By Shivani Sen (Guest Author)
Sociology is a subject that provides in-depth skills and knowledge in the understanding and analysis of society. It enables us to work with issues concerning global matters, opinion measurement, HR management and social work, to name a few. As a subject, it certainly broadens the horizons of the mind and aids us in the ability to reason, question and interpret the various events, decisions and actions taking place in the world around us. However, during the period building up to the Class 12 board examinations, this subject may begin to feel enormously heavy and incapable of being managed, but following certain protocols can surely make it an easier preparation and a subject that can fetch you a 98 or a 100. Sociology is a highly scoring subject and getting above a 95 is not very difficult.
READING AND REFERENCE MATERIAL
The materials to be referred to for the board examination should strictly be the 2 NCERT textbooks only. This is the strategy that I followed which helped me get a 100. Any additional material in terms of notes made and given by the subject teacher in school can be used, but referring to guides should strictly be avoided. Not only do they pile up as additional reading and learning material but are often incorrect. The guides are, many a time, written by persons who are not from the discipline of sociology or who do not know the board examination answer key pattern. There is often a clash of definitions or explanations between guides and the NCERT text. It is important to know that the board answer key has points from the NCERT textbooks; therefore answers from there are what bring you marks.
PREPARING FROM THE TEXT
1-Reading the text thoroughly at least thrice, if not more, in the period building up to the board exam can be highly beneficial. Repeatedly reading the points will help not only understand the text from that very chapter but also help link the content of a particular chapter to the content in many others. This will in turn enhance your understanding of the text and will facilitate in increasing the length of your answer using valuable points which attract marks.
2-Definitions are crucial and should be learnt from both the texts.
3-Since writing in the exact language of the book isn’t mandatory, the emphasis should be on understanding the material provided.
4- The sheer amount of text and material can be quite overwhelming, therefore underlining the key points and the points which have greater weight in an answer can be a useful strategy. In every section, the focus should be on the points closest to the heart of the section. For Example- While studying about caste, the points given by GS Ghurye are important as they define the very essence of what the caste system is. Similarly for other sections of the text, this method can be useful.
5-A method, told to me by my teacher, was making flow charts. These charts help in making answers or relating points from various chapters in the text. They also help in sequentially understanding which event followed from which other and which events had an impact on which others. This helps in relating points that apparently seem unrelated, thereby increasing the material available to write in any answer.
PRE–EXAM PREP AND REVISION
1-In the 2-3 days just before the exam, reading both books again can take up a lot of your time. Skimming through the definitions and the main portions underlined during the preparation period can help you use your time wisely.
2- What really helps during this period is referring to the flow charts made. They re-emphasise points that are important and consolidate and strengthen the relationships drawn across chapters during the preparation period. These charts give a quick and brief overview of all chapters, thereby preventing the wastage of time in reading the chapters again. At the same time, they also allow you to go through the main pointers.
3- Taking at least 3 practice tests is crucial. They really benefited me. They help you know your time management and allow you to know how you answer the paper less than three hours. Often people are unable to finish their first practice test within three hours, but that is normal as the sociology paper is really lengthy and you might not have practice in writing it. Taking practice tests allows you to manage time wisely and gives you a glimpse of the board exam in advance.
4- Going over the previous year papers and answer key also helps you know the type of questions asked and the sort of answers that the checkers look for.
WRITING THE EXAM
Get at least 6 hours of sleep before the exam and go over the charts and underlined bits in the book before entering the examination hall.
Read the paper thoroughly before starting. Go over the answers in your mind once, to retain them.
Start the paper backwards. It is important to do so because the 6 markers are lengthy and should not be left for the end as there is always a time crunch. The answers of the 6 markers should fill up at least 2 sides of a page. This is the minimum.
If you do not know the answer to a question, leave it and move forward. You can attempt it at the end of the paper. This is what I did. This way, you do not take away from the time you can devote to the questions you know.
Do not compromise on the length of the answers due to time crunch. Try and write faster. It is really important to pen down all points of an answer that you know because some of the points you write might not be in the answer key while some would. Thus, to be safe, you must write all points.
Answer the whole paper in points and give as many examples as you can. Try and give examples from current events in the papers, wherever you can.
Make sure your handwriting is legible.
Try and keep 15 minutes in the end to revise your answers and make changes if required.
Do not leave any question unanswered, write whatever little you know.
ALL THE BEST!
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