You want to score good marks in your board exams. That’s the dream, right?
And you’re working at it—day after day.
Late nights.
Missed parties.
Skipped family functions.
Even your morning walks have disappeared.
You’re doing everything you can because you believe good marks will open doors—to college, to careers, to a more secure future.
And yet, something feels off.
The more you revise, the less confident you feel. What you studied yesterday seems to slip away today. Sleep brings restlessness instead of relief. Sometimes, even your dreams are about exams.
That’s okay.
Most students feel this way when board exams are close—even the ones who look calm and confident from the outside.
The good news is this: exam anxiety is not a dead end. There are practical ways to steady your mind, simplify your routine, and perform at your best.
That’s what this piece is about.
Let’s begin.
Declutter Your Life
Anxiety often isn’t a mystery. It’s a signal.
It tells you that your mind is trying to carry more than it can manage. Too many inputs. Too many expectations. Too many small demands competing for attention. When this happens, the first step forward is not effort—but simplification.
Clutter takes many forms. For a student preparing for board exams, two of the biggest are social media and unnecessary social obligations.
Social Media
Pause for a moment and notice how much time disappears on apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, or Facebook.
It adds up quickly.
These platforms are designed to keep you scrolling—checking updates, reacting to posts, watching short videos, and moving on to the next distraction. None of this is harmful by itself, but during exam preparation it quietly drains focus and energy.
Ask yourself:
Do I really need all these apps on my phone right now?
You don’t have to delete them forever. You don’t even have to make a dramatic decision. Putting them on hold until your exams are over is often enough.
At the very least:
- remove the apps you rarely use
- turn off notifications
- stop email alerts linked to social platforms
Create a small, quiet mental space where your attention isn’t constantly pulled away.
Friends
This is not an argument against friendship.
Friends matter. Support matters.
But during an intense phase like board exams, it’s worth noticing which relationships give you energy—and which quietly take it away.
Ask yourself honestly:
If there were no Wi-Fi, no gaming console, no easy entertainment, would these people still want to spend time with me?
If the answer is no, then some distance—for now—is not unkind. It’s sensible.
You’re not rejecting anyone. You’re choosing to protect your time and focus during a limited, demanding period.
With fewer distractions and clearer boundaries, your mind has more room to do what it needs to do.
For now, it’s okay to choose yourself. This isn’t selfishness—it’s responsibility. Board exam preparation demands focus, and focus requires limits. Some people may misunderstand your distance or your silence. Let them. This phase is temporary, but the work you do now matters. With clearer boundaries and fewer distractions, your mind has the space it needs to do its job well.
Start with the Hardest Work
Most of us don’t avoid studying—we avoid difficult studying.
Instead, we stay busy with safer, easier tasks: rearranging the desk, stretching breakfast a little longer, doing small chores that feel productive but don’t move us forward.
Not everything deserves equal attention. Some tasks matter far more than others. Learning to tell the difference is a skill—and during board exams, it becomes essential.
Right now, your primary responsibility is your studies.
That’s why the first few hours after waking up are so valuable. After a good night’s sleep, the mind is clearer, calmer, and capable of deeper focus. In the same amount of time, you can do significantly more.
Wake up a little earlier than usual.
Drink some water.
Take a short walk.
Freshen up.
Then sit down and study—for about two focused hours.
Other routines can wait for a bit. If you let the morning drift, the day tends to slip away with it, and long study sessions become harder to sustain.
Do the most demanding work first. Everything else can follow.
And as you plan your day, keep this in mind: effort works best when it is guided by realistic goals.
Set Realistic Goals
When it comes to studying, practicality matters more than ambition.
Trying to finish ten chapters in a day may sound impressive, but it often does more harm than good. Miss even one chapter, and you begin to doubt yourself. Over time, that quiet loss of trust adds up—and motivation starts to slip.
Progress works differently.
Choose goals you can realistically complete: three or four lessons done well are far more valuable than ten rushed chapters. What matters is not intensity on a single day, but consistency across many days.
Move forward steadily. Show up daily. Do the work you planned to do.
Each time you meet a reasonable goal, you strengthen your self-belief. And with that confidence, you’ll naturally feel ready to stretch a little further the next day.
Study NCERT Books First
This happened during my own Class 12 board exam preparation.
A cousin of mine—someone who had topped his school—came over and asked a simple question:
“Have you completed your NCERT books?”
“NCERT books?” I said, genuinely puzzled.
“No… I’m studying from refreshers.”
He looked at me, surprised.
“Why? Didn’t you know NCERT is the foundation? That’s where your concepts are supposed to come from.”
That moment stayed with me.
Many students assume NCERT textbooks aren’t detailed enough—and in a way, that’s true. They don’t overwhelm you with extra information. But that is precisely their strength.
If your goal is to score well in board exams, conceptual clarity matters more than volume. NCERT books are designed to explain ideas cleanly and directly, in the language the exam itself follows.
Reference books and refreshers have their place—but only after you’ve understood the NCERT material thoroughly.
So if you haven’t done this yet, start there. Pick up your NCERT textbooks and focus on understanding them deeply.
How do you study in a way that actually builds clarity?
The Feynman Technique
At the heart of the Feynman Technique is a simple test:
If you can’t explain something clearly, you don’t understand it well enough.
Learning isn’t about recognising familiar sentences on a page. It’s about being able to express an idea in your own words—plainly and without confusion.
Here’s how to use the technique:
- Read the concept carefully and make sure you grasp the main idea.
- Explain it out loud, as if you were teaching a class of students. This quickly reveals gaps in your understanding.
- Return to the book when you get stuck, and reread the unclear parts.
- Explain it again, this time using even simpler language.
When you can explain a topic without relying on the textbook’s wording, you can be confident that you truly understand it.
Manage Your Energy, Not Just Your Time
Studying is not only about how many hours you put in—it’s about how much energy you have while studying. Pushing yourself without breaks doesn’t make you disciplined; it makes you tired and unfocused.
When your attention starts to fade, don’t force it. Change the subject. If you’ve been working on science or maths for a while, switch to English, social studies, or a lighter topic. Even a shift in language or thinking style can refresh your mind.
Rest matters too. A short walk, a favourite show, music, games, or time with friends—taken consciously—helps your mind reset. These moments aren’t wasted time; they prevent burnout and make consistent study possible.
The goal isn’t constant intensity. It’s sustainability. Study sincerely, recharge deliberately, and return with a clearer mind.
Feeling Nervous About the Results?
Exam-related nervousness is common—almost universal.
And there’s a strange paradox to it: the more you try to push the feeling away, the stronger it becomes.
Nervousness isn’t a flaw. It’s often a sign that your trust in yourself is wavering. Instead of fighting it, try a different approach.
Stop Resisting the Feeling
If you’ve been struggling against anxiety, you may have noticed that it only tightens its grip. Constant resistance gives it more attention—and more power.
So pause.
Sit somewhere quiet. Close your eyes. Let the nervousness be there. If your body feels tense or shaky, allow it. Don’t judge it. Don’t argue with it. Simply notice it.
You might gently say to yourself:
“I feel nervous about my board results. I don’t know how things will turn out—and right now, I don’t need to.”
There’s nothing to fix in that moment. Nothing to solve.
Stay with the feeling for a while. When you stop treating anxiety as an enemy, it often begins to soften on its own. Not instantly, not magically—but gradually, and naturally.
This is how self-trust starts to return: not through control, but through acceptance.
Visit the Examination Centre in Advance
Before your first board exam, take the time to visit your examination centre at least once.
Get familiar with the route. Notice possible traffic bottlenecks. Estimate how long the journey actually takes—not how long you hope it will take.
On exam day, the last thing you need is unnecessary uncertainty.
Navigation apps are useful, but they’re not foolproof. A wrong turn, poor signal, or unexpected confusion can add stress at a moment when calm matters most.
Knowing exactly where you’re going—and how to get there—removes one more variable from an already important day.
Sleep Early the Night Before
Imagine you have a race at 7 a.m.
You wouldn’t keep training until 3 a.m. the night before. Your body needs rest to perform at its best.
The same logic applies to exams.
Many students push themselves to study late into the night before an exam, thinking they’re gaining an advantage. In reality, lack of sleep unsettles both body and mind. Concentration drops. Recall weakens. Even familiar answers become harder to retrieve.
Mental fatigue is costly.
Do your preparation during the day. By early evening—around 6 or 7 p.m.—start winding down. Review lightly if you must, but avoid heavy studying.
Then let it go. Rest is part of preparation.
A calm, rested mind on exam day is worth far more than a few extra late-night pages.
Read the Question Paper Carefully
Before you start writing, read the entire question paper from beginning to end.
This gives you a quick sense of what you know well and which questions may need more thought. It also helps your mind settle—there are fewer surprises once you’ve seen everything.
Once you begin, start with the questions you feel confident about. Think of this as your first phase. Answering familiar questions early builds momentum and saves time.
If there are one or two questions you’re unsure of, don’t get stuck on them. Move on. Use your time wisely.
After completing the questions you know well, return to the remaining ones. With the pressure reduced, you’ll often find clearer ways to attempt them.
Your aim is simple: stay calm, manage your time, and attempt as many questions as you reasonably can.
You Can Do This
Board exams are an important milestone, and it’s natural to feel the pressure that comes with them.
But pressure doesn’t have to paralyse you. With clearer priorities, steady habits, and a calmer approach, you give yourself the best chance to perform well.
You now have practical ways to manage your time, your energy, and your nerves. What remains is simple—show up each day and do the work you’ve planned.
Take one step at a time.
And when the exams arrive, trust the preparation you’ve done.
All the best.