Maths is a daunting subject for many students and due to this fear, many students are unable to score good marks in the Maths exam. However, if students have the knowledge of all the concepts of the subject properly and have done enough practice, maths can become one of their favourite subjects and also one of the most scoring subjects.
One of the barriers to being able to score good marks in the Maths exam is finishing the paper in time, which many students have difficulty doing. Maths exams generally tend to be long, as there is step marking and each and every answer must contain the necessary steps to gain the maximum marks. Students are forced to leave some questions as they run out of time to complete the paper, and sometimes the questions they leave turn out to be the easiest ones of the paper, further piling on the misery of the student.
Here are some tips which will help you in finishing your maths paper on time with the correct answers –
1. Understand the pattern of the paper –
Before students dive into making a strategy to counter the length of the paper, they should be well versed with the pattern of the paper. It will help them in getting familiar with the marking pattern and the overall structure of the paper. They will be able to understand the types of questions and their difficulty which will help them in deciding how much time to give to a given question so as to complete the paper with time to spare.
2. Devise a strategy to solve the paper –
After understanding the pattern of the paper, it’s essential to make a strategy that you intend to follow in the exam hall which will help you in completing the paper in time. You can opt to start the paper with the questions which carry the maximum marks so that when you complete these questions, you are relieved to some extent and can then proceed to the lesser marks questions with much more ease and comfort. Another strategy you can follow is to start with the lower marks questions and aim to complete them in a specific time giving you ample amount of time to complete the questions carrying more marks. The strategy you intend to follow completely depends on you.
3. Bifurcate questions based on difficulty level –
An important tip to make the maximum use of the allotted time is to utilise the reading time of 15 minutes that is given before every exam, to go through all the questions and categorise them as easy, moderate and difficult which can give you an overall insight into how you want to approach in answering the paper.
4. Move on to the next question if facing difficulty –
There will be some questions in which you might face difficulty and are unable to think of the logic or concept required to solve the question. In this situation, instead of being hung up on the same problem for a long time, the smarter thing to do is to move on to the other questions and come back to the question with difficulty later on if time permits you to.
5. Maintain speed as well as accuracy –
It is essential for students not to sacrifice accuracy for speed because even if you solve all the questions but due to haste, some answers are incorrect, it will all be a waste. Hence, a balance is required to be reached between the speed as well as doing all questions correctly if you want to get maximum marks in the Maths exam.
6. Solve sample papers and previous years’ papers –
One of the best ways which will help you in improving your speed in solving the Maths exam is solving past years’ question papers and also the sample papers which will help you get the necessary practice on how to implement your strategy and complete all the questions in time. You can also take the help of reference books or specific RS Aggarwal Solutions Class 9 Maths Chapter 3 to practise more questions under time constraints.
7. Do not panic –
There will be times in the exam hall that you will not be able to solve some questions, or if you will be unable to solve an easy question, which will give rise to panic. However, it is imperative that you don’t panic in that situation and try to stay calm. Taking deep breaths might help in doing so. Staying calm and relying upon your strategy and preparation is key in not wasting precious time and completing the examination in time.
8. Save enough time to revise –
The exam strategy that you devise should be made in such a way that you leave 10-15 minutes in the end for revision of your answers, to check if you have made any calculation error or silly mistake in any question because a single mistake can cost you a lot of marks and result in an incorrect answer.
9. While practising, do questions using a timer –
In order to develop a practice of doing the questions as quickly as possible, students can set a timer for a fixed time while practising questions in the preparation of the Maths exam. Over time, students would understand time management in a better way and be able to complete questions in the minimum possible time, which is essential in the long run and will help a lot in the exam hall when there is the pressure of time running out.
10. Be conscious of the time remaining –
While solving the paper, you can allot different time slots for different sections of the paper and try your best to complete the set of questions in the decided time slot. It’s important to keep track of time and keep an eye on the clock to see if you are consuming too much time on a question that should have been done in less time. Students can also use techniques and shortcut strategies that their teachers might have taught them in order to smartly tackle the time constraint and complete the paper before time.
GOOD LUCK!