The Key to attain good marks in UPSC Prelims
The UPSC Civil Services Exam journey starts with the preliminary exam , usually conducted within the month of May/June. Marking the primary stage of the three stage exam process, it seems to be a tough nut to crack for several . But, few IAS aspirants get through with considerable ease, apparently. Yet, it's to be acknowledged that those that “apparently” clear with ease would have put within the diligence and smart add the months before the examination. Taking under consideration the conversations we've had with top performers in prelims and their experiences, we've come to decipher that the key to attain good marks in UPSC Prelims actually involves a focused strategy with a fanatical plan.
The Key to attain good marks in UPSC Prelims:
Here, we list out those key elements of preparation, which can ensure an honest score to clear UPSC CSE prelims, also on breach IFoS cut-off.
Analysing Previous Years’ papers
Often times, students find yourself studying a book pertinent to the examination, cover to hide . the idea is that if he/she studies between the lines, the probabilities of clearing the exam improves by a good margin. Such an aspirant is simply oblivion to the very fact that the UPSC features a method to asking questions and a few lines within the book are often conveniently overlooked. Meaning you would like not remember the info in the least .
It is just to mention that analyzing the previous year papers will offer you a sneak peek into the minds of the Question paper setters and therefore the trends of Questions. This brings down the relative strain on your memory capacity, as you'll need to retain only that information which clearly goes with the trend.
Basic Concepts
The importance of fundamentals are often seen threadbare whilst you analyze the UPSC prelims papers. Most of the questions are often answered if the fundamentals are strong. once we say basics, these are the concepts you learn from NCERTs. Mere rote memorizing the content from ‘n’ number of books will never serve the aim of cracking the exam. The concepts are to be learned with sufficient depth, and enough time. Never ignore the conceptual information if you are doing not understand. Put to use the web , mentors or friends to urge that idea clarified and only then you progress on.
Limited Resources
Building a library with all UPSC related books will only lead you astray. Certainly ‘reading’ may be a good habit, except for ‘studies’ you ought to always believe few resources which cover most a part of the Syllabus. Master these few books. Our suggestion is to divide the books into Stages, and don't proceed to a better stage till you've got mastered the preceding stage. intrinsically the primary stage would be the NCERTs and standard books (class notes if you're taking coaching). you've got to master these even before you purchase the opposite books. the rationale is pretty straight forward: “If you can’t remember the things that’s there within the book you've got studied, what was the purpose in spending the time in studying it at all?”
Revisions
The preparation for UPSC CSE as an entire looks all hunky-dory at the initial stage. this is often because you'll have picked up one or two subjects to review , and it might not put much of a burden on you. However, because the number of subjects you lay hands on increases, students will start to feel the paucity of your time and also start to forget the content associated with the themes they learned earlier. so as to push the knowledge into future retention, it's of utmost importance to interact in multiple revisions.
The first reading should be rather slow, with the main target on understanding the content. After a while , say every week approximately , revise an equivalent content. but , after a month, revise it. Remember, the quantity of your time required for every revision reduces by an excellent margin if you're going for frequent revisions. If you give an excessive amount of space between the recap, then you'll find yourself studying everything again for you'll have forgotten all the content.
Test papers
Just as everyone knows, CSE isn't a standard examination and thus one cannot settle themselves to being ordinary because the exam in itself boils right down to see something extraordinary in one’s preparation. Meanwhile, one should also acknowledge the very fact that the syllabus is vast and not everything are often learnt by memory . Hence, smarter the approach, the higher the results, and test series come handy sometimes like this in helping the aspirant gauge their preparation.
It mainly helps the aspirants sidetrack their fear by setting their mental conditions right by giving them exam like environment whenever they take it. This, successively will boost their confidence in even marking uncertain questions and to remain composed within the real examination hall also . It also is an ancillary means of revision, together can revise their tests soon after it’s done, because the tests in most cases concentrate only on important topics pertinent to the exam.
However, it's also advisable to not just revise but to thoroughly analyze the whole paper such a lot in order that one also understands their accuracy in marking the answers (be it sure shot questions, 50-50 hopes questions or maybe random uncertain questions). And, for an exam like CSE there's no alternative to check series. Be it any test series from any coaching institute, all that it takes is solving it judiciously and revising it religiously.
Newspapers and notes
It's never a waste of your time once we mention the importance of reading newspapers and making notes out of it. Although making notes is optional for a few who keep track of monthly compilations, it's still highly suggested to form notes of these topics which might not reflect within the monthly compilations otherwise. For example: briefly noting any case study on a specific issue which might be helpful for ethics paper or any GS papers, any important sayings during a judgment by any sitting judges would add more color to one’s essay paper also . Thus, it’s not in the least a campaign when it involves making notes.
When it involves newspapers, any national daily would suffice. Preferably, reading two newspapers on a day to day is convincing instead of going for one. Over the years, THE HINDU and therefore the INDIAN EXPRESS have proved its worth in catering all the required , right and more balanced information required for the present affairs part. Editorials that are available both these newspapers have tons of weightage compared to its other sections which might anyway reflect in any monthly compilations. Hence, giving more stress on editorials and forming a balanced opinion alongside making notes would stand high grounds for mains also as your test . One also can checkout the institutes work on current affairs which also has PIB summary coupled alongside it (Daily Current Affairs)
Reading all options
Humans tend to form mistakes and given the time-frame during which an aspirant has got to solve the paper, it's highly likely that he/she will find yourself making mistakes- grave and straightforward ..!
As the exam is believed to be tentative in nature, so are its questions. And, selecting the proper answer especially during this exam not only requires knowledge and understanding but also some logic and smartness. Thus, reading all the choices of an issue not only makes it easier to eliminate the incorrect option but also gets the aspirant closer in marking the right answer also .
Moreover, some questions are going to be framed such all the four options will look almost similar, and it's impossible to urge the proper answer unless one reads all of it. Thus, never make this easy mistake and put your 2 marks at stake.
Topic targets
Setting a target is that the initiative towards goal achievement. It marks one’s first point towards success. It’s when one switch from a passive state to being more involved. Since, one has got to affect the syllabus too vast as an ocean, it's foremost to possess a correct planning which might act as a light-weight house sometimes when one gets lost.
There are tons of the way through which one can set targets. Out of all, the foremost effective one is setting topic targets rather than time targets then on. As compared to time targets which mostly tracks the quantitative part by not considering the standard is not any friend but a foe indeed. Because, time targets confines our reading to end maximum topics during a limited time-frame . Meanwhile, the aspirants lag in giving ample time for a specific subject which might hamper the understanding he/she gets while reading it.
On the opposite hand, setting topic targets ensures that the aspirant wont skip this topic unless he thoroughly understands it, making it more useful and productive. Meanwhile, as in once you keep achieving your daily targets (even if it’s 80%) it’ll still be boosting your confidence supplying you with more caliber to read more subsequent day. It also avoids procrastination.
One break every week
Breaks increase productivity and creativity. It not only refreshes the mind and body but it also helps to require a U-turn from stress and exhaustion making the person feel more efficient. the solution to “How to attain good marks in UPSC Prelims?” takes you on an extended journey, and for a journey like this, which demands complete surrender of all of your recreational activities still requires breaks in-between. Although taking breaks are good, taking it fairly often would just create more pits to fall, rather it’s advisable to require breaks once during a week which enables the aspirant to recover subsequent day thinking that he took an opportunity the previous day. Perhaps, it’s mandatory that even on break days, he/she reads that specific day’s newspaper.
Try discussions
Discussions intrinsically play an important role during this journey of solving “How to attain good marks in UPSC prelims?”. It allows the aspirants to share their views and opinions which ultimately expands their own thought processes (provided that the discussion is occurring with serious aspirants only). Moreover one tends to retain more after they’ve discussed a specific topic with others. It’s also true that one gets to find out tons many things on a specific issue, which helps them add more dimensions thereto . Moreover, topics that are vital stay anchored in their minds as they would’ve discussed it thorough . This, indirectly would help the aspirants improve their communication skills and knowledge which can help them during their test . this will even be wiped out the shape of revision also , one can revise the topics within the sort of group discussions.
Progress feedback
The most critical a part of any preparation is that the self- evaluation section. Perhaps, progress feedbacks act as a report that provides facts about your success/failure. Here are few things that one should keep in mind while working your way towards scoring good marks in UPSC Prelims-
Make a TO-DO list for a specific day and confirm that at the top of the day, you check if you’ve lived up to your expectations or not.
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