About 44 lakh students are preparing for the upcoming CBSE board exams, which is slated to begin from February 15. As the crucial test nears, concerns about scoring high marks and exam patterns are on every student’s mind. To clear the doubts and address their worries, CBSE’s Controller of Examination Sanyam Bhardwaj has stepped forward to answer some of the most pressing questions from Class 10 and 12 students. Here are his insights to achieve better scores and understand the exam format:

What’s the secret to scoring 90% or above in CBSE board exams?

While good marks are important, they shouldn’t be your only focus. The true purpose of education is gaining knowledge and developing good character. However, here are proven strategies to help you excel in your board exams:

1 Attend your classes consistently. Your teachers work diligently not just to prepare you academically, but also to shape you into a well-rounded individual.

2 Create strategic study plans — a year-long schedule covering all subjects and a focused preparation plan for the final months, customised to your strengths and weaknesses in the subjects.

3 Take multiple mock tests, analyse your performance and focus on improving weak areas.

4 Write your revisions. By this we mean practice writing complete answers during revision to build confidence and improve retention.

5 Study CBSE sample papers for each subject and calculate the time needed to attempt each question. This way you will have a fair idea on how to attempt the entire question paper and still have some time for revisions.

6 Proper nutrition, regular exercise and recreational activities are important too.

How does step-wise marking work in CBSE mathematics papers?

In all subjects, CBSE prepares a detailed marking scheme for evaluation. For mathematics, this scheme identifies specific steps essential for solving each problem. These steps are considered crucial value points — without them, a question typically cannot be solved correctly. Students will receive marks only if they show these required steps in their solutions.

Does CBSE repeat questions from previous years?

If a student has good knowledge of the subject, it makes no difference whether the question is old or new. Focus on preparing well and don’t worry about question repetition.

Are there grace marks?

The board exams are meant to evaluate students’ knowledge gained during the academic year. While students need 33% marks to pass, CBSE may award grace marks if a student falls short by just 1 mark or so to reach the passing threshold.

Do I need to separately pass both practical and theory exams in CBSE Board?

In Class 10, students are required to secure 33% marks to pass by combining marks of both theory and internal assessment.

In Class 12, students need to secure 33% marks separately in theory and practical exams.

(This column will appear every Tuesday for the next three weeks)