PrepGraph Academy · Template
Chapter decomposition planner
Break one NCERT chapter into the concepts you will assess, name the prerequisites, predict the misconceptions, write the distractors that catch them, and plan the diagnostic, the remediation by group and the reassessment. Worked example rows for Class 9 Science — Motion are marked EXAMPLE; replace them with your chapter.
1How to use this planner
One chapter, one planner. You break the chapter into the concepts you will actually assess, name the prerequisite each concept depends on, predict the misconception students will bring, and write the distractor that will catch it. The diagnostic, the remediation plan and the reassessment all follow from those four columns.
The rows marked EXAMPLE are filled for Class 9 Science — Motion (NCERT). They show the grain of a good entry; replace them with your own chapter. Do the whole planner on paper first. If you then use PrepGraph, the items go into the review-first question bank and the diagnostic becomes an assignment — but the thinking is the same on paper.
2Chapter details
Class and subject
Chapter (NCERT title)
Section(s) and number of students
Where it sits in the annual plan (month / term) and periods available
Planned diagnostic date and planned reassessment date
Medium of instruction; students who will need bilingual support
3Prerequisites — what this chapter assumes students already have
List what the chapter assumes from earlier classes, where it was taught, and how you will check it in the first five minutes — before you teach, not after the test.
- A prerequisite gap looks like a chapter gap in a test. Checking it first is what stops you reteaching the wrong thing.
- If a prerequisite is weak for more than a third of the class, plan a 15-minute bridge before the chapter, not a remediation after it.
| Prerequisite | Where taught (class / chapter) | How I will check it (item, oral question, quick task) |
|---|---|---|
| EXAMPLE — Reading and plotting a line graph: axes, scale, slope between two points | Class 8 Maths — Introduction to Graphs | Two-item warm-up: read a value off a given graph; find the slope between two marked points |
| EXAMPLE — Converting units (km/h ↔ m/s) and rearranging a simple formula | Class 7–8 Maths — ratio, proportion, simple equations | One oral question at the start of the lesson; note who hesitates, then a two-item check for the whole class |
4Concept breakdown — concept, competency, misconception, distractor
6–10 concepts is the grain to aim for — it is what the Module 5 rubric asks for, and what a chapter usually yields. For each, write the competency as something a student can do, the misconception you expect, and the wrong answer that will reveal it.
- One concept per row. If you cannot write a distractor, you do not yet know the misconception — ask the class, or look at last year’s answer scripts.
- Competency statements come from what the NCERT chapter expects students to do, not from the section headings.
| Concept | Competency statement (“students can …”) | Likely misconception | The distractor that catches it |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXAMPLE — Distance and displacement | Can compute distance and displacement for a path that changes direction, and explain why they differ | Displacement is always the same as distance; “shortest path” is not a separate idea | For a walk of 30 m east then 40 m north, offer “70 m” as a displacement option — it catches students who add path lengths |
| EXAMPLE — Speed from a distance–time graph | Can read speed from the slope of a distance–time graph and compare two objects | The line that is higher on the graph is the faster object; a flat line means moving slowly | Two objects from the same start, A steeper, B starting higher: offer “B is faster because its line is above A’s” |
| EXAMPLE — Acceleration and the equations of motion | Can choose and apply the right equation of motion given three known quantities | Acceleration is the same as speed; a body moving fast has high acceleration | For a car at a steady 60 km/h, offer “its acceleration is highest at top speed” (correct: zero) |
5Competency question plan — ten items for the diagnostic
Eight to twelve items, each tied to one concept, each with at least one distractor that traces back to the misconception column above. Draft with an AI assistant if you like; check every answer yourself before any student sees it.
- Items 1–3 of your set can be easy: you want to see the pattern of errors, not a low score.
- Keep the language simple; a diagnostic is testing the concept, not reading.
- If you use PrepGraph: enter or AI-draft the items in the question bank, approve each one, then set the diagnostic as an assignment. Nothing reaches students until you approve it.
| # | Concept | Item stem idea | Answer | Misconception-targeted distractor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (EXAMPLE) | Distance vs displacement | A student walks 30 m east, then 40 m north. Distance travelled and displacement? | 70 m; 50 m (towards north-east) | 70 m; 70 m — adds path lengths for displacement |
| 2 (EXAMPLE) | Distance–time graph | A and B start from the same point. A’s line is steeper; B’s line begins higher. Which is faster, and why? | A — steeper slope means greater speed | B — “its line is higher on the graph” |
| 3 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
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| 10 |
6Diagnostic plan
- Tell students the diagnostic does not count towards marks. You want their honest first answer.
- Decide your mastery line before you see results (for example 3 of 4 items on a concept). It keeps the reading honest.
When (date, period) and how long (10–15 minutes is enough)
How administered — paper / PrepGraph assignment / other — and who marks it
What I will look at first: results by question, then by student
Students who will not be able to attempt (absent, no device for a home attempt) and my plan for them
How I will tell students what the diagnostic is for (“this helps me plan, it is not a test”)
7Remediation plan by group
Plan the intervention by what was missed, not by rank. The first row is an EXAMPLE.
- Three groups is usually the limit for one teacher in one week: those who missed concept A, those who missed B, and those who are ready for extension.
- Reassessment means the same competency with different items — not the same questions again.
| Students who missed … | Activity (practice set / reteach / AI tutor at home where provisioned / peer pair) | Duration | Reassess when — and with what |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXAMPLE — The graph items (Q2, Q5, Q7) | Ten-minute reteach using a distance–time graph of a class walk we plot together; six practice items; AI-tutor re-explanation at home for students who have it | Two periods + one homework | Week 3 — four fresh graph items |
8Before you teach — a last check
- ☐ Prerequisite check written and timed (5 minutes, lesson 1)
- ☐ Every concept has a competency statement, a misconception and a distractor
- ☐ Ten items drafted; every answer checked by me; items approved in the question bank if using PrepGraph
- ☐ Diagnostic date fixed and students told what it is for
- ☐ Mastery line decided before results
- ☐ Remediation activities ready for at least two groups
- ☐ Class log entry planned (topic, concepts, homework, next check) so the AI tutor carries the lesson home where students have it
Works on paper. If your school uses PrepGraph, the items go into the review-first question bank and the diagnostic becomes an assignment with per-question results; the planner is the same either way.
Chapter decomposition planner — PrepGraph Academy, training.prepgraph.com/resources/chapter-decomposition-planner. Free to use and adapt with attribution to PrepGraph Academy; not for resale. Full terms: training.prepgraph.com/terms. Example figures, where given, are illustrative.
Independent programme, not a CBSE certification. PrepGraph Academy is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by the Central Board of Secondary Education. Certificates are issued by PrepGraph. The programme is designed around the CBSE 2026-27 training theme and the CBSE/NPST professional-development domains; the host school decides how to record the hours under CBSE’s CPD guidelines and keeps the attendance records.