FAQ

Curriculum

Which curricula do you cover?

Our academic courses are for the following curricula:

  • CBSE
  • ICSE
  • NIOS
  • IGCSE
  • IB – MYP
Do you have separate batches for each of these curriculum?

Yes. For grade 9, 10, 11 and 12, students of IGCSE have a separate batch from those in CBSE and ICSE. CBSE and ICSE students have nearly 50-60% overlapping/common syllabus.

For these concepts they are in the same batch and for mutually exclusive topics, they are in separate classes. As per our experience, knowledge gained is more important than the syllabus.

So, if a student is up for it, we give the freedom of choice for him/her to sit through topics/concepts covered in the other curriculum.

Where can I find specific details about your IGCSE curriculum offerings?
Students of which grade/s can enroll in your course?

Our courses are for students from Grade 7 to Grade 12.

Grades, Subjects and Skills taught

What subjects do you cover in your courses?

Our courses cover the below subjects:

  • Math
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Computational Thinking
  • Programming Languages
Do you have courses for non-academic subjects or soft skills?

Yes, we offer courses on soft skills too. The courses cover the below skills:

  • Communication
  • Creativity
  • Critical Thinking
  • Collaboration
  • Computational Thinking
Does that mean you won't be focussing on developing these skills (soft skills) as part of the academic classes?

At Cogitare, we believe that acquiring soft skills are as important as academic skills. Skills such as learning how to learn, communicating effectively, problem solving, working well in a team setup, linking new concepts with existing knowledge and coping with change, are all embedded in our learning process at Cogitare. 

Soft skills are very important for personal growth. Hence, when we do see the need for a child to learn these skills explicit through focussed workshop/s, we suggest the soft skills courses to them.

Course Duration, Timings, Schedule

What is the duration of your typical course?

The duration depends on the type of course:

1) Annual academic courses: These are usually for the complete academic year from May-Feb or June-March (based on the curriculum).

2) Concept Modules: These modules focus on specific concept/s in Math, Physics, Chemistry and Computer Science. The duration is usually 4-5 weeks depending on the type of concept/s being covered.

3) Webinars: We do host free webinars as part of Cogitalks event. This is usually for an hour or two. We also conduct free workshops (please check our calendar for these events) and the duration is mentioned as part of the events calendar.

What is the schedule and timing for the teacher-led online (or blended) academic classes?

Our blended learning classes (teacher-led online classes) for students in India (or in IST time zone) fall into either of these batches: Weekdays: 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm OR 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

The days of the week for the classes depend on CBSE, ICSE or IGCSE subjects that you opt our courses for.

If you have an query on specific timing for a particular academic course, please do whatsapp or call us at +91 99001 78940

What are your class timings for students outside of India?

We do have students outside of India enrolled in our blended courses. We fix the timing based on the students time zone if we are able to form a batch consisting of students from a particular geographic location/time zone.

How can I contact you if I need to discuss class timing or schedule that does not work for me?

Please email contact@cogitarelearning.com about your learning and scheduling needs or

Call us at +91 99001 78940 between 9 AM IST and 8 PM IST, Monday to Friday, and we shall get back to you.

Tests and Assessments

How often do you conduct tests and assessments?

The periodicity of Math and/or Science tests depend on the time of the year and the volume of the concepts covered.

For example, we usually conduct a test once two related concepts are covered. This roughly works out to one test every 3 weeks. However, as the academic year progresses, the frequency of the tests increases. During December, January and February, the periodicity of tests increases for revision purposes.

We also conduct surprise tests as means to check if the students are able to recall concept that were learnt in the recent past.

What type of tests do you conduct for academic courses?

We conduct diagnostic assessments to determine the student’s level of understanding at the beginning of a unit/lesson/concept.

We also conduct formative assessments to check the progress a child is making a given area.

Do your test papers follow the pattern of the CBSE, ICSE or IGCSE curriculum?

The diagnostic and unit tests are designed to check the student’s understanding so they don’t follow any curriculum pattern.

However the formative assessments always are in the format of a particular board/curriculum. For example, CBSE students will have more of objective questions as per the NCERT board and IGCSE students will have questions that connect the dots across multiple concept areas.

The goal is to enable a child gain mastery of the concept/s learnt before getting into the specifics of the exam-paper pattern.

How do you assess the progress and performance of each student as part of your course?

After every test result is announced, we analyze the test results with each student. This analysis activity helps students introspect and understand the type of mistakes they do often and how it can be prevented in the future.

It also helps, us teachers, to understand if corrective action is needed on our part to repeat a particular unit/concept to make it more clearer to students.

Do students get to take practise tests?

YES. We prep the students to take full-length mock exams to ensure they build familiarity with the question paper pattern, time management techniques and more importantly reduce the anxiety and phobia of writing the exams.

Communication with Parents (PTAs, PTMs)

How often do you conduct PTMs/PTAs?

We have periodic virtual meetings (PTMs/PTAs) with the parents based on the grade their child is in. Its usually once in 5 weeks.

However, if the parent has any immediate concern, they could contact us during our working hours.

In what ways do you communicate with parents periodically?

Our LMS (learning management system) has announcements and grades published for the child, so there is transparency on all learning activities.

We also have periodic emails going out every 5 weeks that summarizes the student’s performance and concern areas, if any.

Online Classes

What is the size of each batch for your academic online classes

Our academic blended learning batch size is 20 students per batch.

How do you make online learning effective for students?

We build a one-one rapport with our students who enroll in the year-long academic programs. Our relatively smaller batch size ensure that we get to customize our learning plans and pay attention to each individual student throughout the year.

Our learning management system will help students manage all the online resources in one place. Learning plans, assignments, test papers, test results, notes and any online resource will be cataloged and searchable.