Why it happens
When a teacher solves a problem, the hard part - choosing the approach - is done for you. You only watch the steps, so it feels easy. In the exam, nobody picks the approach for you, and you never practised that step.
Other common causes: reading the question too fast, not writing the given values, mixing units, and jumping to a formula you half remember.
The 5-step method for any numerical
- Name the concept. Ask: what is this question really about - motion, forces, energy, a circuit? Write the topic in one line.
- List what is given and what is asked. Write every value with its unit, and draw a quick diagram.
- Choose the relation. Match the given and asked quantities to a formula. If two formulas fit, ask which one uses only the known values.
- Solve symbolically first. Rearrange the formula for the unknown, then substitute numbers at the end. This avoids arithmetic slips.
- Check. Are the units right? Is the size sensible? Does the sign make sense?
How to practise so it actually sticks
Attempt a question for 5-10 minutes before looking at hints. Struggling is the useful part. If you are stuck, look only at the first step, then try again. Only then read the full solution.
After each wrong answer, write down why you were wrong: wrong formula, wrong unit, wrong sign, or misread question. After a week, you will see your own pattern and know what to fix.
Practise each chapter in sets of mixed difficulty: easy to warm up, medium to build, hard to stretch. Solve fewer questions more carefully rather than many questions carelessly.
Where to start: chapters that train problem-solving
Begin with chapters where the method is easiest to see, then move on. Mechanics teaches the habit of drawing diagrams and listing knowns, and the rest of Physics reuses it.
📚 Chapters in this step - free notes & a chapterwise test for each: