Notice Writing: 7 Mistakes That Can Cost You Marks

Notice Writing: 7 Mistakes That Can Cost You Marks A SEEDHA ENGLISH Board-Exam Guide

Notice writing looks like one of the easiest 4-mark questions in CBSE English—but students often lose marks not because they don't know English, but because they miss small scoring details.

For Class XII English Core 2026–27, Notice Writing carries 4 marks: Format – 1, Content – 2, Accuracy of Spelling & Grammar – 1, and the notice should be up to 50 words.

So, if you want full marks, don't treat a notice as “just a small paragraph.”

Treat it as a 4-mark scoring opportunity.

❌ MISTAKE 1: Forgetting the Basic Format

A notice is not an ordinary paragraph.

Students often start directly with:

Our school is organising a debate competition...

That's wrong presentation.

A proper notice should have a recognisable structure:

NAME OF ORGANISATION NOTICE DATE HEADING BODY SIGNATURE NAME & DESIGNATION

CBSE marking schemes explicitly award 1 mark for format.

SEEDHA TIP:

Before writing the body, mentally remember:

O → N → D → H → B → S

Organisation → Notice → Date → Heading → Body → Signature

❌ MISTAKE 2: Missing the 5W + 1H

The examiner doesn't want a story.

The examiner wants information.

Your notice should answer:

WHAT? What is happening?

WHEN? Date and/or time?

WHERE? Venue?

WHO? Who can participate/attend?

WHY? Purpose, where relevant.

HOW? How should students register/apply/contact?

Weak:

Students are informed that a competition will be held. Interested students should participate.

Too vague.

Better:

The Literary Club is organising an Inter-House Debate Competition on 15 September 2026 at 10 a.m. in the school auditorium. Students of Classes XI–XII may register with their House Captains by 10 September.

Now the information is actionable.

❌ MISTAKE 3: Writing Too Much

This is one of the biggest traps.

Students think:

“If I write more, I'll get more marks.”

No.

A notice is supposed to be brief, precise and informative.

For 2026–27, CBSE specifies a maximum of 50 words.

Don't write:

“It gives us immense pleasure to inform all the students that our school is going to organise a very exciting and wonderful…”

Cut it.

Write:

The Eco Club is organising a Tree Plantation Drive...

Remember:

Notice ≠ Essay

Notice = Information compressed into minimum words.

❌ MISTAKE 4: Ignoring the Heading

Students frequently write the body but forget the title/heading.

For example:

❌

NOTICE

Date: 5 September 2026

All students are informed that...

Better:

NOTICE

INTER-HOUSE DEBATE COMPETITION

Date: 5 September 2026

All students of Classes XI–XII...

The heading immediately tells the reader what the notice is about.

SEEDHA RULE:

Your heading should be:

SHORT + SPECIFIC + RELEVANT

Not:

A VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING AN EVENT

Instead:

INTER-SCHOOL QUIZ COMPETITION

❌ MISTAKE 5: Writing the Wrong Tone

A notice is an official communication.

Therefore, avoid:

❌ “Hey guys!” ❌ “Come and enjoy!” ❌ “You all should definitely participate!!!” ❌ “It will be super fun.”

Use formal, concise language:

✅ “Students of Classes XI–XII are invited to participate.”

✅ “Interested students may register…”

✅ “For further details, contact…”

Golden Rule:

Formal situation → Formal language

❌ MISTAKE 6: Making Grammar & Spelling Errors

This mistake is particularly costly because accuracy of spelling and grammar carries 1 mark in the current Class XII notice-writing assessment.

Common errors include:

❌ “Students of class XI are invited for participate.”

✅ “Students of Class XI are invited to participate.”

❌ “The competition will held on…”

✅ “The competition will be held on…”

❌ “Interested student can register…”

✅ “Interested students can register…”

The 5-Second Grammar Check

Before moving to the next question, quickly check:

S — Subject–Verb Agreement T — Tense A — Articles P — Prepositions P — Punctuation

STAPP = 5-second notice audit.

❌ MISTAKE 7: Forgetting the Issuer's Identity

A notice must tell the reader who issued it.

Students sometimes finish with:

Thank you.

And stop.

❌ That's not the best ending.

Instead, use:

Lalit Sharma Secretary, Literary Club

or

Riya Sharma Head Girl

or

ABC Cultural Secretary

The designation should make sense according to the situation.

🏆 THE PERFECT NOTICE FORMULA

If you're sitting in the board examination, remember:

O + N + D + H + B + S

O — Organisation N — NOTICE D — Date H — Heading B — Body S — Signature/Name/Designation

And inside the body:

5W + 1H

What + When + Where + Who + Why + How

This gives you a simple mental framework without memorising a complete notice.

🔥 BONUS: THE “4-MARK CHECK”

Before leaving the notice question, ask yourself:

✔ FORMAT — 1

Did I follow the correct notice structure?

✔ CONTENT — 2

Have I included all essential information?

✔ ACCURACY — 1

Are my spelling and grammar correct?

If the answer to all three is YES, you've protected all four marking components.

💡 SEEDHA ENGLISH MANTRA

Don't decorate your notice. Communicate through it.

A high-scoring notice isn't necessarily filled with sophisticated vocabulary.

It is:

FORMAL + COMPLETE + CONCISE + ACCURATE

That's the difference between writing a notice and writing a board-ready notice.

SEEDHA ENGLISH

Seedha Padho. Seedha Likho. Seedha Marks Lao.