Do ' s and Don ' ts For Prelims 2019

The moment that you have been preparing for over the past year has finally arrived. The 2nd of June, 2019 is not just any date on the calendar, but it is one on which you can script the course of your destiny by giving your best in the Indian Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2019.

Here is a quick run-through of things you should be mindful about just before and during the examination.

Things that you should do:

Stay Calm:

Remaining calm in the days leading up to the examination can help immensely in ensuring that you remain calm on the day of the examination as well.

Keep all your essentials handy:

Take a printout of your hall ticket well in advance and do not leave it till the last day.

Apart from this, carry along a valid government ID Proof, analog wristwatch, a few pencils, along with an eraser and a sharpener. Also carry along a couple of ballpoint pens (black & blue).

Check the route to your Examination Centre:

In case you are unfamiliar with the route that you need to take to your examination centre, try visiting the centre a day before the examination to check the travel route and the time it would take to reach there.

Eat Light:

In the days leading up to the examination, try eating light.

However, don’t change your meal habits drastically. Instead, you can divide your meals into smaller chunks and snack in intervals during the course of the day.  A good addition would be fruits and vegetables.

Revise More and Study Less:

There is no point reading something that is absolutely new to you. On the other hand, revising something that you have studied before would yield greater benefits.

Flip through an Atlas to take a break:

Try relaxing by flipping through the pages of an atlas. One can easily expect a few  questions in the Prelims Examination which are based on maps. Trying going through some of the important places in the news from a current affairs perspective. For example, ‘The Straits of Hormuz’, which has been in the news recently, highlighting its importance from an Indian perspective in the wake of U.S. sanctions on Iranian exports, including oil, on which India is dependent.

Have food that is prepared at home:

This is a time during which you should avoid food that is prepared outside. You wouldn’t want to suffer from an upset stomach at this crucial juncture.

Things that you should avoid doing:

Studying during the hours that are uncomfortable to you:

Some of you might be used to the idea of studying late at night, while some like to prepare during the day. However, since the exam would be conducted during the day, it is better that you get adjusted to a “day routine” as early as possible. This will help avoid the risk of you feeling drowsy when your concentration is needed the most.

Allowing negative thoughts:

Avoid thoughts that are negative and self-defeatist, for example: “What if I don’t clear the Prelims?”, etc.

Worrying about what your friends have studied:

Avoid asking your friends about what they may have studied or may not have.
This would create needless anxiety that you can do without.

What you must do on the day of the examination:

Do a quick reading of the paper:

Do a quick reading of the question paper first and check whether all the sheets have been printed correctly.

Attempt at solving the questions that you are sure about:

You can use the strategy of elimination to mark the questions that you are unsure about. However, use this method in moderation and only as a last resort.

Capitalize on your time:   

The manner in which you spend your time between the GS and the CSAT paper is also extremely important, i.e. the period between 11:30AM and 2:30PM on the day of the examination.

Instead of discussing the GS Paper with friends and family members, it is advisable that you relax a bit and go through the important formulae and methods that you have learned which can help crack the different sections of the CSAT paper. Although the CSAT paper is only qualifying in nature, one must not take it lightly.

At the end of the day, please remember that this is only an examination and regardless of how you perform, you shouldn’t feel demotivated in any shape or form.  

We from the entire team at BYJU’S wish you great success in the Indian Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2019. Your efforts are bound to bear fruit- keep faith and believe in your abilities.

All the very best!

Important Note:

We will upload the answer key to the prelims papers 2019 on 2 June at this link below:

UPSC Prelims 2019 Answer Key (GSI & CSAT)