Psychology is generally one of the last exams that class 12 students have to appear for during their board examinations; and students tend to get exhausted by the time April comes. Getting a 95 or above is not difficult, however, it is important that students maintain their rhythm of studies and not lose their focus and patience.
Performing well in this exam can reap huge dividends, as most colleges accept psychology as a core subject to calculate your percentage. (In case you have taken psychology as an optional subject).
STRUCTURE OF THE PAPER
Out of 100 marks, 30 marks are allotted for the practical examination and 70 for the theory paper- both of which are scoring.
The practical examination consists of 3 things:
Practical file for 10 marks;
Viva and case profile for 5 marks; and
Practical examination for 15 marks.
The theory exam generally includes 10 one markers, 6 two markers, 4 three markers, 6 four markers and 2 six markers, making a total of 28 questions. According to the CBSE blueprint, chapters 2 and 4 have maximum weightage of 10 marks each.
You can find the blueprint and the syllabus for 2018-19 here:
PRACTICAL EXAMINATION
As mentioned earlier, practical examination consists of three things: Practical File, Practical examination and the viva and the case profile. It is very easy to score the 30 marks if you take note of certain things.
For the practical file and the case profile, ensure that they are complete and corrected by your teacher well before the practical exam. Ensure that they are neatly written and follow the prescribed format (you can find it at the end of your NCERT class 12 psychology book). Don’t forget to cover your file with brown paper!
In the practical examination, the students will be required to administer two psychological tests. It’s advisable to prepare all the tests as any two can come. Ensure that while writing the two tests you follow the format and write neatly. For the viva, read the case profile and the practical file. You should also know how to present the summary of your case study. Additionally, also read chapters 1 and 2 of the book really well as the concepts of self, intelligence, aptitude, etc. are also explained in these two chapters and reading these two chapters might help you during your viva.
THEORY EXAMINATION
WHERE TO STUDY FROM?
As far as the study material is concerned, NCERT is the holy book and it is advisable to read each chapter thoroughly to get a complete and proper understanding of the content. For the last few years it has been seen that sentences are quoted word to word from the NCERT textbook and given as fill in the blank questions, true/false statements or have been asked to explain for 3/4 marks. Therefore, it is important to completely familiarize yourself with the text. Although any other guide/reference book is not recommended for studying, they can be used for practicing additional questions. However, please refrain from referring to the given answers, as they tend to be incorrect/insufficient most of the time.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE EXAM?
1. The NCERT book is well structured in the sense that most of the topics and subtopics have already been divided into further bullets. Do not leave out any of the points mentioned under each topic as they can be asked as separate questions.
2.There are a lot of small boxes throughout the book in all the chapters, which cover various small topics. Do not leave these boxes. They are very much a part of the syllabus and are often tested. Additionally, the content of these boxes can also be used to supplement your answers.
3. Do not ignore the diagrams given in the book like the ‘Normal curve Pattern Showing Distribution of IQ Scores in the Population’ in Chapter 1 or the Structure of Personality in Freudian Theory’ in chapter 2. These are important and should be used to enhance the answers wherever relevant.
4. Underlining important words/phrases in the book itself or making your own notes can make it easier to organize the content and to remember the points. Flowcharts and acronyms are also useful tools to help you organize and recollect the text- something that can be used for last-minute revision as well (making my own notes and flowcharts personally helped me a lot to organize and memorize the vast content).
5. It is of utmost importance to understand everything that you study. Rote learning will not always help as a few application-based questions are generally asked. For example, the symptoms of a disorder that some person is suffering from could be described and you could be asked to identify the disorder and suggest a method of treatment (chapter 4 and 5)- in such type of questions, rote learning is of no help.
6. Although most of the questions are quite direct and it is easy to identify which chapter the questions are from, there can be questions that require you to cover points from different chapters. So, when you are preparing for the exam, make a note of the topics that overlap in different chapters and the ones that are related. (Making your own notes might help to make these connections).
7. While you read the text, try to relate it your everyday life or to things that you are already familiar with. This will help you to understand the examples given in the book and come up examples on your own. This is useful for the exam as giving examples, wherever possible, is extremely important and has allotted marks in most questions (especially for the 3,4 and 6 markers).
8. Practice as many question papers as possible. This will help you to time yourself and help you figure out the topics that you need to work on. Additionally, it will also help you to recognize the pattern of the questions that are generally asked and hence, help you to prepare smartly. You can try the past years’ board question papers and after that the sample papers available on the CBSE website. Going through the official CBSE marking scheme is also helpful as it gives you an idea of what the examiner is looking for.
Here are the links for the official CBSE 2018-19 sample question paper and the marking scheme:
9. Try to frame questions on your own from each paragraph so that you are ready with different types of questions that can be asked.
10. Try to make a summary of the important points of each chapter, which will help you to organize the content and can also be used for revision later.
It is important to realize that psychology is not an exam that can be taken by studying a night before; hence, it’s important to devote due time to the subject in order to score well. Be regular in studying and keep revising portions that you have completed.
TIPS FOR THE EXAM DAY
1. For last-minute revision, go through the key points given at the end of all the nine chapters, as they tend to cover the important definitions and sub-headings. If you have made flowcharts and summary of your own, do go through them as well.
2. Read the question paper carefully in the allotted reading time and try to formulate your basic answers. It is important to structure your answers clearly.
3. It is beneficial to decide which questions you want to attempt out of the choice-based questions during your reading time, to avoid wasting time later.
4. Decide how much time you want to spend on each section during the reading time so that you can finish the paper well before the time.
5. Since it is a 70-mark paper, there is enough time to make sure that your handwriting is neat and legible. Try to underline all the important words and definitions and give sub headings wherever possible. Leave lines between paragraphs.
6. Answer all the questions in points and give examples. Most answers in psychology are incomplete without an example and thankfully, the NCERT book is supplemented with many. You can also give examples of your own, but make sure that they are correct and related to the topic.
7. Most questions tend to be direct and have brief answers but you must ensure that the answer to the 6 mark questions covers a minimum of three to four sides. Do write all that you feel is relevant. But, avoid mentioning irrelevant points just to make your answer longer.
8. Do include an introduction for all the 4 and 6 markers. For example, if the question asks what mood disorder is, first define disorder and then move on to answering the question.
9. Do not leave any question unanswered and write whatever you feel is relevant.
10. It is better to start your paper either from part A or from part E. Avoid attempting the parts in a haphazard way, as it is inconvenient for whoever checks your answer sheet.
11. Keep at least fifteen minutes for revision.
Good luck and happy studying!
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