not memory work but recognizing patterns and applying useful techniques to problems. The only way to learn mathematical skills is to practice.

5. Plan: Always create a plan before you start studying, not to mention that this plan has to be achievable. If out of 5 lessons 3 are easy and can be finished fast, finish them first, that way you can spend quality time on the difficult lessons without fretting. Small tricks like these will help you complete your portions quickly. Go through the previous year question paper to make a list of important questions so that you don’t have to run through all pages. Check whether you have gone through the solved examples or not.


6. Don’t read whole night: - Though Examination is a do or die situation but you can do well in exam if you are a regular reader. Remember one thing that mathematics can’t be read in overnight. There is nothing you can gain just by cramming few hours/days before examination. So make a habit of regular reading. Our brain works like a muscle. It must be exercised regularly to be strong. Don’t put much pressure a night before examination. Let your mind take a rest. Watch film, do some recreational work instead so that your mind is relaxed and can perform better. Study less, with more concentration, if possible. If you want to study for a long time then you can take breaks in between to regain your concentration after you return from the break. It would be a better choice to study in 1 hour slot followed by a 5 minute break. If you try to study indefinitely for hours and hours, your brain will overload and you will have to work to regain your focus on studying.


7. Sleep well: - Nothing will make you do worse on a test than pulling an all- nighter. You may be tempted to study whole night and cram in as much as is possible, but this practice will do no good to you. Sleep well before exams, so your mind will be alert before, after, and during the exam. Reading whole night and sleeping less than the usual hours of sleeping will get you feel tired. It's better to study for two hours in one day than to try and cram in that daily hour of studying at two in the morning. Excess amount of reading one night before exam will make you feel sleepy in the exam hall also. Remember this analogy: 'Study without ambition is a bird without wings'.


8. Don’t call your friend: - Many students keep calling his/ her friend for help or to inquire important questions. Avoid making any call especially one night before examination, because you may get confused. Don't depend heavily on the help of others. Avoid stress from other people, if at all possible. Don't hang around friends that worry and stress. This will rub off on you. Remember don’t call your competitor, although he may look like your good friend. I have seen my competitor calling me to tell the list of important questions one night before examination only to distract my study. Your competitor may make some plan to disturb you so that you get less mark and he gets chance to prove his excellence in class/ board. So better consult your friend a month ago not a night before examination to avoid any last minute mistake.



9. Overcome test anxiety: - Examination and anxiety are supplementary words. You will hardly find any persons on the earth who are not afraid of examination. To a certain extent it is normal to be nervous about taking test, even if you are a very good student. While mild anxiety can be a motivating factor, high anxiety triggers your flight response and makes you avoid the subject that is a dangerous issue. You can go through the chapter how to overcome the math anxiety in the book itself.


10. Get up early and REVISE: - This is one of the last steps I shall advise you before you go for test. Get up early and go through the important formula, HOTS, etc. STOP reading 3 hours before examination. Have breakfast so that your mind gets proper nutrients it needs to work at full capacity. What to do in Examination Just as it is important to think about how you spend your study time, it is important to think about what strategies you will use when you take a test. Good test taking strategies can make a big difference to your score. Strategies to write a math test • Read the instruction first. The instruction is provided to help you and make strategies accordingly.

In many tests there are provision of negative marks so if you haven’t gone through the instruction, you may lose your marks.

• CBSE provides extra 15 minutes to read question paper so look over the entire paper to get a sense of its length. Try to identify those problems you are sure about it and you are having some doubt.

• Write important formula in the margin you think you will need for the exam. Write them all out on your text the moment it gets handed to you. The answer sheet should be folded into three parts. The middle part should have more space and the first and last fold should have less space. Once you finish your paper, cross the rough area to avoid any confusion.

• Go through the question paper properly. Do the easiest one first and save the hardest for last. It is not a wiser idea to try with the hardest. Writing the easiest question first will build your confidence and help you focus your time and energy on the tough ones later. This is a good way to manage your time as well.


• Don’t get panic after reading the question paper. Give yourself time to adjust. Take a long breathe and let it out slowly. Don’t watch other students working as it may put pressure on mind. Cool down and see how many question you can solve. Attempt those question first you find easy. Once you start solving you will find you know some more problems to solve.

• Don’t lose point through careless errors. Check each step as you go, and make sure that it really follows correctly from the previous step. Watch for things like dropped minus signs or missed exponent or mistake you generally make.

• Work properly, writing all steps. Discipline yourself to sow all the steps in your solution and show them one after the other, not little bits of math written here and there. Jumping steps should be avoided. Give reasoning whereas necessary. Underline the important formula. Put your answer in a box. This gives a good look to your answer sheet and makes a better impression in the mind of examiner.


SEND YOUR VALUABLE COMMENTS TO RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR rkthakur1974@gmail.com


Question: - Sum of angle of a triangle is 180 degree. Given: - A triangle ABC To prove :-

Proof: - Since BC // DE and AB is a transversal line. <2 = <4 ------------- (Alternate Angle)

(1) Again, BC // DE and AC is a transversal line. <3 = <5 ----------- (Alternate Angle)


(2) Adding equation 1 and 2 we get, <2 + <3 = <4 + <5 -----------


(3) Add <1 both side in equation (3), we get, <1 + <2 + <3 = <1+<4+<5 Since, <1+<4+<5 = 1800 (Angle on straight line) Hence, <1 + <2 + <3 = 1800 Q.E.D.
• In order to answer the geometric proof the order should be ---

a) Given b) Required to Proof c) Construction d) Proof The proof should have proper reasoning. If you are applying the theorem in order to proof a question, don’t forget to mention it.


• In graph, write the scale and also write the equation of the line. Let us now plot a velocity-time (v - t) graph for the following data. Velocity in m/s 0 10 20 30 40 50 Time in Seconds 0 2 4 6 8 10

• Leave at least two- three lines between two consecutive questions so that it makes a good impression to the examiner.


• Time is very crucial factor in exam. If there are 20 questions to be solved in 3 hours test, then one question will have on an average 9 minutes. Don’t spend much time in one question. If you are working on objective question give less time to it so that you have some extra time to work out in long type question. Keep checking the time so that you can manage the time well.

• Never waste time in erasing. If you got some steps wrong just put it in a box and draw a line to show you have cut that part. Not only does erasing waste precious time, but you may erase something useful and for that you need to repent later.

• Write the dimension in the answer. If you are asked to find the volume of a solid objects the answer will contain the cubic unit (m3 ,cm3 ,--). If you are asked to find the area of any objects never forget to write the unit in square unit such as m2 , cm2 etc. Does the problem ask how old the woman was? Make sure that your x really did stand for the woman’s age and not her daughter’s age. Students lose lots of points on every test because they didn’t answer the question that was actually asked, but answered some other question instead. Make sure you have worked the problem to the end and that your answer is in the right form, and that you’ve answered all parts of the question. • Especially in problem of Trigonometry, Geometry, Co-ordinate geometry, Mensuration etc, make clean diagram. The diagram is essential in such question and the visual representation will clear your mind and help you figure out a way to solve it.


• Don’t copy or use unfair means in exam. Never match your answer with your friend Students sometimes ask their friend for help and sometimes cross check the answer. This is a dangerous practice. I still remember one incident, when I was a student of B.Sc. (Math Hons). In a Real analysis paper I answered a question that was wrong but I was confident of my answer. A friend of mine sitting back asked me the answer of that question and I told him the answer I got. Since I was a brilliant student and most of my friend used to trust me blindly so he crossed his answer and solved it again with the method I used. When I went home and checked my answer I found that I had applied wrong concept thus got wrong result. This made me sad because I managed to get 80 marks in that paper but my friend who could have scored 70 got 55 in that paper.


• Don’t leave the paper in hurry. Have you heard the story of Tortoise and Rabbit? Doing your paper fast and submitting it without re-checking it will not bear fruit. Many students like to leave a test paper early to show their fellow friend that how good he is to finish the paper early. Regardless of your motive, leaving the exam room early is a mistake. If you have finished the paper well in advance, re- checks it two to three times. Make sure you have actually answered each question correctly. Write your variables clearly so that you don’t confuse them with other ones. Ask yourself if your answer makes sense. Are the units correct? Is your answer consistent with the parameters of the question? Check your formulas etc before submitting it to the teacher. • The last but the important point is that your writing should not be illegible. Good handwriting makes a good impression in mind of teacher and illegible writing brings a wrong impression and your illegible writing sometime may be the reason of your poor marks in exam. Hope these tips will help you to prepare for your class test or board exam.


Always remember a good strategies and well planned preparation will help you to score good in exam.