(IAS PLANNER) Preliminary Examination
(A) Preliminary Examination | Objective Type/Multiple Choice Questions
The preliminary exam is the first stage of the whole
examination process. The very nature of the exam is to screen to select to the
next level of exam that is mains. It is seen that approximately four lakh
candidates appear for the Prelims but only less than approax fourteen thousand
made it to the Mains. The introduction of the Preliminary Examination was
introduced to weed out non-serious candidates and select those who are
deserving.
Preliminary Examination is an objective type (four alternatives for every
question) exercise meant to serve as a screening test/qualifying paper only. The
exam is usually held in the month of May every year and it consists of two
objective type papers which carry a maximum of 400 marks These included:
- Paper 1. 100 questions based on General Knowledge were asked, each carrying two marks and,
- Paper 2, 80 questions based on Aptitude Test were asked.
Except for Question Nos. 73 to 80 in the General Studies
Paper II, all the questions both papers had negative marking. For each wrong
answer, 1/3 mark were deducted from the total scores of the candidate. Trend
nowadays has shifted more towards current issues, hence a thorough awareness of
recent events/happenings is mandatory.
Papers |
No. of Questions |
Marks |
Duration |
I. Paper 1 |
100 |
200 |
2 Hours |
II. Paper 2 |
80 |
200 |
2 Hours |
Total |
180 |
400 |
|
Those who passed the Preliminary examination are only eligible for the next stage of the examination. The Preliminary exam consists 400 marks but the marks obtained in this level examination by the candidates will not be counted for determining their place in the final order of merit.