The UPSC Civil Service Exam is held by the Union Public Service Commission every year for the recruitment of eligible candidates for the posts of IRS, IAS, IFS, IPS, and other Group A and Group B Services. A single attempt of the UPSC Examination takes about 2 years, hence, candidates must be strategic, disciplined and most important of all, patient. The Civil Service Examination is not only the toughest examination of the country but is known to be the toughest examination worldwide.
Candidates who successfully pass the Prelims can start preparing and are eligible for the Main Paper. And likewise, the candidates who pass the Mains Paper is eligible for the Interview or the Personality Test. Even though the marks of the Prelims are not considered while preparing the Final Merit List, the candidates must secure the cut-off marks to qualify for the Main and proceed further. The Preliminary Examination of the first stage of the 3-course UPSC Examination structure and surely the toughest of all the three stages.
Usually conducted in May/June, the UPSC Prelims were postponed due to the sudden outbreak of the novel coronavirus. But, this the situation gaining momentum and everything gradually stabilizing, the Union Public Service Commission announced and scheduled the UPSC Preliminary Examination to be held on the 4th of October 2020. With the final date out for the first hurdle, the aspirants have less than a month to finally prepare for the examination.
Candidates are toiling hard and slogging hard, but under pressure it is easy for even the most brilliant of the students to lose focus, considering the humungous syllabus they have to cover in the next few days. Hence, it essential to follow guidelines and utilize the last few days to the fullest and fruitfully.
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Finally, go through the previous year question papers before doing the final preparation.
- You must understand the pattern of the questions that come in the Prelims, o successfully achieve the qualifying marks and be eligible for the Mains Examination.
- Solving the last five years of the examination question papers will allow you to figure out that there are certain types of questions which repeat themselves each year or every alternate year.
- Also solving previous years question papers will most certainly boost your confidence and prepare you to be confident for the final day of the examination. The more confident you are, it is less likely that you will self doubt yourself, and which is very crucial for clearing the Prelims with the ace.
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Follow the Trend
- The pattern of the question paper changes every year, and the same pattern of question papers do not repeat itself for consecutive years. Hence, as previously mentioned, going through the previous years question paper is an excellent idea. If the question from the previous year has weightage on the current affairs section, chances are that this year it won’t be the same. There is a probability that there might be a shift in weightage of marks from current affairs to social studies or general studies.
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UPSC Civil Services Exam: The key to successfully clearing the examination is in REVISION
- Considering the vastness of the syllabus, it is obvious that the chapters and concepts you learnt six months ago are no longer in your memory. Hence, revision is crucial. Without revision, it is difficult to identify the questions at once, and it may take up a lot of time to complete a section. and when time is of the essence in the examination hall, one must attempt as many questions as possible, if not all, to pass the prelims.
- Revising form the books is not a good idea, instead, revise from the notes that you made during studying.
- Revision is the key to recall everything you have been studying over the last one year.
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Apart from the above, there are a few last-minute points to keep in mind like:
- It is crucial that you revise the already studied content, and do not start with any new content. As time is very limited, chances are you won’t be able to finish the new topic and in trying to do so, you are also losing time in revising what you already know.
- Aspirants also must make a note that making silly mistakes are not an option. To avoid making silly mistakes you must stay focus and maintain a good temperament.
- While revising, ensure that you focus mainly on the underlying concepts and goals, instead of mindlessly trying to memorize everything. You must understand the design of the UPSC Examination Question Paper is as such that it tests the reasoning ability of the candidates. It is more to test the concepts, reasoning and analyzing the capability of the candidate.
- Students must also prepare themselves mentally the Union Public Service Commission at times throws a surprising element in the question paper. Under such circumstances, it is advisable to carry on the question that the know and then spend time on the parts that they do not know, rather than wasting time on a single section.
Also, every aspiring candidate must maintain a proper sleep cycle during the last few days of the examination. Sleep deprivation can mess up your brain and it may not be fully functional in the examination hall. While revising and brushing up on what you know is important, eating a properly balanced meal at regular intervals of time is equally important to keep you going. The mind and body must work harmoniously for one to crack the examination. Depriving yourself of food and sleep will do no good, instead, it may do more harm.
To get through the examination you must be physically and mentally health and sound. Hence there is no point in messing up the study schedule that you have been following till now, and deprive yourself of regular sleep and proper food.
UPSC Civil Services Exam: And lastly, have faith and belief in yourself. You have studied hard and smart throughout the year and that hard work will pay off when you are confident during the 2 hours of the examination.
