Why am I not able to clear the prelims exam? This is a question that many aspirants have time and again asked themselves. Despite burning the midnight oil, making numerous sacrifices, IAS seems to be elusive for many. However, there are numerous reasons for not being able to clear UPSC Prelims. Sometimes it is a lack of required effort or time or understanding and sometimes there are certain unexpected factors that can affect an aspirant’s preparation.
Looking for study material to prepare for the upcoming Civil Services Exam?
Refer to the links below and complement your UPSC exam preparation: |
Tips to Clear UPSC Prelims
There are certain things that an aspirant must do to prepare himself/herself for UPSC Civil Services Exams. Sometimes we neglect important things and these may lead to unfavourable outcomes. Therefore, find below a list of vital components that are essential to prepare well for the UPSC Prelims preparation.
- Revision:
Revision is key to preparing well for the UPSC prelims examination. If you don’t revise, you won’t remember the facts or statistics. UPSC is a highly competitive exam, in order to ensure that you remember all the important information, you should revise multiple times. How many times should an aspirant revise? There is no ideal number but you should be able to revise 3-5 times or even more if you are unable to recall the information. You have limited time in the examination hall and sometimes the prelims paper may be lengthy, therefore during such a stressful time in the examination hall, only the magical wand of revision can help you out!
- Previous Years’ Question Papers:
A guide that UPSC provides to every aspirant is the previous years’ question papers. If you go through the previous years’ question papers, you will be able to understand the exam pattern, the nature of questions, and what is important. You should go through at least 3-5 years’ old question papers.
- Mock Tests and Past Papers
It is important to write mock tests in a simulated environment. Writing tests will not be enough, you need to get it evaluated. Analyse your mistakes and weaknesses, and work on them.
- Use Standard Books
UPSC Civil Services exam syllabus is vast. Therefore, try to limit your resources. If you use relavantand limites resources, you will get enough time to revise before the exams. NCERT books are very important for UPSC aspirants. Kickstart your UPSC preparation with NCERT textbooks and then move to other study material.
- Educated Guess and Analytical Ability
Many times candidates may know the answers of only 50% of the questions in the UPSC prelims exam. In such cases, a candidate has to eliminate wrong options by making educated guesses. You need to develop this analytical skill and this is possible only when you give mock tests and analyse the paper well. Over a period of time, you will get better at the art of making educated guesses and improve your UPSC preliminary exam scores.
- Remembering Facts and Statistics
In order to remember important data and statistics, you have to revise frequently. You can use ‘active recall’ methods to retain information for a long duration of time.
- Be Consistent
Consistency is the most important aspect of UPSC Civil Services preparation. UPSC aspirants must work hard and be consistent when it comes to studying, revising and giving mock tests. If you have not been able to clear UPSC prelims yet, then do not get disappointed. Try to add the above mentioned components to your study plan and follow it well. Have patience, learn from your mistakes and have faith in your abilities. Ensure that you do not get distracted and completely focus on the UPSC exam preparation.
Related Links
Comments