Preliminary Examination – is it a bumpy ride?

Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination is proving to be a road-block for many; don’t agree, ask any aspirant just appeared in the Preliminary Examination.

Simple and straightforward nature of the new-look Prelims makes it tougher as more and more candidates get chance to score.

Stiffer competition, lesser number of vacancies and past few years’ cut-off emulating a sine wave and all this makes scene more challenging leaving aspirants confused about the success-plan for Preliminary Examination.

When a fresher commence preparation for Civil Services Examination, Preliminary Examination is the first hurdle they look at.

Even for those taking next attempt, Preliminary Examination is a trial-zone, particularly for those it has proved to be a stumbling block on previous occasion.

As candidates look at syllabus and previous years’ papers, the sense they make out of these is that it is easy and can be handled within 2-3 months and a reasonably good performance can be expected.

As such, simple and straightforward nature of the Preliminary Examination makes it tougher since more and more candidates get chance to take advantage of the circumstances and score high marks. At the same time, strategy to prepare with NCERT Books and newspaper reading candidates are gaining confidence and able to tackle it more effectively.

But, it is not as straightforward as it seems

UPSC is known for unpredictability and that reflects in each edition of Preliminary Examination.

So, to say it is within my reach; the only thing that decides your fate is your performance. Not everyone do justice with preparation and even if you prepare well, it all depends on practice and deep understanding. 

You have to prepare effectively to face the twists UPSC is going to present in coming Prelims 2020.

It is simple to ascertain the level of stiff competition at this level as you are competing with lakhs of other candidates; but, it is difficult to measure fellow candidates’ level of preparedness as you don’t have any idea about their knowledge, level of preparation and exam-skills.

You have to have competitive edge over others if you have to stay in the race. It has become necessary to look at Preliminary Examination seriously and cracking it, so that you get a chance to show your calibre in the Main Examination.

Moreover, it is difficult to evaluate your own preparedness without assessing your knowledge and awareness level. Here comes the role of Test-Series and Mock-Tests to assess your preparedness and where you stand.

That is why we have been constantly reminding you about the importance of integrated preparation, role of practice and being aware of techniques for facing objective-type tests.

What to do for Prelims 2020? 
If you have not started yet, commence serious preparation for Civil Services Examination 2020.

Already on the job; all you need is to keep your confidence level up and remain consistent with preparation.

Your preparation-plan should be such that it effectively covers the complete syllabus and practice makes you proficient in handling Preliminary Examination effectively.

Mind it - don’t look at Preliminary Examination alone; having prepared for General Studies with Main Examination orientation will give you an edge.

Your approach has to be restructured and from the day one, you will have to take your Main Examination related requirements in to consideration as it will make managing preparation easier.

In the completely new environment, you have to prepare optional subject effectively even before you look at Preliminary Examination requirements. After Prelims, you are not going to have much of time as you will get around three and half months’ time to prepare for Main Examination.

All the best!