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TNPSC Portal - Thervu Vazhikatti Current Affairs Magazine

Note Taking Tips for Your Exam Preparation | Study Tips-10

Note making skills, How to take notes for TNPSC preperation. Note taking tips.
Note taking is an art. A good study note decides your success in all competitive Exams. As a aspirant of your dream competitive exam, you should take notes whenever you sit to study. You should make it as a habit not merely a practice.
Why note taking important?

  • Aid to memory : It is impossible for memorizing what ever we learn. Thus we have to make notes.
  • Notes serves as  the tools for revision 
  • You learn the by writing notes with your own words.
  • Note taking habit keeps as active always, avoids dullness and sleepy mood when we sit for exam preparation.


Which is best, A4 Sheets or Notebook ?

Two commonly used note taking materials by the most of the aspirants are Long Size Notebooks and A4 Sheets. Both have their own benefits, if you are using A 4 Sheets, when you go to a library of coaching class, only one file or folder and some A4 Sheets inside is enough for taking notes for various subjects. In case of notebooks, you should bring notebooks of all subjects. 

Whatever the materials may be, you should keep your notes organised and safe. If you use A4 sheets, keep seperate files and folders for each subjects. If you use a long size notebook, use separate notebooks for each subject.

How to take notes from Books ?

As a aspirant for an exam, you need to study the basic text books thoroughly as well as some other relevant study materials and guide books. Here are my tips to make your note taking most effective.


  • Decide what is the scope of your notes. Are you preparing for Group 1,2,4,VAO ? . Decide whether you are preparing  for  Prelims/Mains/Prelims cums Mains
  • Make sure you have understand the passage you have studied
  • Keep your notes short as possible
  • Use plenty of headings and sub headings as much as possible
  • Write everything in your own words.
  • Maximize use of abbreviation and keywords for lengthy and complex facts.
  • Include your own thoughts while you make notes.
  • Skip unwanted information while you read the material
  • Make sure your notes will be readable after a long time.
  • Note what you haven't understood and get clarified from others.

How to take notes In Class Rooms ?


  • know whether the lecturer provides handouts.
  • Do not try to note entire lecture in your notes
  • Note key points only with Main concepts to Mini concepts
  • If you are given handouts, use your highlighter economically. Highlight important concepts only.
  • Use short hand system. If you don't know short hand, use your own short hand system. For example, bcos = because, ie, etc.
  • Create spider diagram for easy understanding.

9 கருத்துகள்

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  1. very useful to all students.Thanks for your comments.

    பதிலளிநீக்கு
  2. Great post. The problem is we don't know which is unwanted material. While reading we always cautious to skip things fearing what if they ask question from that particular paragraph.

    பதிலளிநீக்கு
  3. Great post. The problem is we are not sure which is unwanted thing.

    பதிலளிநீக்கு