English in Class 10 is often underestimated, but experts say it remains one of the most scoring subjects in the CBSE board exam if prepared with the right approach. Ms Pragya Joseph, Educator, English, Shiv Nadar School, Faridabad, says the subject plays a key role in building communication skills, critical thinking, and confidence, and can significantly influence the final board percentage.
“Being a high-scoring, skill-based subject, it can raise or lower the overall percentage depending on comprehension and expression,” she said. She added that regular reading, grammar practice, literature revision with examples, and solving past papers help ensure strong performance.
“To do well on your English exam tomorrow, focus on understanding the question particularly paying attention to the question as it may focus on more than one point . Frame a rough draft of your ideas mentally before you start penning them down.Produce clear, properly organised responses as opposed to using large, complicated vocabulary. Make sure that the examiner can easily read and follow all the answers you provided in the whole response,” says Suchita Malakar, Principal, Gopi Birla Memorial School.
Shilpa Soota, an English teacher at Satya School, Gurugram, emphasised that students should read each question carefully and understand exactly what is being asked before attempting an answer. She advised students to keep a close watch on the clock and manage their time wisely by allocating sufficient time to each section.
According to her, answers should be clear and precise, avoiding unnecessary elaboration, while important keywords should be underlined to highlight relevance.
She also stressed the importance of adhering to the prescribed word limit and maintaining neat, organised presentation, as it helps examiners assess answers more easily.
For multiple-choice questions, she recommended that students write the option number first, followed by the complete answer, to avoid confusion. She added that good time management, clarity, and presentation can significantly improve overall performance.
WHAT TO REVISE ONE DAY BEFORE THE EXAM
Joseph advised students to avoid re-reading entire chapters at the last minute. Instead, the focus should be on concise revision.
“Students should revise chapter-wise notes focusing on themes, characters, and messages. They should go through important questions and answers and revise poems carefully, paying attention to their theme, tone, and poetic devices,” she said.
She added that revising character sketches and practising two to three answers can help reinforce understanding and improve confidence before the exam.
She emphasised that students must read the question paper instructions properly and attempt all questions.
“Do not leave any question unanswered. Write the statement along with the option number in MCQs and read each question carefully to understand what is being asked,” she said.
GRAMMAR: FOCUS ON COMMON ERROR AREAS
Joseph said students should revise common CBSE grammar areas such as:
- Tenses
- Subject–verb agreement
- Determiners
- Reported speech
- Modals
She recommended analysing mistakes and maintaining a personal error log to avoid repeating them.
For literature, she advised students to focus on themes, messages, and character traits rather than memorising answers.
“Write in neat and clear handwriting Be aware of how much time you have left to give yourself a reasonable amount of time to complete all the parts of the exam. Also, remember that you should allow at least 5 minutes at the end of the exam to go over your work and check for spelling errors or other punctuation or grammatical problems before you submit the exam. Remain calm, maintain good writing practice throughout your papers and trust yourself,” adds Malakar.
Experts say the English paper does not test memorisation alone but the ability to understand and express clearly. Students who revise smartly, follow formats, and manage time well can score high marks.
The final advice remains simple: stay calm, trust your preparation, and focus on clarity.
