How To Help Your Child Deal With A Difficult Question Paper?

This year the language teachers and students have been thrilled with the question paper. Often physics throws a difficult question paper jolting everyone. Life is like that. We are suddenly jerked out of our comfort zones. Whenever we prepare for an event, even if it is a simple outing we accept a 10% crisis may occur in the form of traffic jam etc. Hence a difficult question is part of that 10% external situation that we cannot control. We can do our best to prepare our children to face such situations. So how do we do it?

Before The Exams:

1. Mentally prepare ourselves and our children with this external 10% factors that we cannot have any control over
2. It is most important to give the revision/study holidays the very best shot
3. Do not set unrealistic goals. Gauge your child’s progress through the year. Monitor the performance through the year. Help him/her to steadily score a 10% more in every exam. The Model exams are a good marker of progress for board students
4. Observe where your child struggles and root them out
5. While revising do not attempt to force new concepts and new methods however tempting. Rather focus on their strengths. Focus on the lessons and concepts that your child is thorough. Guide him /her to score the best marks in these
6. Older students would be aware of the mark weightage of each lesson, especially the Board students. Help them study accordingly
7. Whenever a lesson is taught at school, do an immediate revision at home. Explore the lesson with your child. Ask questions or hold mock tests/quizzes that would challenge their creative/lateral thinking skills. Give application based questions as far as possible. This will equip your child to face HOTS (High Order Thinking Skills) questions. You could do this in a group by inviting your child’s friends over
8. Remind your child to be extra attentive in class nearer to exams. Teachers guide students on important lessons/concepts (especially for Board students) that have to be given more attention to
9. Be familiar with the curriculum and methodology expected especially in board exams. Does a 5 mark question need only 5 points? Teachers give guidance on such matters. A child with learning disability can be helped to write answers in simple sentences
10. Making posters of equations, diagrams and putting them up offers consistent reminders

Also Read: Unknowingly, I Created Tremendous Pressure On My Child Before Board Exams" - A Mom Confesses

During The Exams- Points To Remember

1. Glance through the question paper before attempting
2. Attempt the big mark questions first. Remember that the Section number, Question number have to be written clearly in the margin. It is wiser to attempt questions in serial order in the particular section they choose. ( Section B, Q1, 2, 3,)
3. If one is not sure of the answer leave the required or more gap. Attempt other questions and come back to this one. If the child has no time at the end then the blank space has to be crossed off
4. Read the difficult question more than once. You will find the clue. Do not get distracted by words like enumerate (list out), verify (reason). The essence of the question is to be attempted. Recollect anything connected to any of the words in the question and put it out as an answer. At least partial marks can be scored
5. Do not panic. Talk to your child on the eve of every exam. Remind that there may be out of syllabus questions or a very tough question in a board exam. He/ she is not alone as lakhs of students would be facing the same. The board would definitely take into consideration such factors. More than scoring the perfect score, attempting is important. How to reduce panic- Prior to exams ensure that your child gets good sleep. When faced with a difficult question- Breathe deeply, sip water if nervous. Do not attempt the unknown. Come back to the difficult part after completing the paper
6. The points that he/she knows best suited to the answer has to be written first. Often teachers (even in boards) read the first 3 points (3 mark answer). If they are wrong and the extra 4th and 5th points are correct, the student stands to lose marks
7. Sometimes children attempt even the choice questions. Do remember only the first question out of the 2 choice would be taken into consideration
8. Highlight the key words or concepts only if he/she is very sure of them

Also Read: How To Keep Your Child Stress-Free During Exams?

All the best!

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