11th grade examinations are usually taken too casually by students as they do not play a huge role in the final board exam. What students don’t realise is that these are the stepping-stones to the class 12 examinations. It is very important to give equal attention to the 11th grade syllabus. This is especially true for mathematics.
Most of the concepts of class 11 mathematics are continued in class 12 and to be able to easily attempt the questions in 12th board exams, the student should be well-versed with the class 11 syllabus. Scoring in this exam is also very important.
Preparation for class 11 mathematics examination
Here are a few tips to score well in the class 11 mathematics paper:
Refer to syllabus
The given NCERT syllabus is very important for a student. It provides a guideline that must be first completed before stepping into the zone of other reference books. For most subjects, just the NCERT will be sufficient but in the case of mathematics, additional practice material will be of definite help. These will be mentioned further in this post. In any case, completion of the syllabus from the prescribed textbook is the first priority.
Start early
This may be obvious but also the least followed. Being an 11th class subject, students would dilly-dally in their proper preparation. A well-planned timetable is essential to the study scheme which need not be as intense as a 12th-grade schedule but still requires everyday effort and practice. Math is one such subject where practice makes you infinitely better. So, set aside at least an hour in a day for practice.
Maintain notes
While this might sound a bit odd, maintaining notes are important even for mathematics. These notes should include formulae, shortcuts, rules (in topics like differentiation) and theorems. This will make last-minute revision very simple and also help in memorizing them very convenient.
Previous year papers and mock tests
Many times, even in mathematics, the questions tend to repeat over time. Sometimes, even the same numbers may repeat. Do not expect repetition but it is always a good practice to solve previous year papers at least once. It not only exposes you to the questions that have been asked beforehand but also builds confidence. Solve the papers as a timed exam paper at one go as this gives a good idea of how the actual examination will go.
At the examination
At the examination hall, read the question paper thoroughly. Make sure you at least see every question once before attempting it. This helps the mind recollect and be prepared mentally.
Attempt all the questions that you are confident about first. Move to the ones that are unsure later. This makes you more confident while attempting it.
Do not stay on one question for longer than required. If it turns out to be more difficult than expected, move to the next one and attempt this later. It is easy to just stay on the same question for long and lose out marks in the other scoring sections, so this must be consciously avoided.
Maintain neatness. Although doing this in a mathematics paper is difficult, try to make sure the answer is underlined, and the steps are clear in the paper. This creates a good impression.
Now that you are familiar with a few tips to score better in your class 11 mathematics paper, let’s see what the most preferred reference books for class 11 are:
NCERT Class 11 mathematics
It goes without saying that this book is the bible for the entire examination. It has everything required for scoring a very good mark in the final exam, with solved examples and plenty of exercises. When it comes to mathematics, one can never have too much practice. This is where the other books come to play. First, finish the NCERT and be thorough with it and then move to the others.
Vedantu CBSE class 11 math solutions
This is a concise book that contains all 16 chapters with solutions for the NCERT textbook. It is solved by expert mathematic teachers who have not only provided solutions but also included the steps which is a great scoring point. This book would be very handy when you get stuck solving a particular question or require some clarity on a topic.
Senior secondary school mathematics for class 11: R S Aggarwal
This book is slightly more advanced when it comes to the NCERT exam point of view. Many concepts are explained well with plenty of solved examples and exercises to strengthen the basic concepts. This is specifically useful in providing tips and shortcuts for entrance exams like JEE. Solving this book will definitely give an added edge to students in the examination.
Mathematics for class 11: R D Sharma
R D Sharma is a time-tested reference book that is preferred by many students because of its detailed explanations and simplicity. This book follows all the NCERT guidelines. It provides detailed explanations and solutions of all questions where the student can understand the technique and solutions with minimum effort. There are also shortcuts, illustrations and key points mentioned in this book, making it even easier to follow. This would be of great help if one is stuck with a concept of a question or to understand the steps in solving a particular type of question.
All the books listed above are great additions, with the NCERT textbook being the main book. As a student, any of these books would add great value to strengthening concepts and foundations in mathematics. Since this subject is very crucial not only for the board exams but also for most of the competitive examinations and even plays a role in making other subjects like physics easier, adequate focus and attention should be given to it. So, now that you have your list of reference books for mathematics, it’s time to get studying!
