Exam Day Protocol

Examiners say students lose 10-20 marks every year on presentation alone. This page is your defence — drill it until it's automatic.

The 3-hour flow

Phase	Action
First 15 min (reading)	Scan every question. Mark attempts. Find Section E/case questions. Plan order — no writing allowed.
Easy → hard	Never get stuck; partial step marks exist. Come back to flagged questions.
Time budget (Maths/Science)	Sec A ≤25 min · B ~15 · C ~35 · D ~45 · E+Map ~30 · Check 15 min
Final 10-15 min	Unattempted sub-parts? Units written? Map labels? Diagram labels? Add one forgotten point to short answers.

Pre-flight checklist

Tick these the night before / during the exam — they're tracked with your plan progress.

Admit card, stationery, geometry box packedTwo pens, pencils, eraser, scale, calculator NOT allowed — don't bring one Steps → formula → substitution → answer with unitCBSE awards step marks; correct answer without steps can score zero Diagrams neat + fully labelled with headingExaminers can't assume intent — no labels, no marks Long answers: heading + points + keywords + conclusion (IPEC for SST)Introduction → Points → Examples → Conclusion for 5-markers Answer the question ASKED (explain vs describe vs analyse)Underline directive words before writing Day before: stop studying by 4 PM, sleep by 10 PMFormula sheets only — no new problems in the last 3 days

The 10 costliest mistakes

✗Knowledge-side

Not NCERT line-by-line; chasing 4-5 books
Ignoring the official SQP & marking scheme
No timed papers → time runs out in Section D/E
Neglecting map work / diagrams / exemplar Qs
Never building a mistake log (same errors repeat)

✗Execution-side

Missing steps, units, labels, headings
Vague theory answers without keywords
History date/name slips (chronology drills fix this)
Skipping internal assessment (free 20 marks)
Burnout — no sleep/exercise in final weeks

Two-attempt safety net: Phase 2 (May 2027) exists and best scores count — but treat it as insurance only. Peak for February.

Final practice sprint →