‘Treat exams like game, failure not end of life’

Lucknow: Remember that exams are a test of your knowledge, not your personality. Failure only indicates room for improvement; it is not the end of life. Treat it like a game, where your only competition is yourself, said additional chief secretary, basic and secondary education, Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma during a live YouTube session with students, teachers and staff ahead of UP Board exams slated from Feb 18.Sharma said, "Exams are a part of life, not the whole of life. There are countless successful people in the world who were average performers but achieved great heights through their passion and hard work.""Avoid reading new things at the last minute; rather, reinforce what has already been learned. Do not spoil the next paper if the previous one did not go well. There is always scope for compensation," Sharma told students.Sharma told students to write answers clearly, systematically, and within the prescribed word limit. "Read the question paper carefully; do not waste time on difficult questions. Draw clear diagrams or flowcharts with a pencil where necessary to fetch extra marks," Sharma said.He added that students who failed to bring their admit card will be granted conditional permission for one paper, after which they will have to get a duplicate card issued.For parents, Sharma said they should not pressurise children for marks. Instead, they should make them feel that their hard work is more important than the results. "Parents should take some time during the day to talk to their child. Ask them how they are feeling, not just ‘how much of the syllabus did they complete'," Sharma said.He further asked parents not to compare their children to others or even their siblings.The session also highlighted the measures taken by the UP secondary education board to curb the cheating menace. Codes are being used on question papers and answer sheets so that if a paper is leaked, it can be immediately identified from which centre, Sharma said.