10th Class Board Exam Preparation: A 90-Day Study Plan

Ninety days is enough time to prepare well for the 10th class board exam if you use it with a plan. Students who struggle usually study without direction: re-reading the same chapter, skipping hard topics, and seeing a full question paper for the first time in the exam hall.

This guide gives you a clear 90-day plan in three phases, a strategy for each subject, a way to use old papers, tips for writing answers that score, and a checklist for exam day. It is written for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh SSC students, but the same method works for CBSE and other state boards. Count 90 days back from your first exam and start from there.

Before you start: three things to collect

1. The latest syllabus. Boards sometimes remove or add chapters. Download the current syllabus from your board's official website or ask your teacher.
2. The question paper pattern (blueprint). Know how many sections there are, how many marks each type of question carries, and whether there are internal choices.
3. Old papers and model papers. Collect at least the last three to five years of question papers for every subject, plus the official model or sample papers released by your board for this year.

Then make a simple chapter list for every subject and mark each chapter as strong, average or weak. This list is your map for the next 90 days.

The 90-day plan at a glance

Phase 1 (days 1–40): finish the syllabus

Your only goal here is to cover every chapter at least once. If your school has already finished the syllabus, use this phase to go through each chapter again on your own.

• Start with weak chapters while you still have time to ask teachers for help.
• Make short notes as you go: one or two pages per chapter with formulas, definitions, dates, diagrams and key points. You will revise from these later, so keep them neat.
• Do the textbook exercises fully. In state boards especially, many exam questions come straight from or very close to textbook questions.
• Revise a little every day. Spend the last 20 minutes of each day on topics you studied a few days earlier. This stops you forgetting Phase 1 work by the time Phase 3 arrives.

To finish in 40 days, divide your total chapters by 40. With about 80 chapters, that is two a day.

Phase 2 (days 41–70): deep revision

Now you go back to every chapter, but this time you test yourself instead of just reading.

• Close the book and write down everything you remember about a topic. Then open the book and check what you missed. This is called active recall, and it is explained in our guide to memory techniques for students.
• Solve previous-year questions chapter by chapter. You will notice that some topics come up almost every year.
• Keep a mistake notebook. Every time you get something wrong, write the question, your mistake and the correct method. Read this notebook twice a week.
• Spend extra time on your weak chapters, but do not ignore strong ones completely.

Phase 3 (days 71–90): mock tests

This phase trains you to perform under exam conditions.

1. Write one full paper in the real exam time, sitting at a table with no phone and no book.
2. Check it using the answer key or ask a teacher to check it.
3. List every mistake: was it a concept gap, a silly calculation error, poor time management or a missing step?
4. Revise the topics behind those mistakes the next day.

Try to write at least three to four full papers per subject in this phase. Write them at the same time of day as your real exam so your brain gets used to working at that hour. In the last five days, stop learning new topics and only revise your short notes and mistake notebook.

Subject-wise strategy

Mathematics

• Practise every day, even during revision. Maths is a skill, like riding a bicycle. Reading solved examples is not enough; you must solve problems yourself.
• Keep a formula sheet for algebra, mensuration, trigonometry, coordinate geometry and statistics. Read it every morning in the last month.
• Learn the standard theorems and their proofs step by step. Write each proof from memory at least three times.
• Always show steps. Even if your final answer is wrong, boards usually give marks for correct steps.
• Practise constructions and graphs with a sharp pencil, a ruler and a compass. Label everything.

Science (physics, chemistry, biology)

• Physics: understand each formula, write its units, and solve numericals regularly. Draw ray diagrams and circuit diagrams with correct arrows and labels.
• Chemistry: practise balancing equations every day until it feels easy. Make a table of reactions with their type and an example.
• Biology: practise the important diagrams (such as the human heart, the brain, the nephron, a flower, the digestive system) until you can draw them neatly in a few minutes. Learn the correct spelling of key terms.
• For “give reasons” questions, write the reason using the scientific idea, not just a common-sense answer.

Social studies

• Make timelines for history chapters so dates and events are in order.
• Practise map pointing every week using a blank outline map. Map questions are usually easy marks.
• For long answers, learn 6–8 key points for each important topic rather than memorising paragraphs. Use the points as sub-headings when you write.
• Read questions on graphs, tables or passages carefully. Many state board papers include such questions, and the answers are often inside the given information.

Languages (first language, second language and English)

• Grammar carries reliable marks. Revise the grammar topics in your syllabus with exercises, not only rules.
• Practise letters, essays, reports and other writing tasks in the formats your board expects. Write at least one piece every week and get it checked.
• For poems and lessons, know the author, the main idea and the important lines or points.
• Practise reading comprehension under time pressure: read the questions first, then the passage.

How to use previous-year and model papers

1. Phase 1: after finishing a chapter, look at the questions asked from it in old papers. This shows you what level of depth is needed.
2. Phase 2: solve all old questions from each chapter. Mark questions that repeat or appear in a similar form.
3. Phase 3: write complete papers with a timer. Use the official model papers for this year first, because they follow the current pattern.

Do not study only repeated questions. Use old papers to understand the pattern and marking, but study the whole syllabus.

Answer-writing and presentation tips

• Attempt questions you know well first, but keep the order of sub-parts together.
• Keep the last 10–15 minutes to read through your paper and fix small mistakes.

Exam-day checklist

• Hall ticket, plus a photocopy kept at home.
• Two or three blue or black pens that you have already used, pencils, eraser, sharpener, ruler and geometry box.
• A transparent water bottle and a simple watch if your centre allows them. Check your board's rules on what is permitted.
• Leave early enough to reach the centre well before the reporting time.
• Eat a light, familiar breakfast. Avoid trying new food on exam days.
• Use the reading time to read every question once and plan the order you will attempt them.
• After the exam, do not discuss answers for long. Rest, then prepare for the next paper.

Sleep matters as much as revision in the last week. If you feel anxious, our guide on exam stress tips for students has simple ways to stay calm.

Frequently asked questions