Countless nights of lost sleep, monotonous days of learning and revising (and even re-learning & re-revising if there is such a word!), losing summer holidays and weekends, waning appetite and bleeding ears due to endless advises from all the well-wishers: all of us would have definitely gone through this phase while taking up our 10th and 12th Board Exams, which are also known as ‘Public Exams’ in India. While the 10th Board Exams decide which course a student is liable to settle in for his/her specialization, the 12th Board Exams decide the college, job and thereby, the future. Hence both are of equal importance as far as the basic intent of education goes, and even more so if one is looking forward to join a reputed institution or company afterwards.
While Pursuing Higher Studies
Education, like any other field, has several competitors. This can truly be seen during the ‘counselling’ for college admissions. To take it one step further, for those who wish to pursue either management or technology, IIMs and IITs are the ‘GO TO’ institutions. However, they have they their own selection criteria’s. One needs to get a good percentile in CAT (Common Admission Test) or a great rank in JEE (Joint Entrance Exam) in order to be considered for any of the IIMs or IITs.
However, in the case of B-School admissions in IIMs or other elite institutions (like the IITs or others elite B-School), this is just the entry level screening for the aspirants. There is a cut-off that is decided based on certain criteria, and all aspirants are graded based on this. Depending on how good a student has performed on that grade will take him/her to the next level. The entire process of the same is akin to that of a multi-layered cake. First comes the competitive exams, then comes the GD (Group Discussion) and finally the direct Interviews. And here is where your board marks come into play. In a scenario where there may be multiple aspirants who have scored the same percentile, the IIMs take the marks obtained in the Board exams into consideration. The one with the higher Board marks stands a better chance at being admitted to a top-notch B-School (provided the pupil can also communicate this effectively during interview!).
Now let us turn our attention to those who are inclined towards the other disciplines like Sciences or Maths. In most of the Arts & Science colleges (including those of excellent repute), the marks obtained in the Board Exams are much more important, since they only are the deciding factor for the admission. There are no additional entrance exams for the same.
While Securing Advantages from ‘Meritocracy’
Studying is a serious business. While it is truly a ‘business’ in today’s commercialized world, how much we gain or lose over it depends on our personal scores (quite literally!). There are people in society whose pockets will not be dented by spending a few lakhs over management quota seats; but on the other extreme, there are also those who have to sell everything which they own for just paying a few thousand fee. The sooner one realizes this, the better is for them to work towards achieving their goal. I’m sure most of you would agree with me when I say that it is also a matter of pride: getting placed out of merit is much more fulfilling than just getting placed!
While Looking for Jobs
Similarly, there are also those candidates who may have entered their subsequent career phase in their lives, and are awaiting for placement opportunities. Even today, the companies ask the scores obtained in the 10th & 12th Standard Exams. Hence it is tremendously important that the students put their 100% effort and attempt their Board Exams well, be it for studying further, or for landing a good job, or just for the pure joy of learning.
While all is said and done, it is also equally important to enjoy your life. Studying or learning is a continuous experience and few exams alone do not define a person. Ask yourself what you want to do, where you want to be, what your priorities are and then travel in that direction. It is always good to follow the five W’s of life, i.e.,:
WHO you are is what makes you special; do not change for anyone- WHAT lies ahead will always be a mystery; do not be afraid to explore
- WHEN life pushes you over, you push back harder
- WHERE there are choices to make, make the ones you won’t regret
- WHY things happen will never be certain; take it in stride and move forward!
The marks obtained in the Board Exams have been a hot topic of countless debates. Read about some of the important places where the Board Marks come into play here!
