Preparing for board exams involves meticulous planning and execution. The greatest challenge to successful revision and exam preparation is the lack of focus.

In an era where students have numerous distractions like smartphones, exam stress and external pressure, remaining focused on studies can be challenging. Building focus requires a conscious effort and relentless pursuit towards following the study plan.

Following are the seven proven ways to build focus while preparing for board exams.

1. Manage Stress Effectively

Exam stress and anxiety towards the future can cause serious amounts of discomfort to the students since class 10 CBSE and class 12 CBSE board exams determine their future. It can often overwhelm you, affecting your focus. Managing stress effectively can make a significant difference. You can manage stress using the following ways.

1. Practice relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, or yoga.
2. Indulge in light physical activities, like a quick walk or simple stretches.
3. When you prepare your revision timetable, break complicated topics into smaller units to make studying easier and avoid stress.
4. Do not extend the study plans to the last minute. Give enough time to refresh and restore calmness before the board exam.

These techniques can work wonders in releasing tension and boosting your mood. They not only calm your mind but also improve your concentration.

2. Practice Mindful Breathing

Mindfulness is an excellent technique for building focus and calming the mind. It involves practising a specific breathing method in a 4-7-8 pattern: 

• 4 - Inhale for four seconds
• 7 - Hold your breath for seven seconds
• 8 - Exhale slowly for eight seconds

Practising this for five to ten minutes daily can reduce anxiety, calm your mind, and help you retain focus and achieve a composed mindset, even during high-pressure moments. You can incorporate mindfulness into the time allocated for breaks.

3. Study Systematically

While you can study randomly, you may not know if you are spending too much time revising easier and less important topics. So, there is a danger of running out of time for revision if you don’t prioritise your topic and have a plan.

On the other hand, you can cover topics more efficiently, complete revision on time, and avoid unnecessary stress when you study smart for CBSE board exam with a proper revision timetable and plan. So, you must study systematically by setting realistic revision goals, prioritising topics, allocating adequate time for each topic, and preparing a proper schedule. With a systematic approach, you can keep yourself stress-free and avoid burnout during the exam prep for class 12 CBSE and Class 10 CBSE board exams.

4. Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

Focus and memory retention require good physical health. You can maintain good physical health by choosing a healthy lifestyle by:

• Consuming a balanced diet consisting of fresh fruits, vegetables, and proteins to keep your energy levels steady throughout the day
• Staying hydrated by drinking adequate fluids to prevent dehydration, fatigue and loss of concentration
• Ensuring seven to eight hours of quality sleep every night to retain focus, memory, and cognitive function
• Avoiding unhealthy junk foods, snacks and high-calorie foods

5. Limit Distractions

Distractions can take your focus away from even the most thoroughly prepared study plans for board exams. So, create a calm and distraction-free environment devoid of content consumption devices, such as television and mobile, which can distract you.

If you want to use a mobile phone to practice mindfulness or make a schedule, you can remove the apps that distract you the most, such as social media apps and games. You can turn off unnecessary notifications and use only the planning and focus-enhancing apps to stay on track.

Clean up your space, remove all the clutter and distractions and organise the space to achieve calmness and clarity of mind. You can use the breaks in the revision schedule to check your phone for other purposes, but make sure you get back to studying once the time allocated for the break is over. 

6. Reward Yourself

Revision and exam preparation for board exams are gruelling, time-consuming tasks lacking fun. The fruits of your labour will be visible only when you get your board exam results for class 10 or class 12 CBSE. So, prolonged revision and exam preparation can be tedious enough to take focus away from you.

You can make the exam preparation process interesting by rewarding yourself for small accomplishments and reaching milestones. You can reward yourself with your favourite snack, a short break, or by engaging in a hobby. These rewards make studying more enjoyable and give you something to look forward to as you progress through your syllabus, thus helping you maintain your focus and motivation throughout exam preparation for class 12 or Class 10 CBSE board exams.

7. Stay Positive and Motivated

During the tedious exam prep for class 12 CBSE or class 10 CBSE board exams, you may suffer from negative feelings and lose motivation. So, it is critical to develop a positive mindset during exam preparation. You can visualise your goals and imagine the benefits of succeeding in the class 10 CBSE or class 12 CBSE board exams.

If you lose focus revising a tough subject for a prolonged period, you can break it into sections and mix them up in the schedule to keep things interesting. Similarly, you can add a few easier topics after one complex topic in the schedule to make revising easier. You can also surround yourself with positivity through study groups.

Final Thoughts

By following these seven steps, you can bring relentless focus towards your board exam preparation. Staying focused, managing stress, and prioritising your well-being will help you perform your best in the board exams and achieve your goals.