UPSC is a game of ‘Fine Margins’. Ask any so called seniors of the field i.e. who have appeared in the exams more than 2-3 times and they will tell you what fine margins mean!!!! Even a difference of very few marks can deduct your name out from the Merit List. The exam demands a very careful and thorough preparation as there is very little scope of mistakes.
Here are some of the common mistakes that aspirants tend to commit and knowing them well you should avoid committing them at any cost…!!!!
The Decision
Taking the call of starting to prepare for the exam is in itself a very courageous one. But the decision should never be based on peer pressure, aspiration for enviable social status or the most common one i.e. herd mentality. The preparation demands you to adhere to discipline and strategic planning to clear every step. So before you take the call, make sure you are ready to tackle all these things.
Understanding the Syllabus
There is a general tendency among the aspirants to overlook the GENERAL STUDIES SYLLABUS. Some even carry the notion ‘everything under the sun’ can be asked in CSE. But it is not the case. Mentors at Vajirao IAS Academy, Delhi suggest that if you go through the previous year papers, you will notice that almost 75-80% questions are from the prescribed syllabus itself. The most popular recommendation would be to be well versed with the UPSC syllabus and if you to take our advice then memorize it…!!!
This way you can keep a tab on what things are important from examination point of view.
The Optional Conundrum
There are almost 25 optional subjects from which you can prefer any one. This is where the biggest confusion occurs. Your choice of optional should not be wayward. Best IAS Coaching Institutes in Delhi suggest that It should be based on a careful analysis of previous year trends as to which papers are scoring, length of the syllabus, your interest, availability of study materials etc. As stated earlier, a single tweak and you are out of the race.
Smart Work
The most common notion regarding the UPSC CSE exam is that in order to qualify, you need to slog for over 18 hours every day…!!!!! Well, beyond imagination…!!!!
Hard work is a must but rather smartly. Today in the age of internet, you literally have the world at your fingertips. Make use of it. Concise your study materials and we will say “instead of studying 10 books for each subject, study only one book 10 times”.
Optimized Preparation
UPSC PRELIMS and MAINS preparation should go hand in hand. In a way that your practicing both answer-writing and studying together. It should not be the case that once the prelims result are out then you start your mains preparation, you will not find enough time. The ideal way will be to take the simultaneous preparation till January or February and then next two months exclusively for prelims.
Ignoring UPSC Test Series
UPSC PRELIMS and MAINS TEST SERIES play a very vital role in terms of identifying where you stand with your preparation. Not appearing for test series will keep you aloof from ongoing trends of questions. Again if you to take our advice, pick up a test series, and before the exam take almost 40-50 tests and be super-ready for the battle ahead.
Mugging up Things
UPSC CSE is not one of your semester exams where you can just “commit to memory and vomit to paper”. So mugging up things may help you to clear the first stage. But in order to crack the further stages, an in-depth understanding of the paper is required. So, why to mug up from the beginning…???
Whatever you study, have clear cut knowledge about the topic and always try linking the current affairs with static portion.
Revisions are Must
They say “the more you bled in peace, the less you sweat in war”. Very well said. Revisions are an important component of UPSC PREPARATION. Studying everything and retaining nothing would not help. In order to succeed in this exam, give revisions a major priority.
So, these were the certain chinks in your armory that were needed to be addressed before you enter the battleground. Remember, the simplest mantra to success is to keep calm and stay focused. Rest will follow.
Think Positive, Stay Healthy….!!!!!!
All the very best….!!!!!!
