Do prelims ease tension or up stress?

Students of SSC and HSC are gearing up to appear for their preliminary exams in school. While such exams give them a taste of board exams, many feel that they either make students overconfident or depressed.

For the past few years, schools have taken to conducting more than one prelims. The first one begins after Diwali vacations and the second one ends just two to three weeks before the boards.

“We have to juggle exams of both school and classes. By the time we sit for board exams, I feel burnt out,” said Nitin Gomati, a class X student.

However, teachers and principals are quick to point out that prelims serve as a wake-up call for those who don’t take studies seriously.

“When students get scores of their first prelims, they get a jolt. This serves as a warning to pull up their socks before it is too late,” said Lalitha Hariharan, principal, Rizvi Springfield School, Bandra.

Many students complain of the pressure after final prelims results as they are said to be a reflection of final board scores.

However, Shubhada Vinekar, principal of Manik Vidya Mandir, Bandra, says, “The final prelims is a good indicator of how much a student will score in the board exams. It is usually 5% more in our school due to strict correction. Board correction is lenient compared to schools.”