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Tamil Nadu (TNBSE)Class 7 Mathematics★ 3-6 marks in the TN Class 7 Term 3 exam through flowchart and scheduling questions

Information Processing (Term 3) - Flowcharts and Scheduling

Samacheer Kalvi (TN State Board) Class 7 Maths — Term 3 Chapter 6, Information Processing. Reading and drawing flowcharts with their standard symbols, and scheduling tasks to finish work in the least time, with worked examples, exercises and quick revision.

⏱ 13 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

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By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1Identify the standard flowchart symbols
2Read and draw simple flowcharts
3Understand decisions in a flowchart
4Schedule tasks to save time
5Distinguish parallel and sequential tasks

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Why this chapter matters

Flowcharts and scheduling teach algorithmic and planning thinking used in computing and everyday organisation. These activities are tested in the TN Class 7 Term 3 exam.

Before you start — revise these

A 5-minute refresher here will save you 30 minutes of confusion below.

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Term 2 — Information Processing

Patterns and reasoning.

Information Processing (Flowcharts and Scheduling) — Class 7 Maths (Samacheer Kalvi)

TN State Board (Samacheer Kalvi) Class 7 Mathematics, Term 3 — Chapter 6. Planning steps with flowcharts and schedules.

1. About this chapter

This chapter covers flowcharts — diagrams that show the steps of a process — and scheduling — arranging tasks to finish in the least time.

2. Flowcharts

A flowchart is a step-by-step diagram of a process using standard symbols joined by arrows that show the order.

Symbol	Meaning
Oval (terminal)	Start / Stop
Parallelogram	Input / Output
Rectangle	Process / action
Diamond	Decision (yes/no)
Arrow	Flow / direction

Example: a flowchart to add two numbers — Start → input a, b → compute sum = a + b → output sum → Stop.

3. Scheduling

Scheduling means planning the order and timing of tasks so the whole work is done in the least possible time.
Tasks that don't depend on each other can be done at the same time (in parallel); tasks that depend on another must wait for it to finish.
Example: while rice is boiling (20 min), you can chop vegetables (10 min) at the same time, instead of one after the other — saving time.

4. Worked examples

Example 1. Which flowchart symbol shows a decision? The diamond.

Example 2. Which symbol marks the start of a flowchart? The oval (terminal).

Example 3. Tasks A (10 min) and B (15 min) are independent. Done in parallel, how long do they take? 15 minutes (the longer of the two).

5. Exercises (Samacheer Kalvi)

Name the flowchart symbol used for (a) input/output (b) a process.
Draw a flowchart to find the average of three numbers.
Draw a flowchart that checks whether a number is even or odd.
Three independent tasks take 8, 12 and 5 minutes. If done in parallel, how long is needed?
List the tasks in making tea and schedule them to save time.

6. Common mistakes

Mistake: Using the wrong symbol for a decision. Fix: A diamond is for a decision; a rectangle is for a process.
Mistake: Doing independent tasks one after another. Fix: Parallel (independent) tasks can run at the same time to save time.
Mistake: Leaving out the Start/Stop in a flowchart. Fix: Every flowchart begins and ends with an oval (terminal).

7. Quick revision

Term 3 · Ch 6 · information processing.
Flowchart symbols: oval (start/stop), parallelogram (input/output), rectangle (process), diamond (decision), arrow (flow).
Scheduling plans tasks to finish in the least time; independent tasks run in parallel, dependent ones in sequence.

Key formulas & results

Everything you need to memorise, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

Flowchart symbols

oval, parallelogram, rectangle, diamond, arrow

Start/stop, I/O, process, decision, flow.

Decision symbol

diamond (yes/no branch)

Choice in a process.

Parallel tasks

independent tasks run at the same time

Time = longest task.

Sequential tasks

dependent tasks run one after another

Time = sum of tasks.

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Common mistakes & fixes

These are the exact errors that cost students marks in board exams. Read them once, save yourself the trouble.

WATCH OUT

✗ Using the wrong symbol for a decision

✓ A diamond is for a decision; a rectangle is for a process.

WATCH OUT

✗ Doing independent tasks one after another

✓ Parallel (independent) tasks can run at the same time to save time.

WATCH OUT

✗ Leaving out the Start/Stop in a flowchart

✓ Every flowchart begins and ends with an oval (terminal).

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

Every NCERT exercise from this chapter — what it covers and how many questions to expect.

Flowchart symbols

Name and use the standard symbols.

Questions

Draw flowcharts

Draw flowcharts for simple tasks.

Questions

Scheduling

Plan tasks to save time.

Questions

Practice problems

Try each one yourself before tapping "Show solution". Active recall > rereading.

Q1EASY· Symbol

Which flowchart symbol shows a decision?

▶ Show solution

The diamond.

Q2EASY· Symbol

Which symbol marks the start of a flowchart?

▶ Show solution

The oval (terminal).

Q3EASY· Symbol

Which symbol is used for input or output?

▶ Show solution

The parallelogram.

Q4MEDIUM· Schedule

Tasks A (10 min) and B (15 min) are independent. Done in parallel, how long do they take?

▶ Show solution

15 minutes (the longer task).

Q5MEDIUM· Schedule

Three independent tasks take 8, 12 and 5 minutes. If done in parallel, how long is needed?

▶ Show solution

12 minutes (the longest task).

Q6MEDIUM· Flowchart

List the steps to draw a flowchart that adds two numbers.

▶ Show solution

Start → input a and b → compute sum = a + b → output sum → Stop.

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•Term 3 Chapter 6 of Samacheer Kalvi Class 7 Maths.
•A flowchart shows the steps of a process with standard symbols and arrows.
•Oval = start/stop, parallelogram = input/output, rectangle = process, diamond = decision.
•Scheduling plans tasks to finish in the least time.
•Independent tasks can run in parallel (time = longest task).
•Dependent tasks must run in sequence (time = sum of tasks).

Tamil Nadu (TNBSE) marks blueprint

Where the marks come from in this chapter — so you can plan your prep.

Typical chapter weightage: 3-6 marks across flowchart and scheduling questions

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
Symbols	1	2-3	Identifying flowchart symbols
Draw flowchart	2	1	Sequencing steps
Scheduling	2	1	Saving time with parallel tasks

Prep strategy

Memorise each symbol and its use
Begin and end flowcharts with ovals
Use a diamond for every yes/no choice
Run independent tasks in parallel

Where this shows up in the real world

This chapter isn't just an exam topic — it lives in the world around you.

Computing

Flowcharts plan programs and algorithms.

Cooking

Scheduling steps saves time in the kitchen.

Projects

Planning parallel tasks finishes work faster.

Exam strategy

Battle-tested tips from teachers and toppers for this chapter.

Match each symbol to its purpose
Use ovals for start and stop
Branch with a diamond for decisions
Identify independent tasks for parallel scheduling

Going beyond the textbook

For olympiad aspirants and curious learners — topics that build on this chapter.

Draw a flowchart to find the largest of three numbers.
Schedule four tasks with given dependencies to finish soonest.

Where else this chapter is tested

CBSE board isn't the only one — other exams test this chapter too.

TN Class 7 Term 3 ExamMedium

Logical Reasoning / ComputerMedium

School unit testsHigh

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Questions students ask

The real ones — pulled from the Q&A community and tutor sessions.

They show a process clearly, step by step, so it is easy to understand, follow and check — which is why they are used in computing and planning.

By doing tasks that do not depend on each other at the same time (in parallel) rather than one after another, the total time needed is reduced to that of the longest task.

Practice more, ask doubts, find a tutor

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