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A student asked his teacher, “What is Greed?” The teacher said, “In order to answer your question, go through the chocolate factory next to our school and pick the one chocolate you like the most. But there is a rule. As you pass through the factory, you can not turn back. You must pick the chocolate as you go forward only.”
The student went to the chocolate factory. As he walked through, He saw the one chocolate wrapped nicely, he instantly liked it but he wondered that he may find much bigger one further. So, He walked further, then he saw another chocolate. But again, he thought the same. When he started to reach near the end of the factory, he couldn’t see any chocolates as big as the one he didn’t pick earlier and started to regret his decision of letting it go.
Finally, he gave up. He went back to the teacher with an empty hand and gave an explanation of what he did.
The teacher told him, “You did like the one chocolate very much but still you kept looking for a bigger one. And later you realized that what you let go off was the best chocolate you could find there. That my dear is called Greed.”
Moral: We let go of many good things in our life because of our greed of having even better things. Our Human Nature is such that we always want better and better. But in the search of better, we let go of many good things which could have given us similar satisfaction and made us happy. Learn make your choice wisely.
Que. Capital punishment is retributive justice and its effectiveness in curbing crime is contested. In this light, critically examine the need for continuance of capital punishment in India. (250 words) -AMIT SINGH (A MEMBER OF TEAM AAP IAS)
Approach:
Give a short explanation of the term Capital punishment as retributive justice.
Critically examine the Need for continuance of the capital punishment.
Give a way forward.
Introduction:
Capital punishment as theory of retribution justice focuses on the offence committed and just treatment of the individual, rather than prevention of crime. It asserts that blame is made effective through punishing persons who deserve unpleasant consequences on account of some wrongful act that they intentionally and willingly did.
Provision of Capital punishment: Article 21 of the Indian Constitution ensures the Fundamental Right to life and liberty for all persons. It adds no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.
Body Need for capital punishment—
Appropriate Punishment is Imperative for Security in Society.
Deterrent effect of death penalty is one of the basic arguments forwarded by the retentionists.
Public opinion is in favour of the death penalty for certain heinous crimes, such as terrorism, rape, murder etc. The SC has reserved capital punishment for such ‘rarest of rare’ crimes only.
Present day society has not yet matured for this reform (removal of death penalty) and the community has not yet ripened to that stage.
In Dhananjoy Chatterjee v. State of West Bengal, the Supreme Court ruled that “imposition of appropriate punishment is the manner in which the courts respond to the society’s cry for justice against the criminals.
A critical examination of the need for continuance of capital punishment in India:
Ambiguity of rarest of the rare cases: In Jagmohan Singh vs State of Uttar Pradesh (1973) the Supreme Court affirmed the constitutional validity of the death penalty and should be awarded only in the “rarest of rare” cases. However, the judgments do not provide a clue as to what constitutes the 'rarest of the rare cases.
No evidence of its effectiveness: Scientific studies have consistently failed to find convincing evidence that the Capital punishment deters crime more effectively than other punishments.
Fallibility of Judgment in case of Capital Punishment: A judgment given by human beings based on evidence produced in courts, the possibility of human error cannot be ruled out. As human justice remains fallible, the risk of executing the innocent will never be eliminated.
Death Penalty discriminates between the privileged and the underprivileged: Justice Bhagwati in Bachan Singh’s (supra) case pointed out in his dissent that death penalty strikes most against the poor and deprived sections of society who cannot afford a competent lawyer.
Long delay in execution: Extensive delay in the execution of a sentence of death does not serve any kind of purpose and is sufficient to invoke Article 21 and demand its substitution by the sentence of life-imprisonment.
Reformative approach: Supreme Court has taken the view that “Reformative approach to 'punishment should be the object of criminal law”.
Moral Grounds: By allowing death penalty morally nothing is achieved except more death, suffering and pain. If the social values really mean that killing is wrong, then the society must abolish death penalty. Death penalty legitimizes an irreversible act of violence by the state.
Way Forward-
The Law Commission of India in its 262nd Report (August 2015) recommended that death penalty be abolished for all crimes other than terrorism related offences and waging war.
Measures like police reforms, witness protection scheme and victim compensation scheme should be taken up expeditiously by the government to prevent lapses and error in granting of capital punishment.
There is an increased rhetoric for capital punishment for rape, heinous crimes against women, trade and trafficking of women and narcotics. Such arguments for provisions of death penalty have strong rationale on moral and social grounds.
It must be retained for incorrigibles and hardened criminals but its use should be limited to the 'rarest of rare cases.
The courts may make use of death penalty sparingly, only in certain offences, with considerable grounds for justification of capital punishment.
Rank: 01
Optional subject: Mathematics
Medium: English
Native place: Jaipur, Rajasthan
Education Qualification:
• B.Tech with Honours in Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay - 2014
Parents Occupation:
• Father : IAS Officer, Rajasthan
• Mother : Homemaker
Coaching taken:
• GS – Vajiram and Ravi, Delhi
• Mathematics – IMS, Delhi
Marks:
Prelims:
• Paper -1 : 106
• Paper -2 : 147.5
Mains and Personality Test:
My Journey:
• Most of my schooling was done in Kota, Rajasthan, a city well known for its IIT and
NEET (then PMT) coachings. Being good in Mathematics and having an aptitude for
Science, I naturally got attracted to engineering (and IITs) for graduation.
• I appeared for the IITJEE examination in 2010 and secured AIR 44. I opted for IIT
Bombay for its all-round career options and Computer Science as my branch due to my
interest in the subject plus the opportunities which were present in the sector.
• My father had recommended UPSC as a career option to me right since my childhood.
After my graduation in 2014, he again asked me to appear in the UPSC examination.
However, I always wanted to explore multiple options before making such a pivotal
decision in my life. I had secured a job offer from Samsung Electronics, South Korea. Itwas an amazing opportunity for me to get exposure outside India and also explore the
private sector - an offer which I accepted.
• I moved back to India in 2016 and started working in a private firm in Bengaluru.
Although UPSC was an option always lingering in the back of my mind, I never gave a
serious thought into it during this period (September 2014 - April 2016).
• It was only after I had spent 7-8 months in Bengaluru, that I started contemplating
more seriously about my career. Comparing my life outside India and then in India, I
felt there is much work that needs to be done in India and as an individual, I can also
contribute towards it.
• Having seen my father work, I was aware that if I join administration I could create a
more meaningful impact. Civil Services provides one an opportunity to work in a
diverse set of fields and be more satisfied with the work that one does.
• I discussed with a few officers with similar background about their experiences in
administration and would it be a better career choice for me. I also got an opportunity
to work in the US for a couple of months and later got a Masters admit from a US
university (in April 2017). But my experiences abroad made it clear to me that I want
to stay and work in India. Instead of preparing with a half-hearted attitude, I
preferred to first make it clear in my mind as to why I wanted to prepare for UPSC and
after nearly 5-6 months of deliberation, I finally decided to prepare for UPSC.
• I had heard about the uncertainty and difficulty of UPSC. Moreover being away from
studies, especially humanities subjects, I was aware of the challenge I was throwing
myself into. However, I had clarity as to why I want to appear in UPSC and this
challenge didn’t feel that big. In fact, I was excited to learn more about subjects like
History and Polity. Also, I decided to give only 2 attempts. If it was meant to be, I
would clear the exam in 2 attempts and if not, I would move on from it.
• In May 2017, I quit my job to fully focus on UPSC. I moved to Jaipur and started
researching what and how I needed to prepare. I read a few topper blogs to see what
needs to be done and then fixed the target for appearing in Prelims 2018.
• One of the 1st tasks I did was to finalise my optional as many toppers had focused a lot
on its importance. I went with my strength, chose Mathematics as my optional and
decided to make it my main-pillar(or X-Factor) in my preparation. After researching a
little, I set a target of scoring above 350 in Mathematics. I knew if I score 350+ in
optional, I would easily get into the IAS.
• In the meantime, I got in touch with a couple of my batch-mates from IITB, who were
also starting their preparation for UPSC. At the start, I was apprehensive about moving
to New Delhi for preparation (as I liked to study alone in the comfort of my home).
But in the company of my friends, I decided to move to New Delhi and join coaching
for streamlining my preparation. Given I had only 2 attempts in mind, I tried to find
ways to maximise my returns in the 1st attempt itself.
• In June 2017 I shifted to New Delhi and joined Vajiram and Ravi for yearlong GS
coaching for Prelims-cum-Mains and IMS for Mathematics coaching.
• In the initial 4 months, my full focus was on finishing the optional syllabus and have a
basic minimum coverage of GS along with daily current affairs from newspapers. By
October 2017, I finished 90% of my optional and then shifted fully on GS preparation.
• My GS preparation was always Mains oriented. I read the syllabus, saw Past Year UPSC
Questions and prepared for each subject accordingly using a minimal resource list
comprising of NCERTs, a single standard book, and coaching notes. For 2.5 months, my
full focus was on GS and current affairs.
• In January and February 2018, I decided to revise my optional one last time before
focusing fully on Prelims preparation, which I started in March 2018.
• In April 2018, I shifted back to Jaipur after the classes got over and started self-
studies. During March-May 2018, I prepared solely for Prelims (to be held on 3 June
2018).
• After the prelims, I took a week's rest and then started my main preparation. For 1
month until the result of prelims was out, I focused on revising my optional and
refining my answer writing skills. I knew whether I clear the prelims or not, this phase
was very important for overall preparation and focused on maximising my efforts.
• After the prelims result were out, I started revising my GS subjects and appeared in a
test series (8 full-length tests). I focused more on revision instead of picking up new
sources to read.
• The Mains finished on 7 October 2018 and I decided to take a month’s rest. I stayed in
touch with the current affairs through daily newspaper reading. Post my GS papers I
wasn’t much confident about my performance and result. But I knew optional was my
X-factor and I was a little upbeat after a good optional paper in Mains. So my overall
feeling was quite positive about the Mains result.
• After the results for Mains were out (on 20 December 2018), I started my Personality
Test preparation. I appeared in a few mocks and prepared my DAF thoroughly.
• The Personality Test was scheduled for 6th March 2019. After the PT, even though I
tried to focus on Prelims 2019, I couldn’t do so because of anxiety and curiosity about
the result. There were mixed feelings - I had a hunch that if everything works as per
my plan I would clear the examination but at the same time I wasn’t sure about my GS
marks. Having appeared in Mains for the 1st time, there wasn’t any surety of the
marks given the paper is subjective.
• It was 5th April 2019 when the final results came out and I was shocked and a little
relieved to have cleared the examination in my 1st attempt and get into IAS. AIR 1 was
just a cherry on top of the cake for me. To be honest, I still haven’t processed or
realised the magnitude of that achievement yet. I am just happy to see the positive
returns for my 1.5 years of hard work and having realised my dream in the very first
attempt.
• The final result showed me that if the desire is real, motivation strong accompanied
by consistent hard-work, then everything falls into place. The examination might be
considered one of the toughest to crack, especially in the 1st attempt but impossible
is nothing. And it’s just not me, there are multiple first attempters to have cleared
this examination.
• Hopefully, in years to come more and more people would be able to realise their
dream of clearing this examination with the minimal number of attempts.
• The last few months have been quite relaxing - I fulfilled the promise I made to myself
at the start of my preparation and went on a month’s travel. After that, I have been
just relaxing at home and awaiting the start of training at LBSNAA. To be honest I
haven’t seen many pics of the academy or training process which many previous
toppers have shared. I wanted to keep my LBSNAA experience completely new and
that’s what excites me a lot about it!
• In the future lies the start of something new and challenging. I hope to undergo a
wonderful training process and then get on with the work. Hopefully, I will pass the
test and meet the expectations of everyone - me, my parents, my family and the
people of this country - as an administrator.
Message for newcomers:
• You have made a lot of sacrifices to prepare for this examination. If not someone else,
just be true to yourself and remember why you want to come into civil service. More
than subject knowledge, UPSC tests the psychology and emotions of aspirants a lot. If
you are clear in your head, nothing can stop you from cracking UPSC.
• Do not fall into the trap of fear-instillers and rumour-mongers. Believe in yourself and
your hard-work. People will say a lot of negative things like it can’t be done in the 1st
attempt but they all just want to bring you down. This exam is perfectly doable in one
attempt. You just need to be a little strategic and smart with your studies. It does
require a little bit of luck on the way but it only comes to your way if you have worked
hard.
• Be consistent and do not reduce the intensity. Go hard in the initial 4 and last 4
months and save energy in the middle. Treat it like a marathon. If you prepare well in
the first 4 months and finish your optional early, you are all sorted for the mains
preparation.
• Do not worry about going to New Delhi or joining any coaching. In present-day and
age, there are ample resources available online. If you can study well in the comfort
of your home, believe me, there is no other place where you can prepare better!
• Be ruthless with your resources and habits. If something is not working just discard it.
It something is working do it again and again. Be less emotional and more mechanical.
• Do not compete with anyone else, your competition is with yourself. If you can
improve daily and be a better version of yourself every day it means you are heading
in the right direction.
• Stay optimistic throughout and journey and believe in yourself. My pillars of success
are “optimism, hard work, and self-confidence”. In any moment of despair, they
pulled me out of it and kept me going. Make them your armour and you can shield
yourself from all negative thoughts and challenges.
• Keep limited resources. In 1st attempt, it is nearly impossible to read each and every
resource. Keep a clear focused strategy that suits yourself. Do not mimic someoneelse. If you see a topper has read 5 books, you also need to keep in mind the number
of attempts he/she took for reading those many books. Guidance is needed but be
critical and filter out those opinions which do not apply to yourself.
• At last, I would just tell you that UPSC is not everything in life. Open yourself to the
outside world and see what opportunities lie in front of you. Do not focus on the
result, instead, just enjoy the process. Even if you do not clear this exam, you are
going to learn a lot and become a better person. Just live in the present, focus less on
the results and do not think far ahead in the future. If you do so, you will get the
result you deserve.
• Best of luck! :)
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Blog: demystifycse.in
Civil Services Examination conducted by UPSC has three stages – Prelims, Mains and Personality Test (PT). The ranking of a candidate in the final merit is decided by IASMainsexam and PT. And between these two, Mains exam is most critical for the simple reason that it constitutes nearly 86% marks of the total marks (1750 Marks out of total of 2025 Marks).
IAS Mains Exam stage is most important from UPSC’s perspective since this is where not only a candidate’s knowledge is tested but also skills and abilities like comprehension, analytical skills, clarity of thought, written expression, time management etc. The Mains exam give a candidate an opportunity to showcase his knowledge & skills and also gives an assurance of getting reciprocator reward as the marks obtained are proportional to the efforts invested. Another highlight of UPSC Mains exam is that irrespective of quality of an answer, it will still be assessed and evaluated.
Having said that, it is equally important for a candidate to know the challenges posed by Mains exam. While most of the students feel that it’s a mental challenge, however, the challenge is also physical and psychological. Each of the nine papers of Mains exam is of three hours, conducted twice a day over a period of five days.While the mental challenge is surmounted with good knowledge, physical (physiological) and psychological challenges needs one to undertake extensive answer writingpractice. Prudent aspirants go an extra mile by even creating the exact same conditions of exam hall while undertaking tests within environs of their homes like sitting for three continuous hours without water and washroom breaks, sitting in a room with availability of only ceiling Fan, switching off air conditioners etc.These things might appear to be not so relevant nevertheless these are important too. If one undertakes IAS Mainsmock tests at the same time of the day as per UPSC schedule, it will definitely help candidate to get physiologically and psychologically ready as well. With repeated practice your mind and body will acclimatize to perform at its peak during those hours.
We have talked about evaluation of skills of a candidate above. Before we move ahead in our discussion let us understand little more about skills which are essentially required. This might sound academic but it is important to know.
Two kinds of skills which are tested in the IASMains examination are:
a)Cognitive/ Reasoning Skill:
This can be defined as the ability of an individual to perform various mental activities most closely associated with learning and problem solving. Cognition mainly refers to things like memory, the ability to learn new information, speech, understanding of written material. Humans have a capacity for cognitive function once born, so almost every person is capable of learning or remembering. The idea of Mains exam is to judge the cognitive ability of a candidate by posing a series of questions to measure level of consciousness, memory, awareness, problem-solving skill, motor skills, analytical abilities, and other similar concepts. Without this skill, a candidate will only be able to write mugged up answers in the exam and would fail where the analysis is required.
b) Linguistic and Writing skill:
Writing is a medium of human communication that represents language with signs and symbols. No one is born with this skill but it’s an acquired skill. Not everyone is blessed with excellent command over language and the ability to pen down with the required eloquence however, with practice this skill can be honed.
Now, let us discuss about what will enable a student to succeed in Civil ServicesMains examination.
ANSWER WRITING TIPS FOR IAS MAINS EXAMINATION
Comprehension of question/ Question interpretation
First and the foremost, it is important to understand the demand of the question clearly. Reading the question twice is a good habit. This obviates the chances of any confusion or misunderstanding a question. Various directives given in the questions e.g. Elaborate, Discuss, Critically Analyze, Explain etc. need attention as it would give direction to how you would frame your answer. For example, in questions with “critically analyze” directive, you will need to elaborate on both the sides i.e. the positives and negatives; the Pros and Cons. Before putting the pen on paper, give yourself 15-20 secs to structure the answer in your mind.
2. Structure of answer
“Introduction, Body, Conclusion” format is one of the tried-and-tested approach of writing an answer. Introduction should not be more than 10% of your answer. Avoid writing lengthy introductions as this would eat into the actual meat of your content in terms of space and time. Body is the part of your answer where you put maximum focus to show that you have understood the question well and you have the acumen and knowledge to answer it. Conclusion is equally important aspect of your answer. At times, it does get under-valued. However, this is the part in your answer which would leave a positive or negative impact on the evaluator. This is kind of a summary of your complete answer. So do not leave it. Conclusion should always be optimistic, forward looking, non-critical and suggestive in nature, wherever required.
3. Quality of argument/ answer
Quality of arguments is central to getting good score. It is important that one must prioritize the points and write the best ones at the beginning. Remember, examiners have years of experience and unequaled proficiency in their respective domains. They can easily see through the depth of knowledge in the first few lines of your answer itself. Hence, it is important that most relevant and substantial points / arguments are given first.
4. Use of Diagrams, Flow Charts, Hub and Spoke Model, Maps, Quotes
Although it is not necessary to include them but their judicious use can do lot of value addition to the answers. These are good substitutes for lengthy sentences and do help in breaking the monotony of writing for the student and monotony of reading for the evaluator. We can call them “embellishments” which can make your answers look more attractive, interesting, different and help you stand out from the crowd. Make smart use of Maps to say more in less.
5. Use of Data and Statistical Data
Use of Data/ Statistical Data to substantiate your answer is a pretty good way to impress the evaluator. However, don’t force their inclusion in every answer. There has to be a judicious mix of facts and figures. Remembering Stats in the first go will not be easy, but as you go along and revise and practice, your mind will start recalling. It will be wise to remember data which can be utilized in multiple papers, has multiple usages. This can be classified as multiple use data like population figures, GDP data, Demographic data, Resource data, Findings of Economic Survey, budget data etc.
6. Adherence to word limit
One needs to strictly follow the word limit prescribed in each question. More so, since UPSC has started penalizing candidates who do not adhere to instructions. Stipulated word limit does not mean that one has to write as much! In fact, if one writes answer as per word limit (150 words for 10 marks questions and 250 words for 15 marks questions) in all questions, mathematically this would amount to writing about 4000 words in three hours i.e. 22 words per minute! There are high chances of running out of time. Thus restricting word limit to 135 words (10 marks) and 225 words (15 marks) should be enough. In any case, writing full words 150/250 should not be done at the cost of quality of answer.
7. Time management
Most important! For better and effective time management it is vital to do a little analysis. There is no disputing the fact that 15 marks questions are more important than 10 marks questions. If one writes a hasty and/or poor reply in a 15 marker, obviously loss will be more compared to writing a poor reply in a 10 marker question. Further, if there is a situation of time crunch, it will be far easier to reply to 10 markers. So, in nut shell, it will be better that 15 markers are attempted first.
Also, identification and categorization of Easy, Moderate and Tough questions will further help a candidate in making up mind on which questions are to be attempted first.
8. Miscellaneous Tips
a) Read exam instructions carefully. There could be a change in the pattern of exam and marking scheme. UPSC is known to change things to keep aspirants on their toes.
b) Quickly glance through the entire question paper. This would give you a rough idea about the difficulty level and also will help you in making up mind on which questions you want to attempt first.
c) Tackle the easy questions first. This will give you confidence and it will surely reflect in the ensuing answers.
d) Split the question into multiple subparts wherever required and address them in sequence. In case the question itself has been framed into subparts, address all the subparts and don’t forget to highlight them. Proportionate weightage should be given to all subparts as far as content is concerned.
e) Do not write paragraph type long sentences. Breaking them into short to-the-point sentences is better. At the same time avoid writing one/ two word points.
f) Presentation of answers should be neat and hand writing legible. Proper indentation and alignment is important. Have proper spaces between words and lines.
g) Highlight or underline key words in your answers. However, don’t overdo or else you might end up highlighting complete answer.
h) On the day of exam, before leaving for test centre, write for 15/ 20 mins to warm up your hand.
We hope that this blog has been helpful for the IAS aspirants. For more details click here
UPSC Exam comprises of three stages – Prelims, Mains and Interview. Amongst these three stages, the Mains Examination is the most vital because it comprises nearly 86% marks of the total marks (1750 Marks out of total of 2025 Marks).
In the Mains examination, the candidate is to choose one Optional Subject from the UPSC list of 26 Optional Subjects. Each Optional Subject has two papers of 250 Marks each thereby making about 30% of Mains Exam (500 Marks out of 1750 Marks). A candidate is free to choose any of the listed optional subject irrespective of his/her academic background.
optional subject for upsc exam
In this blog, we will discuss the important points which you have to keep in mind while selecting an Optional Subject and they are as follows: –
1. Academic Background & Interest Area: –
You can easily identify the subject in which you have a keen interest by going through NCERT books of 11th & 12 th Standard. If you go through the syllabus of the Optional Subject, then also you can get a fair idea about the subject which interests you. It is extremely important that the choice of Optional Subject be made consciously and diligently. For instance: –
(a) If you are from Commerce stream then you can choose between Commerce & Accountancy, Economics, Public Administration and Management.
(b) If you from Engineering domain, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Civil Engineering are tailor made choices offered by UPSC. An Engineering graduate also has the flexibility to choose between Maths, Chemistry or Physics
(c) For students of Medical Science, UPSC offers Medical Science as an Optional Subject.
(d) Students from Science background have many choices to opt from e.g. Botany, Zoology, Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology and Chemistry.
2. Is Optional subject connected with the General Studies syllabus: –
Some of the Optional subjects like Public Administration, Geography, History, Sociology, Political Science, Economics have a component in the GS Syllabus and hence form part of General Studies (GS) papers. Choosing one of these subjects gives an added advantage of covering GS syllabus while preparing for Optional.
3. Whether coaching is available for the chosen optional subject or not: –
Yes, there are many coaching institutes which enable Civil service aspirants to follow the correct strategy for preparing for Optional Subject. Each institute has its own domain expertise based on the faculty they have for the optional subjects. There are very few institutes which offer coaching in subjects like Anthropology, Philosophy, Animal Husbandry, Agriculture etc. Therefore, an aspirant will have to largely depend on self-preparation in such subjects. On the other end of the spectrum, most of the institutes offer coaching in subjects like Public Administration, Political Science, Geography, History, Economics, Psychology, Sociology etc. These subjects are more popular because of syllabus overlap with the GS papers.
You need to identify a coaching institute which has good reputation and proven results of the past. You may ask your friends, family, associates or research yourself over the Internet about which are the Best IAS coaching institutes to teach your selected optional subject. Updated study material from the most reliable coaching centre along with classroom coaching can accelerate your preparations.
4. Result of Optional subject from the past three years : –
A candidate’s performance depends upon many parameters It would be imprudent to choose an Optional Subjest just based on past results. However, for the sake of academic interest, one can check the results which are available on Internet.
5. Strategic Time Management : –
Time is the most important resource for anyone! Preparing an effective and efficient time schedule and self-discipline in adhering to the schedule is an essential prerequisite for achieving success in any exam. Importance of time management for one of the most difficult entrance exam in our country needs no further emphasis. Civil Services exam preparation requires a continuous and effective effort and a balanced routine. To cover the syllabus, plan should be made after truthful self-assessment of own strengths and weaknesses. One should cater for time required for revision and practice through Mock tests. It all melts down to having an effective, practical timetable and its diligent adherence.
We hope this blog is helpful for all the IAS aspirants. To know more aboutAAP IAS Option.
If you study the success rate of the Civil Services Prelims Exam, you would notice that around ten lakh aspirants (according to the UPSC in 2019), who filled the form and around twelve thousand of them got a chance to appear for the mains exam. Statistically, this will lead to a success rate of just 1.2% only. Even if we consider the candidates, who actually took the prelims exam, which is around 5 lakhs (rest of them did not feel confident enough to appear for the exam and chose not to waste their precious attempt) only, the success rate in the civil services prelims exam won’t go over mere 2.4%. In simple words, out of every 100 candidates, 97.4 candidates WILL NOT get chance to appear for the mains exam. You might be feeling this is tough considering the fact that CSEPrelims is just a qualifying paper, conceptualized by Kothari Commission way back in 1979, to filter the serious aspirants for the mains exam.
Anyone who is serious about the UPSC Civil Services Exam and wants to become an IAS or an IPS or an IFS (or in a generalized term, a civil servant) must understand that Prelims exam is the first frontier that you must conquer. We must also assure that this is not easy and you have to put your best foot forward to achieve this goal. A good prelims test series is a very potent tool that can help you in achieving success. The point is how to short list the test series that is right for you. In order to understand this, first understand what you would need to score 110+ out of 200 in the prelims exam (going by the cut-offs that we have seen in the last 3-4 years).
Let us first understand what would you require from a test series that can help you in clearing the prelims exam with ease.
a) Completely revising the NCERT books for Prelims:
Every year those who clear the Civil Services Exam underline the importance of NCERTs in preparing for the Civil Services Exam. However, very few aspirants take this advice seriously. Most of them feel that when we are covering standard reference books like Lakshmikanth and Savinder Singh etc then there is no need to cover the NCERTs. Nothing can be further from truth as we have seen many times in the last so many years that NCERTs hold the key to success in the IAS Prelims exam. You need to go through them very exhaustively. At the same time, you need a benchmark that can help you understand how well have you gone through. A good test series must pay due attention to the NCERTs and you should keep this as one of the important selection criteria for the prelims test series.
b) Covering all standard reference books for UPSC IAS Exam:
Most of us know that the preparing for the Civil Services Exam would require you to cover everything under the sun (of course guided by the syllabus). At the same time, you need to rationalize your resources for your preparation. We have observed that there are some standard sources which have been used by the UPSC for creating the prelims exam paper. You should go through these books and understand through regular testing about your level of preparedness. So, coverage of all the standard source must be the second criteria for shortlisting a test series for you.
c) Learning and testing should be linear and progressive in nature:
All of us learn things progressively and this is the right way to prepare for the exam. At the initial stage when you go through the basic books, the tests should focus on concept building and revision. As you move up the ladder of learning, the tests should become more comprehensive, analytical and linked to the current affairs of the respective subject. Let’s take a simple example, if on the day one of Kindergarten class, a toddler is made to understand the famous plays of Shakespeare or Kalidaas then it would help no one. A learning cycle has to be well defined. It should be progressive and should help you understand the requirements of the prelims exam in a balanced manner. This (Progressive learning through topic tests, thematic tests and Full Length Tests) should be your next important criteria to choose the right test series for you.
d) Coverage of Current Affairs for IAS Prelims exam:
Current Affairs has emerged as the most important ingredient for brewing success in the exam. Before we move further, let’s understand how current affairs is important. Quantitatively, in the last 3-4 years, more than 50 percent of the questions in the prelims exam were from the current affairs. At the same time, qualitatively, these questions are asked as part of subjects like Polity & Governance, Economic Development, Environment, Ecology and Biodiversity etc. So, the current affairs have to be studied in such a manner where you can backlink them to the subjects/topics mentioned in the syllabus and spill over subject. Over and above this, you have to ensure that you cover current affairs of about 17-18 months prior to the exam. So, anyone who is going to appear for the exam on 31st May, 2020 should cover current affairs from January 2019 to May 2019. Choose the test series which helps you in covering the current affairs qualitatively and quantitatively.
e) UPSC Prelims Test Simulation:
The objective of any good prelims test series is to prepare you for the actual examination conducted by the UPSC. Keeping this in mind, test simulation is very important as the prelims exam is not only a test of knowledge, it is also a test of nerves. A good test series should make you feel that you are attempting the actual test through its coverage, distribution and difficulty. It is important that the difficulty level of FLTs should be at par with the Prelims paper. It should be neither less nor more. So, choose a test series which helps you identifying the level of the paper and makes you practice on the parameters mentioned above.
f) Flexibility and Frequency of Tests:
It is very difficult to come to a perfect number of tests in the test series that can help you in preparing for the exam. However, considering the level of competition and length and breadth of the subject, it is advisable that you appear for the test every week starting from now. Gone are the days when people use to start preparing for prelims from the January and February. You have to start from today and attempt sufficient number of tests before you take up the actual test. Moreover, the test series should give you the flexibility to choose when and what topic you want to study first, second, third and so on.
g) Identification of Knowledge gap:
The greatest blessing of a test series is that it helps you in understanding your knowledge gaps while covering important topic for the exam. The journey is simple, you prepare a topic, attempt the test and you check how well you have done vis a vis actual competition. This gives you a window of self-assessment and this will help you to do better and better with each test. A good test series through its detailed analysis and exhaustive solutions help you in covering all important things that you must know as a serious civil services aspirant.
We hope that above points will help choose the right test series and make the most of the coming prelims exam. All the best!!!
