Strategy for UPSC Prelims

 

Introduction

UPSC CSE 2023 prelims is on the horizon and everyone is shifting their focus to prelims preparation. The key to cracking prelims is in understanding the fact that prelims altogether require a different set of skills and strategies. You can either try your luck every year like most of the aspirants do or you can follow a strategy suitable to you to develop the required skillsets and give a strong attempt. The decision is yours.

We have seen people scoring 120+ for prelims.

How do they do it?

Is it just because of the content? If yes then all the repeaters would have cleared prelims, right? But that is not the case. Then what makes them stand out from the rest?
An above-average aspirant can solve a maximum of 20-25 questions with 100% accuracy just from their knowledge, plus another 10-15 more with their basic elimination skill and assumptions.

We need to develop some advanced elimination skills to clear prelims comfortably. Some have it inherently and they clear the prelims with minimal effort, others have to work for it.

How do we develop the skill if we do not have it? How can we study the content?

Read, only if...

• You are ready to work hard and smart 
• You can be consistent enough to follow the timetable

What strategy do I follow?

I follow a 30-30-20-10-10 days strategy. {Since more than 150 days are left for prelims 2023, feel free to modify according to your preparation level( eg. 60-40-30-20 )}

Let me walk you through these cycles.

How to make a timetable ? Click here 

First Cycle - Content Developing

I usually make a timetable in the first cycle to cover the entire syllabus. You can divide the days according to your preparation level. Some take 5 days to finish Modern India, and some need more than that. Suppose you have 8 days for modern India, Try to finish it in 6 days and spend the remaining days on the mock tests. Try to do 3 mock tests per day.

How to do a mock? Click here

Since you are doing the modern India test after learning it, you may get good marks. You will be able to recollect the points because you have them in your short-term memory. Don't be complacent. But the point is you have to be through with the subject. If you are doing 6 mocks in two days, you will be going through 600 questions with different topics and that will be enough to cover the subject comprehensively.

Do the same for the remaining subjects. (Study a subject and do mocks for the same subject) Depending on the length of your cycle you should be doing around 40-50 mocks. The content part will be covered and you will be left with 2/3 of the revision pending.

Second cycle - Skill Enhancing

Now, you have to shorten your timetable. If it was 50 days first cycle then this cycle should be of 40 days.

During this cycle, you have to do mock tests daily. Suppose you are learning Modern India, do a mock of any other random subject, for example, Environment.It might be difficult to recollect everything from Environment you studied in the 1st cycle but trust me, on the day of the prelims you will be able to recollect only this knowledge. Also, don't be disheartened if you score fewer marks than the 1st time. Next day, do any other subject. So you will be taking mocks randomly every day.

The reason why we do random subjects daily is to test our real knowledge. Also, you will do question papers of different patterns. So you may get tense, but that will help you on exam day.

How to enhance the skills ? Click here 

Third Cycle

Same - Shorten your timetable and continue to do mocks randomly. Practice-Practice-Practice

Fourth Cycle

Same !!!
(+ Start doing Full Test)

By this time, you will be thorough with the content and skill. And prelims will be around the corner.

Try to attempt open tests conducted by different institutes (Offline). It is important to get accustomed to the exam hall atmosphere. Doing a test in your reading room/hostel and doing the test in the exam hall is completely different.