‘Ace your exams, ditch the stress’: IAS officer shares insights on board exams

Dr Shrikar Pardeshi who made it to the SSC merit list in 1988 shares his insights on board exams and has some advice for students appearing for them from February 21 An IAS officer from the 2001 batch with an All India Rank of 10 in UPSC Pardeshi holds an MBBS and MD in Community Medicine from B J Medical College Pune Currently he serves as secretary in Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavisrsquo office having been associated with him since 2022Appointed to the PMO in 2015 he played a key role in policymaking across multiple sectors From 2003 to 2015 he held top administrative roles in Yavatmal Akola Nanded PCMC and Maharashtrarsquos Stamps and Registration Department Pardeshi later pursued a Master of Public Administration at Harvard 2021 and a Master of Public Health at Johns Hopkins 2022 His governance contributions earned him the Prime Ministerrsquos Award for Water Conservation 2011 and the Best Collector Award 2012QampA with Dr Shrikar Pardeshi on Exam Stress and PreparationEdited excerpts from the interviewMany students experience exam stress due to the fear of forgetting what they have studied How can they overcome thisExam stress mainly stems from the fear of forgetting what has been studied throughout the year However once students enter the examination hall and focus on the paper for three hours all distractions fade away Their concentration naturally shifts toward the questions and they begin recalling answers This happens because the mind becomes completely centred on the task at handThere is no point in worrying beforehand about remembering or forgetting In most cases students surpass their own expectations and sometimes even perform better than they anticipated I have experienced the same during my examsEven after finishing the exam students often feel anxious about their results How should they deal with thisPostexam anxiety depends on individual expectations Some students aim only to pass while others set medium or high goals For instance a student expecting 9498 per cent will have different postexam anxiety compared to someone targeting 7075 per cent Exams are designed to push your limits and enhance performance Without exams one might remain mediocre and fail to strive for better resultsYou were on the SSC merit list in 1988 How has the exam system changed since thenThe system was much stricter back then For example passing marks in subjects like Mathematics and English were 35 per cent whereas now they are only 20 per cent Additionally students today have the option of reexams which prevents them from losing an academic yearIn our time failing a subject meant waiting until October for a second attempt delaying an entire year The current system is more studentfriendly allowing students to reappear for improvement without losing valuable timeWhat are the best strategies for retaining what you studyWhile preparing for the board exam I followed these key practicesgtgt Use standard textbooks ndash Stick to the main textbook and if necessary refer to one additional bookgtgt Revision is key ndash Read the syllabus multiple timesmdashfirst for understanding then for clarity and finally for a quick review before the examgtgt Selfprepared notes ndash Writing your own notes aids retention Highlight key points or jot them down separatelygtgt Extract important points gtgt Write crucial terms or phrases in the margins or in a separate notebook for quick revisiongtgt Frequent review ndash The more you revise the better you retain informationStudents today face many distractions especially from gadgets and social media How can they maintain concentrationDistractions have increased significantly Social media phone calls and notifications constantly interrupt studies However complete avoidance is impractical as gadgets are universally availableInstead students should plan their usage wisely Set a selfdiscipline rulemdashcheck messages or respond to calls only after every three hours of study for just 15 minutesFor Std X students social media might not be essential but for Std XII students it plays a role in communication Unplanned use wastes time but controlled use ensures focus without complete disconnectionHow should students view exams in the broader picture of their careersExams are stepping stones not the ultimate goal Education continues beyond schoolmdashgraduation postgraduation and higher studies Career paths keep evolving so students should not see board exams as the final hurdle in lifeHow important is social support during exam preparationStaying connected with friends and family is essential Many students isolate themselves believing their thoughts donrsquot align with their parents However having one or two close friends to share feelings with acts as a stress reliever Even if they donrsquot study together sharing concerns and emotions is beneficialgtgt Peer groups friends cousins siblings provide emotional supportgtgt Nuclear families and working parents ndash Communication gaps can lead to stress Earlier large families provided natural support systems but now many students lack that emotional connectiongtgt Parental communication ndash Students fear being scolded so they avoid sharing their struggles with their parents However timely conversations can provide muchneeded psychological supportWhat final advice would you give to students preparing for examsExams are just one milestone in a long journey Manage stress by focusing on preparation rather than worrying about resultsgtgt Stay disciplined but allow yourself small breaksgtgt Maintain a healthy balance between study social life and relaxationgtgt Believe in yourselfmdashyour efforts will lead to success