Teentalk

There are three most known Education Boards in India, namely, State Boards, CBSE and ICSE. Each of the Boards have their own merit and demerit, which will depend on the student and his strengths, weakness and plans. One merit for some child can be demerit for another.

Below are some of the points to ponder while deciding. Syllabus is highly comprehensive and competitive in ICSE, little less in CBSE and lesser in State Boards.

CBSE Board:

• The board conducts two examinations — the All India Secondary School Examination, AISSE (Class X) and the All India Senior School Certificate Examination, AISSCE (Class XII).

• This board should be most preferred one for you if you have a transferable job as CBSE schools are there in almost every city in India.

• CBSE board approves both, English & Hindi as medium of instruction in class.

• This board is renowned for emphasizing on subjects like Science and Maths.

• CBSE is completely affiliated to Government of India and is approved for all central schools, Kendriya vidyalayas  in the country.

• The entire syllabus and curriculum is recognized by NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training).

• Another advantage of CBSE board is that, it’s syllabus is followed by most of the competitive exams like JEE Mains (Previously conducted as AIEEE) and Advanced, NEET(National Eligibility and Entrance Test) previously conducted as AIPMT (All India Pre Medical Test).

• CBSE syllabus is more theoretical based and puts less emphasis on improving practical knowledge of the students. Though the curriculum is application oriented, it is not based on real-life concepts and does not provide scope for effective understanding.

• Education cost is bit on higher side and is highly competitive too.

ICSE Board: CISCE, Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations

• The essential pillar of ICSE board is it’s syllabus. The syllabus is comprehensive and structured to provide more practical knowledge and helps to build analytical skills in students.

• ICSE exercises only English as a medium of instruction in class and also emphasizes more on the subject English.

• The curriculum is fruitful for students who are interested in the fields of Humanities and Management. Offering a variety of languages such as Hindi, English, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and others, ICSE even includes creative subjects like fashion design, agriculture, home science and cookery for innovative minds.

• Passing ICSE exams are highly difficult and competitive due to result of strict and rigid internal assessment

• ICSE syllabus and teaching makes a student fit for the corporate world. They tend to opt for management studies and be good managers in future with good leadership qualities.

• CISCE syllabus is recognized by many foreign education academies. Hence, if, as a parent you move to various countries for work, ICSE board can be ideal for your child.

• ICSE syllabus is perfect to opt for scholarship examinations attuned to the world education standards.

• Education cost is bit on higher side and is highly competitive too.

• Please keep in mind that ICSE is a non-governmental education board and that after Class 10, ICSE converts to ISC (Indian School Certificate).

State Board

• Each state has its own educational board and the curriculum is set by the state education body.

• State language is compulsory if you choose to study in a school that follows the state board.

• The advantages of opting for this board are lower fees, thereby making it affordable for people coming from different socio-economic backgrounds, including the marginalized communities;

• Studying in State Board is less stressful, since the syllabus is relatively easier and the structure of the curriculum also allows you to focus on extracurricular activities like sports.

• It is not favourable for parents with transferable jobs

• Some state schools in small towns and rural areas might also lack in basic amenities

• It is advisable to study in State Board if someone has any neurological obstacles as learning disability or autism or physical obstacles like hearing impaired or blind or speech issues etc

• It is also recommended to study in state boards if one wishes to be participating in district – level, state – level or national – level in any sports.

No matter how hard you have studied for your exams, feeling anxious is completely normal. However, if you want to feel absolutely confident on the day of your exam, your preparation should be rock solid. But how do we do that? The answer is MURDER - It’s an acronym, you can easily remember for fighting / killing / eradicating exam anxiety.

M – Mood (Positive Frame of Mind): Magically, brain never completely erases whatever you intake through your senses. Hence Always start your studying/revision with positive thoughts like : I know my studies, I remember what I heard in class, I might not like this subject but I am good at it. I can write my exams well, I have studied so I am prepared etc.

U – Understand: Don’t prefer the shortcut of Rote learning, rather try to understand the the topics. You can do so by talking to yourself about what the chapter is all about. Understand the logic and principles behind theorems and in subjects like physics and algebra. Make Flash cards or Memory shortcut cards for your ready reckoning of each chapter. You can use them for quick revision a day prior to exam.

R – Read your text books. It is very important to be familiar with content in your textbooks. Once you understand the concepts, read only highlighted or important parts of chapters in the textbook.

D – Digest what you read. Don't just mug up what you are studying. Try to understand your notes and that ways you will remember it for a long time. Read your notes out loud and in slow pace, as researchers have found that it is a more effective way to remember information that silently reading it.

E – Expand. Do not rely only on school or coaching notes. Start making your own question papers, solve them and also make your own notes. If possible go beyond just school textbooks to learn your subjects. You can borrow books from friends, seniors or library to expand your understanding.

R – Revise. Revision is as important as learning. Your hard work might get wasted due to lack of revision. When you revise, all that you have learned and understood goes deep down in your brain and gets thoroughly registered.