Keertana from Cardinal Gracious High School in Ramanthapur has followed a strict routine. "I prepared a timetable of 18 hours a day with breaks in between. I spend time with family and listen to music as a breather. It is less distracting."
Hyderabad: As Telangana’s SSC exams begin next week, students are adjusting to a last-minute shift from the CGPA system to marks-based assessment while managing revision, exam stress, and expectations. In order to adapt, teachers and educationists are stepping in to offer guidance on making the most of the remaining days.
"This implementation of the marks system was introduced just three months ago. Students were familiar with CGPA and were preparing accordingly. Many still don’t fully understand the marks system. Such a change should have been made from the next academic year, not in the middle of one,” said Madhusudhan Sadula, president of Hyderabad Recognised Schools Managements Association, who also heads an SSC school.
Addressing the increased competition now, Madhusudhan said that students need to target higher marks, and that means detailed analysis of their mistakes. "But they shouldn’t let peer pressure dictate their approach. Healthy habits matter just as much. They should meditate, stay away from screens, and eat proper food," he said.
P. Sudhakar, principal of Pragati Vidya Niketan High School, said the CGPA system allowed students some breathing room. "Grades didn’t reveal exact percentages, which kept students from obsessing over small differences in scores.” However he insists students to focus on scoring areas and make the best use of the time they have left.
"Revise, revise and revise,” said Geeta, a social science teacher at an SSC school. “Students aiming for over 90 per cent must go through the textbooks thoroughly, especially the boxed sections. The 20-mark objective section is crucial, and map pointing should not be ignored.” She also pointed out that the presentation should be neat and essay-type answers should be written in points with clear subheadings because examiners look for structure when marking.
Further, experts also pointed out the importance of reading the questions carefully in the first 15 minutes of reading time. "There was a question on how to control drainage flooding during the rains. A student misread it and wrote only about flood control. That should not happen,” said Madhusudhan.
Dr Veerender, a consulting psychologist, said setting realistic goals is more important than aiming for perfection. "Students must set their own targets based on their capacity. Tenth-grade marks will not decide the rest of their lives, so they should not unnecessarily stress. Sleep matters too. Six to seven hours of rest will help with memory retention."
As for students, Keertana from Cardinal Gracious High School in Ramanthapur has followed a strict routine. "I prepared a timetable of 18 hours a day with breaks in between. I spend time with family and listen to music as a breather. It is less distracting."
Dhruv, another SSC student, has relied on solving past papers. "I have a proper schedule for each subject. I solve question papers and take five to ten-minute nap breaks to refresh my mind." Tejaswini from Pragati Vidya Niketan has made small changes to her routine. "I avoid junk food. Maths doesn’t stress me out, but Telugu worries me a little."
