Is your youngster prepping for the board exams? Here are tips to guide him 

Board exams are just around the corner. While the CBSE exams are scheduled to commence from 26th April for both classes X and XII, the ICSE exams for both classes will begin a day earlier, from 25th April. Studying well and working hard is not enough when students face a board exam. They also have to work smart and have test tactics in place. If your teen is about to step out of the boundary of school, guide him well with these smart suggestions.  

Explain the importance of the extra 15 minutes 
During the board exams, students are allowed an additional 15 minutes time after they get the paper during which they cannot write. Explain to your child that this time is for reading the paper thoroughly and deciding on the order in which they will answer. Instead of trying to solve a problem or scribbling on the question paper, students should use this time to plan the exam. That will stop them from rushing at the last moment or stopping to decide which questions they want to answer.   

Get your kid to practise correct answer ordering 
Practice makes perfect. Set a timer when your teenager is attempting mock tests at home for practice. Get them into the habit of starting with 15 minutes of planning, followed by finishing the shortest answers, then the ones they are most confident about, and finally any question that they are just attempting as a guess. They should not drop any questions.  

Help him write precise answers 
Writing too much or too little are both dangerous. If you are also not sure on what is the correct balance, consult a tutor or get kids to try out papers online, where a number of sites provide complete mock test paper checking utilities. They also have to practise diagrams and maps in advance, so that trying to illustrate the answer does not delay them too much during the exam.  

Create and tick off the document checklist  
Have you got the admit card or its online equivalent? Is your child’s registration process complete with all the correct details? Are there any more identity or other documents to be submitted / signed / filled-in? Have you paid all the fees? Have you cross-checked the exam schedule? List everything you need to, taking your time with it, and ensure everything is tick marked to avoid last minute panic.