The Prelims !

Introduction

This article is written by Aranyak Saikia, who secured AIR 59 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2019. The UPSC CSE Prelims is known for being highly unpredictable and is a critical elimination stage where over 97% of candidates are eliminated.

Preparation Approach

Unlike many candidates, I began my prelims preparation early, around the end of 2016, due to my academic schedule and a strong desire to avoid being among the eliminated candidates. My strategy has proven effective, as my scores in the past two years have consistently exceeded the cutoff.

Syllabus Overview

The prelims syllabus includes various subjects such as Current Events, History, Geography, Polity, Economic Development, Environmental Issues, and General Science. A thorough understanding of these topics is essential for success.

Recommended Books

For effective preparation, I recommend the following books: Spectrum’s 'A Brief History of Modern India', Laxmikanth for Polity, NCERT Geography textbooks, and various resources for Current Affairs including newspapers and monthly magazines.

Study Tips

Mastering the syllabus requires multiple readings of important texts, practicing previous years' question papers, and staying updated with current affairs through daily newspaper readings.

Regular revision and practice are crucial for retaining information and improving performance in the exam.

Preparation Resources

For my exam preparation, I initially relied on The Hindu but later found the Indian Express to be more beneficial, particularly its Explained section, which provides comprehensive insights.

I utilized Vision IAS Monthly Current Affairs, reading it twice each month to refresh my memory on significant events, government schemes, laws, and international matters from the previous month.

Vision PT365 and Insights PT Exclusives offer thorough revisions of key current affairs, schemes, and organizations from the past year, typically released 1.5 to 2 months before the prelims, organized by topics such as environment and social issues. I reviewed these three times before the exam.

Yojana is a valuable monthly government magazine focusing on specific topics, covering essential government schemes, organizations, and laws relevant to that theme.

Insights i-Learning presents various topics that have gained importance in recent years, such as semiconductors and AI, which are likely to appear in the exam.

The Budget and Economic Survey are crucial resources, especially Volume I of the Survey. Summaries of these documents are readily available online and should be sufficient for preparation.

I subscribed to two test series: Vision IAS and Insights on India. However, many other quality test series are available, and it's advisable to choose one or two. Completing at least 100 tests is beneficial for several reasons.

Practicing test series is crucial; while you may not qualify through them, not practicing at all will almost certainly lead to failure.

Intelligent Guessing

Intelligent guessing is vital for the exam, as it's impossible to know every detail. Approximately 50% of prelims questions may cover unfamiliar topics. Avoiding these questions out of fear of negative marking could hinder your chances of passing.

Intelligent guessing combines your accumulated knowledge from UPSC preparation to select the most suitable answer, rather than random guessing.

For instance, in Prelims 2017, I encountered a question about the transfer of lions. Lacking specific knowledge about Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary, I used reasoning: Sariska is a Tiger Reserve, making it unlikely for lions and tigers to coexist. This led me to deduce that Kuno Palpur was the only plausible option.

By applying my understanding of lions, national parks, and vegetation, I was able to arrive at the correct answer through a process of elimination. Although I initially guessed Kuno Palpur, my reasoning was not entirely random.

In another instance from the 2018 Prelims, the correct answer was (b) 1 and 2. I knew that Thang Ta dance originates from Manipur, which helped me eliminate options (c) and (d). Faced with options (a) and (b), I had a hunch that Khongjom Parba festival was also from Manipur, despite not recalling any specific information about it. My exposure to various dances and festivals from Northeast India likely contributed to this intuition, leading me to choose option (b).

While I was uncertain about my answer, I took the risk based on my narrowed-down choices. This method of intelligent guessing allows you to attempt more questions while minimizing risk. I hope these examples assist you in developing your own intelligent guessing strategy, which requires considerable practice. Engaging in test series is crucial for refining this skill.

I am not an expert in this area, but I consider myself reasonably proficient. There are many who excel even further, so it is important to practice as much as possible.

Number of Questions

A common query among candidates is how many questions to attempt during the exam. There is always a balance to strike: attempting more questions increases the risk of negative marking, which can offset the benefits of correct answers. Conversely, attempting fewer questions may result in too few correct answers, leading to missed opportunities.

From my experience, I found that attempting 90-95 questions was optimal. I aimed to answer as many questions as possible, leaving out those I had no knowledge of—typically around 5-10 questions that I could not even approach with intelligent guessing. This strategy appeared effective, as I achieved relatively good marks in the prelims.

GS II

The GS II paper is commonly referred to as the CSAT, or Civil Services Aptitude Test. Although it is not explicitly mentioned in the official notification, it is a qualifying paper requiring only 33% to pass. Despite its lower emphasis, I recommend practicing math and logical reasoning problems, as the English passages can be quite confusing and challenging. I utilized a Tata McGraw Hill book for the UPSC Prelims Paper 2 CSAT and completed a few questions daily in the month leading up to the prelims.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I hope this information enhances your chances of succeeding in the prelims. The strategies outlined are applicable for this year and future years, including those preparing for CSE 2021. I believe that preparation for the prelims should coincide with mains preparation in the initial months, but focus solely on prelims in the final three months. This phase is the most unpredictable and can significantly impact your aspirations.

It is important to note that my approach is not the only way to succeed in the prelims; many successful candidates have employed different strategies. My intention is to provide guidance in a specific direction, and I am confident that you will develop your own effective strategy as you continue your preparations.

Wishing you all the best in your preparations!