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1. Firstly, UPSC's CSE is an exam in which they dont just test you, but rather they want you to know things which are crucial for our Env, Culture, Snt etc. This is the biggest take away. Once you start giving the right attention to details, a positive attitutde towards studies with curiosity as the building block, you will end us winning on that day, because UPSC rewards curiosity. I never shied away from asking even the basic questions, If I had doubts.
2. Mindset: Positive and fight till the end approach. Everybody suggests that we must sleep well before, but remember one thing, you are not going to die, in case you could not sleep. So rather than cursing yourself for not having slept the night before, just rise up and leave for the centre with full energy.
3. Sources: Modern History= Mrunal Lectures, Modern Indian NCERT, All new NCERTs and TMH Manual (You can see, no Spectrum, yes, not Required!) Polity= Laxmikanth, NCERT Constitution at work Economics= Crux of Indian Economy(One real gem which has popped up in last 2 years). Easily revisable and very wide in coverage. Made for Prelims. + Mrunal Lectures. Bas. Env= Shankar, Shankar, Shankar. Geography= Map work from atleast 2 sources, I did Study IQ, Only IAS and Sleepy Classes / Static from Mrunal Lectures(word by word) + NCERT, 11th both. Culture= NCERT Fine arts and all Traditions both. + Singhania(reading since last 3 attempts, so continued) + Budhism and Jainism from A L Basham Ancient= Tamil Nadu Book Medieval= New NCERT Class 8th and 11th (themes). Somehow could not revise it properly. Last I read it around December, so in the end decided to leave Medieval. To my surprise there were many questions from Med this time and they were pretty easy, if only I had revised. :-/
Current affairs= Revised PT 356 Modules 4 times. Around 7-8 questions came directly. I did Insights Monthly magazines from June -Dec 2018. Idea was to do completely monthly magazines only, but somehow the plan failed and I ended up doing PT 365 mainly. But nevertless, it was the combined material which worked.
Test Series= Very less, but revised which I did multiple times. Insights 1-11 Tests + Vision all Full Length Tests + Vision Abhyas (Gave Abhyas under strict exam like condition).
Now, my biggest weapon was Previous Year Questions. Having worked with various Coaching Institutes, I knew under what pressure and with what sources in mind the questions are prepared, so this time I relied heavily on completing 20 years questions from Arihant's PYQ solved book. That gave me the edge in terms of dealing with dicey 30-35 questions. So, if you have a choice between Test Series and PYQ, go for PYQ, in case you can do both, then nothing like it.
But Let me assure you that toppers who claim to do 2 test series and 3 test series, jara pucho unse, kitna yaad rehta hai?
Exam Day Strategy: Divide the 2 hours into 3 parts, Read the whole question paper and start marking 1,2,3,0 along the question number if you have marked 1,2, 3 choices as probable answers. Round 1: These should be around 40-50 questions which you pin-pointedly answered the right choice. Complete this round in 50 minutes straight and mark these answers right away. Round 2: Mark the 2 options eliminated ones: If with these 2 you have reached around 80-85, you may stop, depending on the difficulty of the paper. If around 70, so itne mein toh nahi niklega. (Please check your correct:incorrect ratio through atleast 5 mock tests of different Institutes, Vision/Insights/Forum etc). Round 3: Mark from 3 options correct. ie. those in which you could eliminate only 1 option.
Ideally you must complete your paper atleast 15 minutes before the exam and you must have time to take a hard look at the left over questions or skim through OMR. I found that I had not marked 1 question on OMR, which I had attempted in question paper.
This strategy you must apply on 4-5 full length test and calibrate your reading and marking speed.
Final words: I am not a Rank 1, or a veteran faculty, I am ordinary aspirant like you all, senior now, though. But let me assure you that ruthless implementation and full vigour preparation does help. Have faith in yourself and let PYQs be your real Gita.
@Rail_life This year I focussed on Prelims from Feb. During Aug-Dec I focused on Mains and my Job. Yes, Merely reading does not help at all. I made 15 pages, micro notes of PYQs on A-4 sheets for three subjects, History, Polity, Env+ Geog. Rest subjects I only solved and marked in the book itself. Yes, I saw all the options and incorporated them also in my notes, if they were impo.
I am a firm believer in making self notes and micro notes. There are others who do without it too.
1. Firstly, UPSC's CSE is an exam in which they dont just test you, but rather they want you to know things which are crucial for our Env, Culture, Snt etc. This is the biggest take away. Once you start giving the right attention to details, a positive attitutde towards studies with curiosity as the building block, you will end us winning on that day, because UPSC rewards curiosity. I never shied away from asking even the basic questions, If I had doubts.
2. Mindset: Positive and fight till the end approach. Everybody suggests that we must sleep well before, but remember one thing, you are not going to die, in case you could not sleep. So rather than cursing yourself for not having slept the night before, just rise up and leave for the centre with full energy.
3. Sources: Modern History= Mrunal Lectures, Modern Indian NCERT, All new NCERTs and TMH Manual (You can see, no Spectrum, yes, not Required!) Polity= Laxmikanth, NCERT Constitution at work Economics= Crux of Indian Economy(One real gem which has popped up in last 2 years). Easily revisable and very wide in coverage. Made for Prelims. + Mrunal Lectures. Bas. Env= Shankar, Shankar, Shankar. Geography= Map work from atleast 2 sources, I did Study IQ, Only IAS and Sleepy Classes / Static from Mrunal Lectures(word by word) + NCERT, 11th both. Culture= NCERT Fine arts and all Traditions both. + Singhania(reading since last 3 attempts, so continued) + Budhism and Jainism from A L Basham Ancient= Tamil Nadu Book Medieval= New NCERT Class 8th and 11th (themes). Somehow could not revise it properly. Last I read it around December, so in the end decided to leave Medieval. To my surprise there were many questions from Med this time and they were pretty easy, if only I had revised. :-/
Current affairs= Revised PT 356 Modules 4 times. Around 7-8 questions came directly. I did Insights Monthly magazines from June -Dec 2018. Idea was to do completely monthly magazines only, but somehow the plan failed and I ended up doing PT 365 mainly. But nevertless, it was the combined material which worked.
Test Series= Very less, but revised which I did multiple times. Insights 1-11 Tests + Vision all Full Length Tests + Vision Abhyas (Gave Abhyas under strict exam like condition).
Now, my biggest weapon was Previous Year Questions. Having worked with various Coaching Institutes, I knew under what pressure and with what sources in mind the questions are prepared, so this time I relied heavily on completing 20 years questions from Arihant's PYQ solved book. That gave me the edge in terms of dealing with dicey 30-35 questions. So, if you have a choice between Test Series and PYQ, go for PYQ, in case you can do both, then nothing like it.
But Let me assure you that toppers who claim to do 2 test series and 3 test series, jara pucho unse, kitna yaad rehta hai?
Exam Day Strategy: Divide the 2 hours into 3 parts, Read the whole question paper and start marking 1,2,3,0 along the question number if you have marked 1,2, 3 choices as probable answers. Round 1: These should be around 40-50 questions which you pin-pointedly answered the right choice. Complete this round in 50 minutes straight and mark these answers right away. Round 2: Mark the 2 options eliminated ones: If with these 2 you have reached around 80-85, you may stop, depending on the difficulty of the paper. If around 70, so itne mein toh nahi niklega. (Please check your correct:incorrect ratio through atleast 5 mock tests of different Institutes, Vision/Insights/Forum etc). Round 3: Mark from 3 options correct. ie. those in which you could eliminate only 1 option.
Ideally you must complete your paper atleast 15 minutes before the exam and you must have time to take a hard look at the left over questions or skim through OMR. I found that I had not marked 1 question on OMR, which I had attempted in question paper.
This strategy you must apply on 4-5 full length test and calibrate your reading and marking speed.
Final words: I am not a Rank 1, or a veteran faculty, I am ordinary aspirant like you all, senior now, though. But let me assure you that ruthless implementation and full vigour preparation does help. Have faith in yourself and let PYQs be your real Gita.
Hope this will help atleast 1 person. Thanks!
First of all thank you and all the best sir, But still have one doubt I am not following any website or coaching materiel for current affairs this time I am following only the hindu, so is this a good strategy, I had given 2017 pre failed by 3 questions (gen category) skipped 18 cos of state psc, but I realised that no website or coaching material works. So this time changed a bit.
1. Firstly, UPSC's CSE is an exam in which they dont just test you, but rather they want you to know things which are crucial for our Env, Culture, Snt etc. This is the biggest take away. Once you start giving the right attention to details, a positive attitutde towards studies with curiosity as the building block, you will end us winning on that day, because UPSC rewards curiosity. I never shied away from asking even the basic questions, If I had doubts.
2. Mindset: Positive and fight till the end approach. Everybody suggests that we must sleep well before, but remember one thing, you are not going to die, in case you could not sleep. So rather than cursing yourself for not having slept the night before, just rise up and leave for the centre with full energy.
3. Sources: Modern History= Mrunal Lectures, Modern Indian NCERT, All new NCERTs and TMH Manual (You can see, no Spectrum, yes, not Required!) Polity= Laxmikanth, NCERT Constitution at work Economics= Crux of Indian Economy(One real gem which has popped up in last 2 years). Easily revisable and very wide in coverage. Made for Prelims. + Mrunal Lectures. Bas. Env= Shankar, Shankar, Shankar. Geography= Map work from atleast 2 sources, I did Study IQ, Only IAS and Sleepy Classes / Static from Mrunal Lectures(word by word) + NCERT, 11th both. Culture= NCERT Fine arts and all Traditions both. + Singhania(reading since last 3 attempts, so continued) + Budhism and Jainism from A L Basham Ancient= Tamil Nadu Book Medieval= New NCERT Class 8th and 11th (themes). Somehow could not revise it properly. Last I read it around December, so in the end decided to leave Medieval. To my surprise there were many questions from Med this time and they were pretty easy, if only I had revised. :-/
Current affairs= Revised PT 356 Modules 4 times. Around 7-8 questions came directly. I did Insights Monthly magazines from June -Dec 2018. Idea was to do completely monthly magazines only, but somehow the plan failed and I ended up doing PT 365 mainly. But nevertless, it was the combined material which worked.
Test Series= Very less, but revised which I did multiple times. Insights 1-11 Tests + Vision all Full Length Tests + Vision Abhyas (Gave Abhyas under strict exam like condition).
Now, my biggest weapon was Previous Year Questions. Having worked with various Coaching Institutes, I knew under what pressure and with what sources in mind the questions are prepared, so this time I relied heavily on completing 20 years questions from Arihant's PYQ solved book. That gave me the edge in terms of dealing with dicey 30-35 questions. So, if you have a choice between Test Series and PYQ, go for PYQ, in case you can do both, then nothing like it.
But Let me assure you that toppers who claim to do 2 test series and 3 test series, jara pucho unse, kitna yaad rehta hai?
Exam Day Strategy: Divide the 2 hours into 3 parts, Read the whole question paper and start marking 1,2,3,0 along the question number if you have marked 1,2, 3 choices as probable answers. Round 1: These should be around 40-50 questions which you pin-pointedly answered the right choice. Complete this round in 50 minutes straight and mark these answers right away. Round 2: Mark the 2 options eliminated ones: If with these 2 you have reached around 80-85, you may stop, depending on the difficulty of the paper. If around 70, so itne mein toh nahi niklega. (Please check your correct:incorrect ratio through atleast 5 mock tests of different Institutes, Vision/Insights/Forum etc). Round 3: Mark from 3 options correct. ie. those in which you could eliminate only 1 option.
Ideally you must complete your paper atleast 15 minutes before the exam and you must have time to take a hard look at the left over questions or skim through OMR. I found that I had not marked 1 question on OMR, which I had attempted in question paper.
This strategy you must apply on 4-5 full length test and calibrate your reading and marking speed.
Final words: I am not a Rank 1, or a veteran faculty, I am ordinary aspirant like you all, senior now, though. But let me assure you that ruthless implementation and full vigour preparation does help. Have faith in yourself and let PYQs be your real Gita.
Hope this will help atleast 1 person. Thanks!
Sir, can u please tell more about crux of economy? This time around I did economics from sleepy classes and though, I was able to do maximum questions from the subject this time, still I feel it was not enough. Where is this book available?
@Vinay1995: Crux of Indian Economy is available on iasselfstudy.com Search, you will get. However, note I did it along with Mrunal's Lectures(the previous 2017 ones), and its the cumulative understanding of the two, the sum of which is larger than it's parts. Sleepyclasses's Economy Lectures are also good, but I cannot comment whether or not it is a substitute to Mrunal.
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Comments
April month the Hindu alone has around 10 questions in prelims
And which april?
What worked and what I tried to do.
1. Firstly, UPSC's CSE is an exam in which they dont just test you, but rather they want you to know things which are crucial for our Env, Culture, Snt etc.
This is the biggest take away. Once you start giving the right attention to details, a positive attitutde towards studies with curiosity as the building block, you will end us winning on that day, because UPSC rewards curiosity.
I never shied away from asking even the basic questions, If I had doubts.
2. Mindset:
Positive and fight till the end approach.
Everybody suggests that we must sleep well before, but remember one thing,
you are not going to die, in case you could not sleep. So rather than cursing yourself for not having slept the night before, just rise up and leave for the centre with full energy.
3. Sources:
Modern History= Mrunal Lectures, Modern Indian NCERT, All new NCERTs and TMH Manual
(You can see, no Spectrum, yes, not Required!)
Polity= Laxmikanth, NCERT Constitution at work
Economics= Crux of Indian Economy(One real gem which has popped up in last 2 years). Easily revisable and very wide in coverage. Made for Prelims.
+ Mrunal Lectures. Bas.
Env= Shankar, Shankar, Shankar.
Geography= Map work from atleast 2 sources, I did Study IQ, Only IAS and Sleepy Classes / Static from Mrunal Lectures(word by word) + NCERT, 11th both.
Culture= NCERT Fine arts and all Traditions both. + Singhania(reading since last 3 attempts, so continued) + Budhism and Jainism from A L Basham
Ancient= Tamil Nadu Book
Medieval= New NCERT Class 8th and 11th (themes). Somehow could not revise it properly. Last I read it around December, so in the end decided to leave Medieval. To my surprise there were many questions from Med this time and they were pretty easy, if only I had revised. :-/
Current affairs=
Revised PT 356 Modules 4 times. Around 7-8 questions came directly.
I did Insights Monthly magazines from June -Dec 2018. Idea was to do completely monthly magazines only, but somehow the plan failed and I ended up doing PT 365 mainly. But nevertless, it was the combined material which worked.
Test Series=
Very less, but revised which I did multiple times.
Insights 1-11 Tests + Vision all Full Length Tests + Vision Abhyas (Gave Abhyas under strict exam like condition).
Now, my biggest weapon was Previous Year Questions.
Having worked with various Coaching Institutes, I knew under what pressure and with what sources in mind the questions are prepared, so this time I relied heavily on completing 20 years questions from Arihant's PYQ solved book.
That gave me the edge in terms of dealing with dicey 30-35 questions.
So, if you have a choice between Test Series and PYQ, go for PYQ, in case you can do both, then nothing like it.
But Let me assure you that toppers who claim to do 2 test series and 3 test series, jara pucho unse, kitna yaad rehta hai?
Exam Day Strategy:
Divide the 2 hours into 3 parts,
Read the whole question paper and start marking 1,2,3,0 along the question number if you have marked 1,2, 3 choices as probable answers.
Round 1: These should be around 40-50 questions which you pin-pointedly answered the right choice. Complete this round in 50 minutes straight and mark these answers right away.
Round 2: Mark the 2 options eliminated ones:
If with these 2 you have reached around 80-85, you may stop, depending on the difficulty of the paper. If around 70, so itne mein toh nahi niklega. (Please check your correct:incorrect ratio through atleast 5 mock tests of different Institutes, Vision/Insights/Forum etc).
Round 3: Mark from 3 options correct. ie. those in which you could eliminate only 1 option.
Ideally you must complete your paper atleast 15 minutes before the exam and you must have time to take a hard look at the left over questions or skim through OMR.
I found that I had not marked 1 question on OMR, which I had attempted in question paper.
This strategy you must apply on 4-5 full length test and calibrate your reading and marking speed.
Final words:
I am not a Rank 1, or a veteran faculty, I am ordinary aspirant like you all, senior now, though. But let me assure you that ruthless implementation and full vigour preparation does help.
Have faith in yourself and let PYQs be your real Gita.
Hope this will help atleast 1 person. Thanks!
And when u started reading it from aug/sep or from jan/feb,after completing the topic ans then refer pyq of same topic or just randomly u read it?
This year I focussed on Prelims from Feb.
During Aug-Dec I focused on Mains and my Job.
Yes,
Merely reading does not help at all.
I made 15 pages, micro notes of PYQs on A-4 sheets for three subjects, History, Polity, Env+ Geog. Rest subjects I only solved and marked in the book itself.
Yes, I saw all the options and incorporated them also in my notes, if they were impo.
I am a firm believer in making self notes and micro notes.
There are others who do without it too.
Thanks sir
Means u have started reading pyq in jan/feb only,ans from which bool u read ?
Plz provide me ur notes if u not have any problem
Telegram id -@Rail_life
But still have one doubt
I am not following any website or coaching materiel for current affairs this time I am following only the hindu, so is this a good strategy, I had given 2017 pre failed by 3 questions (gen category) skipped 18 cos of state psc, but I realised that no website or coaching material works. So this time changed a bit.
Crux of Indian Economy is available on iasselfstudy.com
Search, you will get.
However, note I did it along with Mrunal's Lectures(the previous 2017 ones), and its the cumulative understanding of the two, the sum of which is larger than it's parts.
Sleepyclasses's Economy Lectures are also good, but I cannot comment whether or not it is a substitute to Mrunal.
TIA