How past high scorers swapped all-nighters for smart habits

New Delhi: Every year, CBSE results bring with them a familiar flood of reactions: celebratory selfies, emotional phone calls and parents brimming with pride. And, of course, one big question from the lakhs of students waiting anxiously on the sidelines: How do high scorers actually do it?The answer, it turns out, is far less dramatic than all-night study marathons or seemingly impossible timetables.

Across schools and streams, CBSE Class XII high scorers of past years swear by the same simple habits: paying attention in class, revising regularly, writing down answers and solving previous years’ papers. And, most importantly, learning from mistakes, instead of panicking over them.For many of these high scorers, the strategy was not about studying endlessly, but smartly and consistently. A common thread running through their experiences is trust in NCERT textbooks, conceptual clarity over rote learning and maintaining balance instead of sacrificing everything for marks.Manveen Kaur, who scored 98% in humanities from Amity International School in 2024 and is studying political science at Jesus and Mary College, said she focused on “maximum output in minimum time”.“Being deeply involved in extracurriculars, I did not have the luxury of endless hours of studying. I had to prioritise smart work over raw labour,” she said. Calling NCERT the “ultimate blueprint,” Manveen said repeatedly revising the same material helped her master the concepts instead of depending on multiple guidebooks.

During exams, she also followed a “frameworking technique” — quickly jotting down key points before attempting long answers to avoid losing track of essentials under pressure.Suryaanshu Gupta from The Indian School, who scored 97% in science and is now pursuing BTech at IIT-Delhi, stresses paying attention in class. “Teachers can often convey concepts faster and better than students can learn through books alone,” he said.

Many students underestimate the value of classroom learning while focusing excessively on coaching material, he said, adding, “Listening carefully in class saved me time later because I didn’t have to study the topics from scratch again.

”Across streams, regular revision and writing down answers emerged as a recurring pattern. “This improves memorisation, reduces mistakes and increases speed during exams,” Suryaanshu said, adding that analysing mistakes in school tests helped him improve steadily.For Riddhima Ghosh of Shiv Nadar School, who scored 97.8% in 2025 and is now studying commerce with ACCA specialisation at Symbiosis College, balance mattered just as much as discipline. “My preparation focused more on understanding concepts rather than memorisation,” she said. At the same time, she ensured she spent time with family and friends to stay mentally refreshed.For Avni Drolia, who scored 98% in humanities in 2025 and is studying political science at Hindu College, preparation was a deeply personalised process.

“I realised very early that I am a visual learner,” she said. So Avni created “revision walls” full of timelines, formulas, laws and key concepts pasted in her room. “Even casually glancing at them every day helped me revise subconsciously instead of trying to mug things up,” she said.Like many other high scorers, Avni relied heavily on NCERT and previous years’ question papers. “Make NCERT your Bible,” she said, adding that understanding CBSE answer patterns and marking schemes helped her write exams more effectively.Commerce student Khushal Bansal, also from The Indian School, who scored 96.75% last year, echoed the importance of consistency. “I had a hectic extracurricular schedule, so school tests helped me revise concepts regularly,” said Khushal, now a student of bachelor of management studies at Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies. Instead of forcing himself to study mechanically, he focused on enjoying subjects like accounts and mathematics through regular practice.So, despite pursuing different streams and adapting varying study styles, the message from the high scorers remains strikingly similar: Consistency matters more than last-minute studying, basics more than shortcuts, and calm preparation often works better than piling last-minute pressure on oneself.