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My 13-Year-Old Son Struggles with Written Exams. How Can I Help Him?

Aruna

Aruna Agarwal  | Answer  |Ask -

Child and Parenting Counsellor - Answered on Aug 19, 2024

Aruna Agarwal is a qualified child psychologist and behaviour therapist with over 20 years of experience.
She has a master’s degree in psychology with a specialisation in behaviour analysis. She focuses on children between the ages of 2-10 years who face challenges related to behaviour, language development or attention issues and providing them with the right life skills.
Agarwal is the owner of Kidzee, a pre-primary school, and Mount Litera Zee School that caters to primary students.... more
ABHIJIT Question by ABHIJIT on Aug 16, 2024Hindi
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Hello sarveshji, My Son 13 years, is in 8th std ,ICSE student, When he was in 7th std he was doing good in his MCQ pattern ,But when he entered in 8th std he's become a average student academically, From 8th std school has started taking written Exams of 40marks Terminals,& its found that he's not good at learning the answers by heart, Till the 7th std there were no written exams and from 8th std regular written exams has started ,its looks difficult for him to by heart the answers in History,Geography,Science,Hindi, subjects, So how to solve this issue

Ans: I think important is to understand the concepts then rote learning.
Make him understand the concepts by giving him the concept based learning, paired with activities and objective tests from each lesson before you start giving him more Lessons to learn. Divide the task into shorter achievable goals to develop the intrest.
DISCLAIMER: The answer provided by rediffGURUS is for informational and general awareness purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or treatment.
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Radheshyam

Radheshyam Zanwar  |6991 Answers  |Ask -

MHT-CET, IIT-JEE, NEET-UG Expert - Answered on Sep 04, 2024

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My Son 13 years, is in 8th std ,ICSE student, When he was in 7th std he was doing good in his MCQ pattern ,But when he entered in 8th std he's become a average student academically, From 8th std school has started taking written Exams of 40marks Terminals,& its found he's not good at learning the answers by heart, Till the 7th std there were no written exams and from 8th std regular written exams has started ,its looks difficult for him to by heart the answers in History,Geography,Science,Hindi, subjects, So how to solve this issue.
Ans: Hi Abhijeet

This is a very usual case. Whenever a child shifts from one method to another, it takes some time to upgrade himself to the new pattern. MCQ test pattern and Written test pattern are different. Both patterns require different skills.

In short, your son is struggling to adapt to the new format of written exams in 8th grade. This shift from MCQs to written exams requires different study techniques, such as active recall, effective note-taking, and practice writing.

To help him improve, you can:
1) Encourage him to use active recall techniques like flashcards and quizzes.
2) Teach him effective note-taking methods like the Cornell method or mind mapping.
3) Help him practice writing essays and join a writing group if possible.
4) Assist him in creating a study schedule and breaking down assignments into smaller tasks.

At last, keep patient, every child is different. Give him some time to adjust to the new pattern. Your motion and support are much needed at this stage and that too without showing any panic on your face.

If you are dissatisfied with the reply, please ask again without hesitation.
If satisfied, please like and follow me.
Thanks

Radheshyam

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My son ranked 4700 jee main 2026, home state west bengal. 99.71 percentile. Which nit , can he get cse ?
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With a JEE Main All India Rank (AIR) around 4,700 and 99.71 percentile, your son can realistically target CSE in several NITs, especially under the West Bengal home-state quota. Typically, top NIT CSE closing ranks range between 1,500 and 5,000—for example, recent CSE closing ranks include NIT Trichy at 1,449, Surathkal at 1,827, Warangal at 2,409, Rourkela at 3,431, Calicut at 5,222, and MNNIT Allahabad at 4,594.

For West Bengal home-state candidates, NIT Durgapur CSE is a strong and realistic target, and your son may also secure ECE, EEE, or IT branches at other NITs depending on the round and seat availability.

Backup options to consider include newer IIIT campuses offering CSE/ECE, lower-demand branches at NITs, and IIEST Shibpur. While CSE in top NITs is achievable, the choice of branch and timing of counseling rounds will play a significant role. Once the JEE Advanced exam is over, your son can check the answer key on the same day or the next to estimate his expected score and AIR. He should then promptly review the JoSAA opening and closing ranks from the past 2-3 years to gain deeper insights and better understand admission trends, focusing first on reputed IITs and then on NITs. ALL the BEST for Your Son's Prosperous Future!

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As an outstate Maharashtra resident can my son get admission in any top Maharashtra Government / Private Colleges, if my son score 140+ marks in MHT CET and having 93.60 percentile in JEE mains. Please name the top Maharashtra government / private colleges in which my son can get admission via MHT CET and JEE main score being an outstate Maharashtra resident.
Ans: Govind Sir, As an outside-Maharashtra candidate, your son can still pursue admission to Maharashtra colleges, but government seats through MHT CET are limited and highly competitive. The more practical route to top institutes is securing All India quota seats via JEE Main. Based on recent cutoff trends and Maharashtra counselling rules, key colleges to consider include VJTI Mumbai, COEP Pune, SPCE Mumbai, Walchand Sangli, PICT Pune, DJ Sanghvi Mumbai, MIT-WPU Pune, and VIT Pune. With a 140+ score in MHT CET and a 93.60 percentile in JEE Main, securing CSE in top government colleges will be challenging, but admission to ECE, IT, ENTC, or Mechanical branches in newer or mid-tier colleges is more realistic. For non-domicile students, focusing on OMS/All India seats through JEE Main and exploring private colleges with strong placement records is advisable. Additionally, please review the JoSAA opening and closing ranks from the last 2-3 years to gain further insights and better understand admission trends. ALL the BEST for Your Son's Prosperous Future!

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My son is currently in Xth std ICSE MUMBAI. What are our options for getting into ENGINEERING? We are interested in enrolling them in a junior college rather than integrated learning. Which junior colleges can you recommend in Mumbai that has pathway to engineering ?
Ans: Neeraj Sir, For a junior college route in Mumbai, your son should enroll in Science (PCM) in FYJC (First Year Junior College), as this is the standard pathway to engineering through MHT-CET and JEE Main, leading to admission opportunities in colleges like IIT Bombay, VJTI, SPIT, DJSCE, KJ Somaiya, and ICT Mumbai.

Good junior college options in Mumbai with strong engineering pathways include St. Xavier’s, Jai Hind, Ruia, Mithibai, KJ Somaiya College of Science, and other reputable Science junior colleges known for strong PCM results and competitive admissions. For the best long-term engineering prospects, select a college that offers excellent teaching in Maths, Physics, and Chemistry, along with regular testing and a proven track record of students progressing to top engineering colleges. A value-added suggestion: If your son is specifically targeting the JEE, he should first thoroughly master the NCERT textbooks for all three subjects (Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics) and then focus on the materials provided by his integrated coaching institute. ALL the BEST for Your Son's Prosperous Future!

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For your son, the safest plan is to pursue FYJC Science with focused coaching for JEE and MHT-CET, followed by admission through these engineering entrance exams, rather than opting for integrated schooling if you prefer to maintain flexibility.

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