Chemistry Revision Exam

“It was the night before one of my Chemistry Revision Exams. Yes, ‘Revision Exam’. A ‘Revision Exam’ is something that prepares you for a ‘Board’ exam – which is the do-all and end-all of Indian School Education. Half of the 12th grade academic year used to be filled with Revision Exams in my school. I loved my school.

I hated Chemistry all my school life. All about it – particularly the teachers. That night though, I opened up my text book and browsed my way to the last chapter on ‘Sugars’. I started reading. Somehow my concentration didn’t waver for quite a bit [very unusual for Chemistry]. I ended up studying that chapter pretty well and was able to recollect most of the reactions [and their names], associated chemical compounds, the works. Aspartame was my favorite chemical compound since its chemical structure almost filled one full page of my book.

I turn up for the exam the next day, horribly prepared but better than usual [1 Chapter vs. Zero]. The question paper is distributed and I go through it. As always most of it is undecipherable. I revisit the paper head-to-toe. Nope. No questions from the last chapter.

What do you do now? What did I do?

I recovered from the brief disappointment, opened the answer sheet, marked the customary “pillayar suzhi” and titled the first sheet “Sugars”. Under it, I gave an introduction on what I was going to explain in the following pages. Then sub-header after sub-header followed. I wrote all that I knew on that topic, all that I could recollect. Aspartame’s structure filled one sheet. It was tidy work. No mistakes. Clear thought process evident.

I completed my paper a little before everyone else in the class [which wasn’t unusual]. But this time, I walked out with a smile on my face.

My knowledge of the subject was there for all to see.”