I ll tell you the 3 secrets of Top ICSE Scorers

1. They Do Not have Blind faith on Text Books and Study Guides.
2. They Love every Subject. If they don t, they enjoy studying it.
3. Repeated help is sort from their Teachers, both School and Offline Tuition s.

*exam tips
1. Keep your answers left justified. Don t leave an inch of space next to the the
left margin and then begin writing your answers.
2. Write in points as much as you can, except in English papers. Don t write a who
le paragraph explaining something that either does not need explaining, or that
has not even been asked.
3. Read the question very carefully. Re-read the question. Ask yourself what the
question is asking. If you know the answer, then write it. If you re confused, tr
y your best to make sense of what the question may be asking. If you can t, then u
se your brains and make a smart guess.
4. Don t leave any question. Don t skip any question. Don t leave the space blank. Exa
miners are always looking for technical terms or points where they may be able t
o give you marks. They aren t always there to eat your heads off! Even if you don t
know the correct answer, make a guess. There is no negative marking so you have
nothing to lose.
5. Check your answer sheet. Check it twice. If you have the time, check it thric
e. While checking, don t look at your answers and try to answer the questions agai
n in your mind. Tally your answer script answers with those you just thought of
and see whether they are the same or not. If not, make up your mind as to which
one is the correct answer.
6. Don t rush. You will have plenty of time to finish the paper. Don t be in such a
hurry that you overlook any sub-question or forget to write a step. You will los
e marks and we don t want that! Be calm and focused.
7. Don t panic. You can t always know everything (though, that s not at all impossible
). You may find that there is a question whose answer you don t know. At times lik
e those, don t panic or be afraid. Think wisely and remain calm.
8. Use a black ball pen if you can. They are the best. They don t leak and they ra
rely leave an impression on the back of the paper. The black ink will be more pl
easing to the examiner s eye. We want the examiner to be in a good mood while chec
king our paper. ;)
9. Make sure your words are properly spaced out. Don t squeeze in ten words in the
same line! Your paper should look neat and clean and for that, your sentences s
houldn t be all bunched together.
10. Leave at least 2 to 3 lines before and after each question or sub-question.
This is a precautionary measure so that if, later on, you feel you want to add s
omething to your answer, you can easily do so, without making a mess of your ans
wer script.
11. Number your questions correctly! Number them only and exactly as per the num
bering given on the question paper. Don t write Q1(a) instead of Q1(i).
12. Before you number your questions correctly, you must first remember to actua
lly number them! The examiner won t check your answer if the question number hasn t
been mentioned. Or if the incorrect question number is written, you will most pr
obably lose marks.
13. Always draw a margin on the right side of the paper for your math examinatio
n. Always show your rough work in this margin, no matter how insignificant you m
ay think it is. And remember to show the rough work for a question on the same p
age as your answer for that question.
14. While drawing diagrams, you must always use a pencil! Label your diagrams ev
en if you have not been asked to. There s no harm in staying on the safe side. Lab
el the diagrams clearly and with legible handwriting. If your handwriting isn t th
at good, you may want to label your diagrams in uppercase letters.
15. Always write your full name, index number, and if possible, date, on any sup
plementary sheets that you will have to attach to your answer script. For exampl
e, maps, graph papers, etc.
*.more tips
1) You know yourself better:
So, if you had been fooling around thinking that you have enough time for your p
reparation, then this is the time to stop. You have just few more days left for
the exams. Forget about how much syllabus your friend X has completed, forget ab
out the constant pestering of your friend Y with questions, and forget about how
friend Z, who, like you has still not started his studies yet.
Forget about all these unnecessary stress because it is really important to beli
eve in yourself, to be confident and to think positive.
Work on the points we have mentioned below for these few days till your exams ge
t over, and then you will have ample time to fool around. But if you are reading
this just a day before your exams, and till now you have been fooling around th
inking to get hold of such top 10 tips and get a 90% by following them, then no
need to waste your time reading this dear. Carry on with your awesome work of f
ooling around, as none does that better than you.
2) Plan your study:
Proper Time Management and Planned study in such crucial stage is important. If
you have less time, then don t try and overdose your plan by trying to fit in ever
y lessons of the subject. Don t aim to finish all lessons of any particular subjec
t somehow or the other. If you have 10 chapters, and only 8 of them would be pos
sible to study properly, then do that.
Prepare a time table to be followed till your exams. List in it all the subjects
along with the days and amount of time per day, you can give to some subjects i
n it. Like, If you cannot study for more than 4 hours a day, then break down tha
t 4 hours into 2 subjects per day i.e. 2 hours each or 1.5 hour for one subject
and 2.5 hours for the other, or whatever you feel like would be enough. Tough su
bjects can be given more time and easier ones less. So, if you have 10 subjects
in all, and you divide the time as described above, then in 5 days you will be g
oing through each subject once. That s the minimum we can expect from you.
Don t study for hours at a stretch. You need some time to relax. Divide your time
to fit in some relaxation, as it is better to revise when you are feeling relaxe
d than to exhaust yourself studying all day! But don t go overboard in relaxing. M
aintain a balance.
3) Go Through Previous Years Papers:
After you have planned out a time table, take out the subject you are supposed t
o study today as per the time table and go through the previous year s question pa
pers (at least for the last five years) of that subject in order to analyze the
portions of the subjects from where questions are most frequently set. Note thes
e topics down on a paper. This will be really helpful in order to plan out your
preparation for the subject. [Note: While going through the whole syllabus in co
rrect order is important, you cannot neglect the fact that you don t have much tim
e as of now to do that.]
4) Mark Important Points:
After having noted down the frequently asked topics, open your text books or cop
y, and read through these topics at least once, but be sure to underline the imp
ortant points you find in those topics, like some definitions, keywords etc.
5) Revision Charts:
This might seem strange, but believe me it definitely works. After reading throu
gh the topics once, and marking out the important keywords and points in it, dra
w out a char consisting of these important points or brief notes, and stick it o
n the wall, where you face more often while doing anything.
This process will help you to revise and remember important key points of the le
sson well, whenever you see that wall. This will also serve as a quick revision
guide for you just before the day of final examination.
6) Mind Mapping:
Try and mind map the chart which you just created. Look at a portion of the char
t and try and rebuild it in your memory by closing your eyes. Believe me it can
do wonders in improving your memory and power of retaining important points.
7) Avoid Cramming:
Cramming isn t a good idea at all. Study less, but understand what you study. Cram
ming is one of your friends who ditches you in the exam hall. Additionally, cram
ming the night before your exams is proven to be ineffective, because you re takin
g in so much information at once that it s impossible to memorize it at all. In fa
ct, you will hardly retain anything. Try the alternatives for cramming which are
mentioned in points 2 onwards till point 6.
8) Practice by Writing:
This is a really effective method. After giving the allotted time to a subject i
n a day, close your book, and ask yourself questions relating to the lesson you
just studied to see if you have remembered what you just studied. Then try and w
rite down the answers to your questions on a paper without referring to a book.
When you are unable to remember an important part of your question (after trying
much), then open the book and go through it once, close the book again, and wri
te it down again on your own.
Practice diagrams, derivations, and programs by writing it down from your memory
, as much as you can.
9) Solve Sample Papers:
This is important in order to access your level of preparation. But, this proves
beneficial only when you stick to few basic things. To improve yourself and to
extract maximum benefit from these sample papers, choose a suitable time for you
rself, and have the required time (i.e. the time within which you are allowed to
complete the paper) in your hand. Then try to solve this paper in the time limi
t given at the head of the paper taking 15 minutes extra for reading the paper.
You can find some sample papers for Computer Applications (Class 10) here: ICSE
Computer Application Sample Paper and for Computer Science (Class 12) here: ISC
Computer Science Sample Paper
Never let these papers demoralize you if you find questions which you can t answer
. If there were topics which you were not prepared in, then go back and follow s
tep 3 onwards.
10) Stick to the guidance of the Teacher:
While we would not suggest attending tuition at this time, but would definitely
suggest you to stick to your school/private teacher s guidance till the end. This
is what is found missing in students nowadays. Once their syllabus is completed
they don t care about their teachers guidance. This is a mistake.
Be in contact with him/her on every issues of the subject you come across either
via phone or e-mail or by going to his/her house if that is possible. Whenever
you come across a topic hard to grasp, ask the concerned teachers. They will gla
dly help.
Additional points to be taken care of:
? Health is important, so don t neglect foods and don t compromise with your sleep [
we are referring to the normal required sleep]. Avoid junk foods or any other su
ch food which may keep you unfit. You should eat only as much as required. Try n
ot to put stress on both your stomach AND your mind.
? Keep away from all undue personal stress. Keep away from phone calls and socia
l networking sites.
? Remember, be positive, stay calm, and mobilize your energies to do the best jo
b possible every day by trying your best to do justice with the plan you created
for your exam preparation.
? Forget about cheating in the exams. The amount of time you give for planning a
nd preparing your means of cheating are more than enough to actually prepare tha
t lesson if you follow the above tips properly.
? After you are done with an exam, avoid doing its postmortem by discussing the
answers with your friends. Doing this won t increase your marks, but can demoraliz
e you if what you wrote was incorrect, which in turn will affect the rest of you
r exams. As soon as one exam is over, move swiftly to focusing on the next one.
Dwelling on an exam that you have completed wastes energy and time, and will dri
ve you crazy.
The important chapters in Physics which can help you obtain good marks in the ex
amination are:
Force, Work, Energy and Power
Light
Sound
Heat
Electricity and Magnetism
Modern Physics
Tips for Preparation:
Make a list of derivations, formulae and experiments and revise the same as and
when required.
Once you are done with the syllabus, try solving questions from sample papers an
d past year papers in the given time frame.
Be crisp and try writing your answers in points. Also include pictorial or graph
ical illustrations while answering the questions.
mathematics tips
Tips for Preparation:
You can lose marks if you miss any of the steps while writing your mathematics p
aper. So remember to write down all the steps without actually missing anything.
There are certain formulas which have certain rules that you need to follow. Hen
ce revise these formulas again and again to outcome any problem during the exami
nation.
Some formulas are very general but need thorough understanding on how to apply t
hem. If you don t understand how the formula works and the principle behind it, it
can be a tough affair for you to apply them while answering the questions.
Solve all the miscellaneous questions of past year papers and sample papers to e
xcel in the examination.
CHEMISTRY TIPS
Tips for Preparation:
Try solving sample papers at least once in a week. It will not only help you in
time management but would also give you an idea of the type of questions that ca
n be asked in the examination.
Prepare a time table and keep at least one hour for revision. A regular revision
can help you score good marks in Chemistry.
Try and grasp the concepts that are being taught in the classroom. Make a list o
f the topics or unanswered questions and discuss the same with your teacher or a
peer.
While preparing for chemistry, never ignore numerical problems. Most of the time
s, the questions asked are based on numerical. Remember; if you are a master in
numerical problems, be sure of getting good marks in the examination.
BIO TIPS
Since biology is an amalgam of diagrams and binomial nomenclature; hence it requ
ires multiple readings along with thorough understanding.
Since most of the questions asked in biology consist of diagrams, hence, practic
e drawing neat diagrams as they will help you understand and score marks.
Practice solving sample papers and past year papers to identify the exam trends
and most importantly your weak areas.
Give extra efforts during practical classes. It will not only help you score hig
h in the allocated 30 marks practical section but will also help you clear theor
etical questions.
ICSE Class 10 General Tips
Use Mnemonics, Mind Maps and Flash Cards: Create mind maps along with flash card
s and paste them in your room or study table. They will form images that will be
difficult to erase, thus making the task of remembering easier. BEDMAS (Bracket
s, Exponents, Division, Multiplication, Addition and Subtraction) is very popula
r maths mnemonic. Create your own mnemonic or ask your teachers to help you crea
te some.
Plan a Schedule and Follow it: The most crucial part of your ICSE Class X prepar
ation is your schedule. Ask teachers the time you need to spend on each topic an
d concept and then plan a time table in such a way that you are able to finish y
our preparation months before the exam. Also take into account the ICSE marking
scheme while preparing your time table
Write and Practice: Mugging up seems easy but once you forget one line you are l
ikely to forget the entire content. You have to write and learn before you reach
the point of revision. So, when you write you are creating a mental image for f
uture use.
Don t Take Stress: Let your parents be the carrier of stress for your ICSE Board E
xams. Yes, they are breathing down your neck and telling you to study all the ti
me and relaxing can seem difficult. However, you must remain positive and upbeat
.
Learn meditation and deep breaths techniques to relax. If at any point you feel
the stress taking control over your life, please visit your school counselor. Th
ey will help you deal with the stress and help you build up a positive attitude.