With roughly a month left for the UPSC prelims exam, IFS officer Ramesh Bishnoi, who cleared the prelims five times in a row, took to X to share a quick guide of dos and don’ts to
efforts in this crucial phase.
The IFS officer suggests aspirants resist the temptation of buying new study materials coming into the market. “Multiple revisions of what you’ve already covered will be far more effective. Read, revise, and test is the ultimate mantra,” he says.
Ramesh advises aspirants to take as many mock tests as possible in this time frame as this is their chance to identify and eliminate mistakes before the actual exam.
“Analyse test solutions sincerely. Make online/offline notes of new useful information, key concepts, and especially your mistakes. This will be an invaluable resource for last-minute revision and boost your confidence. I preferred making online notes,” he says.
The IFS officer says that not everything in mock tests is equally relevant. “Based on past papers, prioritise questions, information, and concepts that have a higher chance of appearing. Avoid wasting time on irrelevant details,” he adds.
“Analyse the previous 10 years’ question papers. Many questions and concepts are repeated. By practising PYQs (Previous Year Questions), you can significantly improve your score,” he says.
IFS Ramesh opines that a strong understanding of core subjects and concepts like polity, geography, and economy will yield high returns on your invested time. “With strong basics, you can easily tackle applied questions,” he adds.
The IFS officer mentions that the UPSC loves surprises. So, it is better to take all India mock tests from various coaching centres to get exposure to diverse question patterns. “This will help you stay calm and composed on exam day, even if the format throws a surprise,” he adds.
Edited by Pranita Bhat
Having cleared the UPSC CSE Prelims five times in a row, and the IFS cutoff four times, I've learned a thing or two about navigating this exam and tackle mammoth syllabus. With just a month left, here's a quick guideto do's and don'ts for last-month prep. (1/n)
— Ramesh Bishnoi IFS (@bishnoirk_ifs)
1. Do not buy every new study material
The IFS officer suggests aspirants resist the temptation of buying new study materials coming into the market. “Multiple revisions of what you’ve already covered will be far more effective. Read, revise, and test is the ultimate mantra,” he says.
2. Test, test, test
Ramesh advises aspirants to take as many mock tests as possible in this time frame as this is their chance to identify and eliminate mistakes before the actual exam.
3. Learn from every test
“Analyse test solutions sincerely. Make online/offline notes of new useful information, key concepts, and especially your mistakes. This will be an invaluable resource for last-minute revision and boost your confidence. I preferred making online notes,” he says.
4. Prioritise quality over quantity
The IFS officer says that not everything in mock tests is equally relevant. “Based on past papers, prioritise questions, information, and concepts that have a higher chance of appearing. Avoid wasting time on irrelevant details,” he adds.
5. Consider previous year questions as gold
“Analyse the previous 10 years’ question papers. Many questions and concepts are repeated. By practising PYQs (Previous Year Questions), you can significantly improve your score,” he says.
6. Focus on core subjects and concepts
IFS Ramesh opines that a strong understanding of core subjects and concepts like polity, geography, and economy will yield high returns on your invested time. “With strong basics, you can easily tackle applied questions,” he adds.
7. Practise diverse question patterns
The IFS officer mentions that the UPSC loves surprises. So, it is better to take all India mock tests from various coaching centres to get exposure to diverse question patterns. “This will help you stay calm and composed on exam day, even if the format throws a surprise,” he adds.
Edited by Pranita Bhat