A Lazy Man's guide for Boards
I know many of you haven’t completed your syllabus, and last year I was in the same situation. I am so lazy that even my neighbors were shocked to see me. I didn’t appear for any of my pre-boards, and the last exam I took was my half-yearly. My attendance in school was less than 10%. A day before my board exams, which started on the 22nd of February, only 20-25% of my syllabus was completed. So you can imagine the kind of preparation I had.
I scored 89% (Best of 5). Not the best, but I believe if you guys work just a little harder, you can easily score 90+. You have one month in hand; even 3 hours a day of self-study is more than sufficient for 90+. If your target is 90, then even 1 hour of self-study a day is sufficient. However, this does not apply to everyone; just make sure you have good reading comprehension.
- Business Studies (BST)
Easiest of all. Open the book, start reading, and don’t waste your time on YouTube. Read, recall what you read, and repeat this process. Focus on bullet points; there is no need to memorize everything. Practice PYQs religiously, especially from the last three years. I completed my syllabus around 17 hours before the exam. That’s all. I scored 74/80 in boards and 194/200 in CUET.
- Economics
Indian Economics is extremely easy since you can write anything, and it would still make some sense. I suggest reading the NCERT and a few articles from the internet to enhance your answers.
Macro Economics is not very difficult, but make sure you don’t memorize things blindly. Draw relationships between concepts, and it will feel like a breeze. For example, in the chapter covering GDP and GNP, instead of memorizing, create logical connections:
GDP = Gross Domestic Product
Subtracting Depreciation makes it Net.
The key terms are Gross, Net, National, and Domestic.
Formula: GDP = NNP - NFIA + Depreciation.
See? Isn’t it easier now? Only three chapters are somewhat difficult; the rest are mostly theory-based. Allocate sufficient time for Indian Economics in the paper as it is highly scoring. I spent too much time on Macro, trying to beautify my answers, which backfired. For boards, practice:
6-7 hours in total for Macro,
4-5 hours for Theory,
6-8 hours for Indian Economics.
I scored 70/80 in boards and 176/200 in CUET.
- Accountancy
Avoid Cash Flow Analysis; instead, opt for Computerized Accounting. It is extremely easy—just buy an NCERT book on the topic, and it won’t take more than 5-6 hours to complete. I scored 12-13 marks in just 1.5 hours, but I recommend spending 5-6 hours to secure full marks.For problem-solving, Go through a few illustrations. Solve a few questions to grasp the concept. Solve 6-7 PYQs on that topic.If time permits, solve additional questions from T.S. Grewal. Learn the journal entries and understand their applications. Try to complete your syllabus before the 22nd of February, but honestly, I finished mine on the morning of the exam. Utilize your preparation leaves wisely; I didn't and I regret it. Focus on-practicing 3-mark questions and MCQs (often overlooked but crucial in exams).
I scored 62/80 in boards and 152 in CUET.
- Physical Education
Refer to the material released by CBSE. I found this subject difficult for some reason, but I secured around 55 marks.
- English
Handwriting is very important. I cannot provide much advice on English since I only secured 65/80. I genuinely don’t know how it works. Please ask someone who scored 75+, but I believe presentation is extremely important. However, I secured 200/200 in CUET.
- Optional Subject
They give free marks. Just read the official material a day before the exam, and that’s it. I secured 54/60.
I appeared for CUET with only the preparation I did for boards.
General Tips:
If you're unsure about an MCQ with an "or" option, give an answer to both. If one of them is correct, the examiner will award marks for the correct one. Don’t do this for every MCQ, but 1 or 2 won't hurt. (Source: CBSE official marking scheme)
Prioritize self-study over YouTube videos. It is less time-consuming and more productive.
Buy a PYQ book. Don’t waste your time searching for questions on the internet. PYQs are the most important resource you need.