Science is an important subject for any student in the school to form an understanding of the world around us. Everything that we see or experience around us is an outcome of extensive scientific research which has been going on for several years. Everything from how the air we breathe is produced to how babies are born can be understood through Science. Human beings are also a result of scientific understanding and evolution over the years. 

Till class 9, students are taught Science in a more general sense. The syllabus of class 9 Science is divided into 3 areas namely - Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Keeping these disciplines in mind, the NCERT textbook syllabus is based on categories including food and resources, how things work, the world of the living, materials and natural phenomena. The textbook aims at giving students a base for the topics that may be discussed in higher classes in greater detail and help in the main board’s paper. The students must prepare well and cover all the parts of the syllabus thoroughly. 

General tips for preparation

While preparing for an exam, students must keep in mind some general tips that would make preparation more effective for him/her:

• * Firstly, you should always have a timetable. Prepare a timetable, keeping in mind the dates of the exam and allotting time to all the subjects that you have. When allotting time, keep in mind to give time to the subject according to the amount of syllabus and what your strength or weakness is. For example, when preparing a timetable for Science, give equal time to all three sections. If you feel that any of these three sections needs extra attention, allot more time to that section. 
• * Keep yourself mentally and physically fit. Make sure that during your study period and exam days, you are still taking time for yourself and going for a walk to refresh yourself, eating healthy and getting a good night’s rest. Mornings are usually the best time to study and when students retain more information. Wake up fresh and tackle the subject. 
• * Pick a quiet and peaceful area or room for you to study, away from distractions.
• * Divide your syllabus and start from the topic which you feel requires the most time. Tackle the toughest part of the subject first, so that you do not have to worry about it anymore.
• * Make detailed notes. You tend to retain more when you write and learn something. By making notes, you understand and remember the information better. 
• * While studying each section, take your time. Do not rush through any part of the subject when preparing.
• * Revise thoroughly when you've completed the syllabus once. Revise all the formulae, diagrams and important questions, by writing keywords and short points. Revision helps you know where you stand and what part of the subject might still need some work. 

Preparation Tips for Class 9 Exam

The class 9 NCERT textbook has 15 chapters, covering topics from physics, chemistry and biology. While preparing for an exam, the student must go through each of these sections thoroughly. The major chunk of the syllabus should be studied well in time before the exam. The book should be studied thoroughly and questions from previous years or sample CBSE papers should be attempted as well, to get a hang of the pattern of the paper.

Practice all the diagrams by drawing them several times, so that you do not make a mistake during your exam. Diagrams are an easy way to score maximum marks. Also practice all the physics and chemistry formulae on paper, before your exam and revise them. Keep the following points about the paper pattern also in mind while preparing for your exam:

• * The Science exam is a total of 100 marks which is taken in two parts - 80 marks are for the final exam and 20 marks are for the internal exam conducted by the school.
• * There are five units that the syllabus is divided into, namely Matter, Organisation in the Living World, Motion and Work, Our Environment and Food. Each of these units has a different weightage. Make sure to be aware of the weightage and prepare accordingly.
• * All the questions in the exam are compulsory. The questions can be of objective type, short-answer and long-answer reasoning type. The paper is divided into sections A, B and C, depending on the type of questions asked in that section.
• * In Physics, be sure to practice all the formulae so that you make no mistake while solving numerical. Practice several numerical to boost your confidence. Also, be sure to revise all the diagrams by drawing them individually. Go through all the topics in sequential order, so that you can understand them easily. 
• * In Chemistry, make sure to know all the formulas and valencies of elements as well. Focus on application-based questions and theories.
• * For Biology, focus on the animal kingdom. Learn the different species and names of organisms. Revise application-based questions related to osmosis and diffusion. Focus on the diseases and their transmission as well. Practice all the diagrams properly.

Being thorough in preparation and practising enough practice questions will help you gain maximum marks in your exam.