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(Getting Started) UPSC MAINS - Best Revision Strategy

Now that UPSC preliminary examinations are over, lakhs of aspirants are waiting for results. Not all will qualify but for the handful that will, the struggle has only begun. UPSC Mains is the monster they have to defeat to secure a good rank and achieve their IAS dream. Given the vast upsc syllabus, this is not the time to be learning new things. Instead, it is now time to concentrate hard on revising and polishing off the knowledge you already possess. The time constraint means that there has to be an effective revision strategy. Today, we discuss a revision strategy that will for sure give your mains preparation an edge over others.

Keep the UPSC Syllabus In Mind

General Studies

General Studies is a common hurdle in both prelims and mains. However, the way you approach the topics is different. If you have planned your preparation right, there are a very few additions you now need to make to your General Studies knowledge. So concentrate on revision instead.

A good strategy is to immediately sit with the syllabus, and topic notes if you have them, and see what additions can be made and if any material can be added or updated to them. Once that is done, now devise a weekly plan on which sections you need to cover each week. You are no longer trying to deal with just facts, so start writing answers on each relevant topic that you come across in the news. And don’t forget to keep updating your study notes with the latest current affairs.

Ethics and Essays

Ethics Paper Analysis

Average upsc aspirant would leave this to the last minute, but remember, your goal is to be above average. Try to write at least 3 essays and answer 3 case studies a week. Pick topics from previous year’s questions and ensure that you have a good grip over topics that are asked about frequently. Analyze the essays you write by comparing them with toppers' answers and improve your writing skills.

Writing at least 10-12 essays before the exam will give you the much-needed edge. Practicing enough case studies will ensure you write quality answers in the exam. Always remember that most UPSC aspirants who make it to the final list have similar scores in the first three GS papers. It is Essays and Ethics that decide who ranks on top.

Mains Optional

Start your optional revision from day one. Remember that the last time you read this material was probably 6 months ago and thus, it will take time to cover again. If you have some portion of the syllabus still incomplete, take a week right at the beginning, leaving aside the rest of the papers, and complete this first. Your optional can make or break your rank too.

For optional, writing is key. Update relevant topics with Current Affairs and make compact notes. You will most definitely need to make these connections in your exam paper, so start early. Make sure you have covered each topic in the syllabus and covered all PYQs of the last 10 years again.

Write, Write, Write

Topper Tina Dabi’s (AIR-1, UPSC CSE 2016) Revision Strategy

And finally, the key to writing good answers is to keep on writing regularly. It may not be possible to take full tests regularly, given how long each paper is, but ensure you write answers daily. Keep 2-3 hours of your day aside for this. And full-fledged tests are important. Ensure that you take at least 3 tests for each of the GS papers. Similarly, try taking at least 2 Essay and Ethics tests. For optional, at least 3 tests are required to analyze your preparation. And this also helps you figure out your time management technique and answer all questions in each paper. 

Most importantly, don’t relax just yet. Keep pushing and working hard, and you will achieve your dream.

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(Getting Started) Clearing UPSC With Geography Optional Strategy By Om Kant Thakur AIR-52

Hailing from a small village of Bihar, Om Kant Thakur is a story of what not giving up can help you achieve. UPSC CSE 2019 was his 4th attempt and succeeded in securing a top all India rank of 52 in this attempt. Being an engineering student from NIT, Patna, UPSC was a little removed from his graduation course. Moreover, being from a Hindi medium background and attempting interviews in English, Om Kant felt he was at a disadvantage, but he never gave up.

How To Study Geography Optional

The key to Om Kant’s optional strategy is the sources he used. Om Kant divides up Geography Optional into 3 main parts –

1. Physical Geography

Start with NCERTs. The 11th and 12th books are mostly sufficient. Use them for definitions, diagrams, etc. and make notes.  For Physical Geography, Savinder Singh is a great book. Geomorphology can be covered by P. Dayal. But read it selectively. Geography made simple - 1 by Rupa publication covers full physical geography and is a very good book that should be read cover to cover. 

For Bio-Geography and the ALS booklet, Shankar IAS, Current Affairs, along with Rupa’s Made Simple series is a lifesaver. Use G.C. Leong for more insight into Physical Geography and related diagrams. Use any good Atlas for maps. Om Kant also used some scanned pages of Strahler for diagrams and definitions, as well as selective pages from Critchfield for Climatology. And finally, Penguin India’s Physical Geography Dictionary was always kept at hand for looking up words and definitions.

2. Human Geography

Om Kant read Models in from selective reading of Majid Hussain, choosing chapters as per the topics in the UPSC syllabus. For Economic Geography he used the ALS booklet, NCERTs of 11th & 12th on Economic Geography, both new and old. He enriched his knowledge with Current Affairs. He also practiced the world map with economic resources, agriculture, industries, ports, trade routes, etc. and practiced trend analysis with the help of maps.

For Perspective Geography he again used ALS class notes, a book by Sudipta Adhikari, and picked up some diagrams and additional topics from Majid Hussain. The population geography part is covered very well in Majid Hussain and he kept updating his notes from current affairs. And once again, Rupa’s Geography Made Simple - 2 helped him complete Human Geography.

Once again for Settlement Geography, he chose the ALS booklet, and read the topics mentioned in the syllabus selectively from K Siddhartha for urban settlements. Regional Planning was again covered from the ALS Booklet and Current Affairs. The glossary section in Dictionary in Human geography completed his preparation.

3. Indian Geography

D R Khullar is the most important source for Geography optional paper-II. All chapters in the book are as per the UPSC syllabus It is the bible for Indian Geography. He also recommends practicing Indian map pointing using the ALS classroom technique and pointing out places mentioned in the news on maps.  And to make the best impact, use current affairs as an example throughout the paper.

Final Words

Make your own notes, read each source at least thrice, and keep practicing answer writing – this is the best advice Om Kant has for you. 

He wishes you all the best.

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(Success Story) UPSC 2021 TOPPER, AIR-5 Utkarsh Dwivedi Winning Strategy for Cracking IAS Exams

Best of Luck.

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(Getting Started) One Year Plan To Crack UPSC By Ananya Singh AIR-51

Ananya Singh has secured an all India rank of 51 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2019. She is an Economics Graduate from Lady Shri Ram College under Delhi University and hails from the city of Allahabad. She started her full-fledged preparation for UPSC in May of 2018. 

Ananya’s Book List

• History
  • Ancient History – Old NCERT Class 11
  • Medieval History – Vajiram Yellow Book
  • Modern History – Spectrum’s Modern History
  • Also, 3 themes of NCERT Books | NCERT Books Notes PDF
• Art And Culture – Selective chapters from Nitin Singhania, Vision IAS Notes
• Polity – Laxmikanth, Current Affairs Notes
• Geography – New NCERT Class 11 and 12, NCERT 6-10 as a reference, G.C. Leong for Physical Geography, Vajiram Yellow Book, Maps from the internet
• Environment – Class 12 Biology, Shankar IAS
• Economics – PYQs, Online Materials, Graduation Notes
• Science And Tech – Current Affairs
• Ethics – Vajiram Yellow Book, Syllabus Topics, Vajiram Class Notes, Case Studies from Current Affairs

Current Affairs Can Make Or Break You

Start with reading newspapers. It is not just the information that matters; reading newspapers allows you to form opinions that help you write better answers in mains, as well as present better answers during interviews. Know what you must read. For example, ignore all political news. For international affairs, they develop slowly, so following them on a weekly or monthly basis is good enough. Also, following daily summaries and reading monthly compilations, and solving MCQs help. And remember to know the syllabus by heart so that you know which portions to read and which to leave.

Testing and Analysis

Mock tests are integral towards cracking prelims. About 3 months before her preliminary exams, Ananya completely gave in to her target of cracking prelims and exclusively started preparing for it. She insists that testing is only a part of the work done and one must analyze their strengths and weaknesses to truly utilize mock test series.

Answer Writing Crucial For Cracking Mains

The more answers you write, the better you’ll do. If you are short of time, try and utilize topper’s copies. Read the question, think of an answer, and then compare to the topper’s answers. Quoting data and statistics are integral to scoring well. So note down information from ARC reports, NITI Aayog reports, etc. Remember the articles and amendments and use them in answers. One of the most hectic times for Ananya was between the prelims and mains as she had to brush up all the information she had along with putting them in a more detailed and analytical perspective.

3 Keys To Cracking Interviews

The first step towards cracking your interview is filling your DAF properly and researching all terms you mentioned in the form including details of your hometown, city, state, your degree, hobbies, and even your choice of optional. You get about a month between the mains results declaration and the interview date and this can be achieved within that time. Confidence is important as is honesty. If you do not know the answer to a question, honestly admit it to the interview panel instead of trying to use fillers.

Message To Aspirants

Ananya is confident that with consistency and hard work, UPSC can be cracked within 12-18 months. Keep your targets short-time, and try to always fulfill them. 

Ananya wishes you all the best.

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(Getting Started) Cracking UPSC With Self-Study : Sarjana Yadav's Strategy - AIR-126

Sarjana Yadav succeeded with an all India rank of AIR-126 in UPSC Civil Services Examination 2019. She is an Engineer from Delhi University of Technology and has worked in TRAI as a Research Officer. This is her 3rd attempt. Sarjana considers this her first serious attempt which she pursued after quitting her job in 2018 and preparing full-time. However, she had already taken UPSC Civil Services twice before this. With her experience, she tries addressing all doubts of beginners so that they too may achieve their IAS dreams. 

Should I join a IAS coaching institute?

There are 2 questions you need to ask yourself – 

1. Do you thrive in a classroom environment and need continuous guidance?
2. Do you perform better by self-assigning goals and studying in your comfort zone?

Depending on the answer, choose your path. Sarjana found herself to be more inclined towards path number 2 and thus resorted to ias self-study.

How many resources should I pursue each subject?

Reading one book multiple times is always the better path than reading multiple books one time each. Do not panic if that one book doesn’t have one or two topics, or those are difficult to understand. Google is your friend. But keep your resources limited and choose standard resources as suggested by senior aspirants and toppers.

How many hours must I put in?

Sarjana requests you not to dwell on hours. It’s a matter of covering all topics well and not the amount of time taken. Set weekly targets and try to keep a timetable. And ensure you finish those targets. It takes longer in the beginning and that is okay. Do not be afraid. 

Do I need to make notes for everything?

Sarjana believes the upsc syllabus is far too vast for one to be making notes for everything. For example, for Polity, Laxmikanth is very structured. The topics are well-arranged and to the point, so she chose not to make notes for it. On the other hand, for Modern History, she felt Spectrum was a little too scattered and thus she made concrete study notes from it.

How many Mock Tests do I need to take?

Sarjana asks you to judge if the test series you are taking covers both static and dynamic parts of the UPSC syllabus properly. If you feel it does a good enough job, stick to it. Do not start taking multiple test series just because others are doing so. Stick to a maximum of 2 test series if you must, but even one standard test series will suffice.

How should I read the newspaper for UPSC?

Sarjana like most other aspirants found herself lost amidst the huge amount of information being served daily in the newspaper. To succeed in UPSC, one must know which news articles are UPSC-worthy. IAS EXAM portal publishes 5 MCQ questions every day based on current affairs. Trying to solve those questions daily helped Sarjana understand how to read the newspaper and what kind of news articles from PIB have value for UPSC.

Message For Aspirants

Try to work hard but not stress too hard. As long as you are sincere and work towards your goals dedicatedly, you will sail through. 

Sarjana wishes all aspirants the very best in their endeavors.

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(Success Story) UPSC 2021 TOPPER, AIR-4 Aishwarya Verma Strategy for Cracking IAS Exams

Aishwarya Verma has secured the AIR 4th in the UPSC Civil Services Examination, 2021. He is a native of Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. Technically, he is the topper amongst boys. His journey towards the success is not smooth but rather quite struggling. In his first attempt, he couldn't clear the UPSC Preliminary examination. In his second and third attempt, he couldn't qualify the interview stage. Finally, he scored a total of 1039 marks and secured AIR 4th in his fourth attempt. During an interview by PTI, he said

“To be honest, I was not expecting this. Already I have had failures, so this was a surprise for me. Since, my mains exam and interview both went well, I was just hoping my name would be somewhere in the list.”

AISHWARYA VERMA'S EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND AND HIS UPSC JOURNEY

In 2017, Aishwarya Verma completed his Bachelor of Technology degree from Pant Nagar University of Agriculture and Technology, Uttarakhand. After graduation, he didn't take the campus placement and went to Delhi for the preparation of UPSC Civil Services and joined the coaching. He chooses Geography as his optional subject. He says, “I realised that civil services is what I am best suited for, and I am going to enjoy working there only. Why am I wasting time if my goal is clear? This was it and everything fell through.”

In 2020, Covid 19 broke out; he left Delhi and started preparing from home through self study only. In 2019, he also passed the CAT exam and scored 98%. After his fourth attempt; he intended to plan his MBA as an optional career. But after succeed in the UPSC Civil Services Examination, 2021, he said

“I am glad that I don’t have to do that now because that job would never satisfy me. I chose civil services because it gives you an opportunity to do things that are eventually going to make someone’s life better. That itself is a booster for a person like me to be passionate about this job.”

AISHWARYA VERMA'S UPSC PREPARATION STRATEGY

RIGHT GUIDANCE

UPSC is a long journey, sometimes aspirants divert from the right path and this leads to cost of their attempts. Aishwarya believes that in this examination right guidance and direction, both play a very important role in the aspirant’s life while preparing. It can be from any source. Aspirants can take the help of coaching, toppers, selected candidates, teacher's, veterans’ aspirants or to any one.

PREPARE DAILY TARGETS

Aishwarya used to study 12 to 14 hours a day. He advised the aspirants to prepare short term and long term targets and stick to that. Consistency is very important; it will help you to complete the whole syllabus which is quite huge. He mentioned that preparation is your responsibility. Do not delegate the responsibility to anyone. Evaluate yourself from time to time and work on your weakness.

ALWAYS KEEP A "DON'T GIVE UP" ATTITUDE

Preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Examination requires perseverance, determination and your single mindedness. Things may get difficult at several points, sometimes in a day too, He said about him

“My resume was blank. I knew if civil service doesn’t work out, then I might have to struggle for a stable career. I was very confident after my third attempt but couldn’t succeed. That was my weakest time but my parents came to the rescue. They always assured me that I should go ahead, and they would support me in all ways. I also don't give up and believe in myself. I believe that sometimes it takes a long time for your efforts to bear fruit. But you must persist”.

NEWSPAPER AND CURRENT AFFAIRS STRATEGY

Aishwarya kept the newspaper reading at one of the highest priority in his preparation phase. He believes that newspapers help in the coverage of current events for all 3 phases: prelims, mains and interview. In newspapers you always find unique data, case studies and various examples related to UPSC syllabus which helps in your answer writing. But before reading newspaper aspirants must be aware of what to read and how to utilise it in your preparation. He advised aspirants to make short notes from the newspaper in their own language; it helps in the last moment revision. 

MAINS ANSWER WRITING PRACTICE

He advised the aspirants for mains answer writing practice they can refer to the toppers’ answer copies. These answer copies can give you an insight on how to improve marks and on the execution part. Nowadays toppers' answer copies are easily available on you tube, various coaching sites etc.

He also mentioned that aspirants can also get the help of government data such as the Nitiaayog@75 document, economic survey etc. From these documents you can find the relevant data’s which helps you in the mains examination.

Aishwarya advised the aspirants UPSC Is a long journey. Be calm during this journey. In between the studies also take a small break and do what you like. He used to play cricket and chess whenever he took a break from his studies. He said by doing these activities, it lowers the unnecessary pressure. At last Aishwarya said

"Do not give up. Believe in yourself. You will do it. Whenever you feel like giving up, tell yourself I can, I will do it."

Aishwarya wishes you all the best.

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(Getting Started) Last Minute Revision Strategy For UPSC CSE Prelims Exams

UPSC has finally released admit cards and UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination is all set to take place soon. There is a lot of material aspirants now need to keep in mind and successfully apply in the exam. The last-minute revision strategy is the most important step in ensuring that you qualify. To that end, here are the top 7 tips you must follow to put your best foot forward this prelims – 

1. No New Sources

The best advice we can give you is this – do not add new information to your already overcrowded mind. The last few days are meant for revising. Attempting to add intake new information at this stage will only lead to confusion. Instead, revise your own notes once more. Read the year-long recap modules for current affairs published by many coaching centres around this time. They are all you need at this stage of your preparation.

2. Study Topic-Wise

Questions asked in UPSC Prelims are analytical in nature. This means that you need to connect facts from current affairs with the background information you have from studying the related subjects more thoroughly. Revising current and static material by clubbing them under a common umbrella will help you enhance this analytical ability as well as make it easier to recall during the exam.

UPSC, IAS (PRE) Papers Download

3. Set Daily And Weekly Targets

Do not attempt to study everything at once. You need a plan if you are to cover all material at least once. For this, the ideal way to proceed in setting up daily and weekly revision targets. For example, take Ancient History and try to revise every static and current topic under this umbrella in 3 days. Then, at the end of the week, sit and go through all Ancient History topics and phrases mentioned in the UPSC syllabus. Whatever you cannot recall clearly, revise once more.

4. Practice Topic-Wise MCQs

Taking full-blown mock tests at this stage is nor advisable as it blocks 2 hours of your day. Instead, as you complete each topic, try to attempt PYQs from those topics. Most question banks already have PYQs sorted topic-wise. This allows you to test yourself by the UPSC standards and helps build confidence.

5. Use Mindmaps Diligently

Mindmaps are very useful tools for quick revisions. They allow you to interconnect topics and as our brains are conditioned to retain visual memories best, they can be easily recalled in the examination hall. Many coachings publish mindmaps on different areas of the UPSC syllabus. You can also create your own while revising. Either way, use them in order to enhance your retention power.

6. Work on the UPSC Cut-Off

High scores in the preliminary exam might be an encouraging sign, but they are not of much use. When taking mocks, do not get discouraged by aiming for an 80 or 90 percent. UPSC is a standard exam and the cut-off itself is well above average. Pressuring yourself to attempt more questions than you are confident only leaves more room for negative marking. Remember, you only need to clear the cut-off. Your rank will be decided months later by your mains exam.

Revise the best you can, try and stay calm and stress-free, and always have faith in yourself. 

We wish you the best of luck!

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(Success Story) UPSC 2021 TOPPER, AIR-3 GAMINI SINGLA Winning Strategy for Cracking IAS Exams

Gamini Singla has secured the 3rd rank in the UPSC Civil Services Examination, 2021. She is a native of Punjab. She has given the UPSC exam twice, in 2020 and 2021. In 2020, Gamini didn't crack the exam but she didn’t give up after her failure in the first attempt. She was self-studying and preparing at home from 2020 onwards. In 2021, she scored a total of 1045 marks and secured AIR 3rd in her second attempt. During an interview by PTI, She said about her success in the examination, "It is like a dream come true. I have opted for IAS and would like to work for the development of the country and welfare of people". She also credited her father for her achievement. Gamini says her father helped a lot in her studies as he understood what was exactly important for prelims and mains, which helped her save her time.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Gamini graduated from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh in 2019 with a B.Tech in Computer Science Engineering (CSE). She also received a placement offer but she declined because Gamini wants to pursue civil services. She started preparing for the UPSC exam after her graduation. She chooses Sociology as her optional subject.

GAMINI SINGLA’S UPSC PREPARATION STRATEGY

1. READING NCERT BOOKS

Gamini read all the NCERT books from class 6th to 12th. She believes that NCERT builds a strong base. These books should be read before other UPSC standard reference books. She also mentioned that nowadays questions are consistently asked directly or indirectly from NCERT books. NCERT books will help you and provide a clear pathway for your preparation.

2. RELYING MORE ON SELF STUDY

Mostly Gamini did self study for the UPSC Civil Services preparation. She used to study 9 to 10 hours a day. She believes that self study enables students to retain knowledge more naturally than coaching. When you can set up your own pace of study then you know your own strength and weakness better. She further mentioned that coaching may be beneficial in placing you in the right direction, but at the end of the day it is only self-study which can get closer to success.

3. ROBUST STUDY PLAN

When Gamini didn't crack the UPSC exam in her first attempt then she developed a study plan and prepared a unique strategy for her next attempt. Finally, she topped the UPSC exam with AIR 3rd in 2021. She mentioned that start your preparation in such a manner that both prelims and mains portions are covered. Aspirants must have a robust study plan in place with clarity on the syllabus and important subjects to be covered.

4. CURRENT AFFAIRS

Gamini reads the newspaper regularly and sticks to reading one monthly magazine. She believes that newspapers and monthly magazines play an important role in all 3 steps of UPSC examination: prelims, mains and interview.

5. NOTES MAKING

Gamini believes that making your own notes is the best way to prepare. In this way, you are able to evaluate yourself better. One cannot gain success in UPSC civil services examination without preparing their own notes and revising them regularly. She believes in 3 Rs, Read, Revise and Re-Revise.

6. PRACTICE MOCK TESTS

Gamini solved the previous year questions of UPSC exam to get an idea how the questions were asked and what's the pattern of the exam. For prelims she solves as many mock tests as she could, practicing mock tests helps her a lot in the actual UPSC exam.

For mains test series, her main motive was to answer writing practice regularly. Her optional was sociology.

7. USAGE OF ONLINE SOURCES

Gamini took the help of the internet when she didn't understand any topic of any subject, which she could not find in any standard books. She also mentioned that read only relevant study materials because bulks of study materials are available on the internet.

At last Gamini sharing her view with future aspirants

"Along with your hard work, the strategy also plays a very important role. So, reflect on your mistakes, as to why you have failed in the previous attempts. Carve out a unique strategy. You need not follow someone, just have a unique strategy and work hard. There is no substitute for hard work in this examination.”

GAMINI wishes you all the best!

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