UPSC IAS TOPPER, Saurabh Dixit
UPSC Mains Strategy
AIR 162, CSE 2016
First Attempt, No Coaching
This Article is a Part of Series of Articles written by Saurabh Dixit who has secured AIR 162, CSE 2016 with self study in the very First Attempt.
Answer writing
As I had said earlier, if this your first attempt, don’t worry about answer writing.
Focus on finishing the syllabus first.
You first need to know what contribution did Netaji and Gandhiji had in our freedom struggle to attempt a comparative. You need to know what air mass is before you write about it’s role in affecting micro-climate. In a nutshell, I believe if you know it, you can write it, if you don’t – writing skills won’t save you.
Format of answers: after my pre-exam, I joined mains test series Test series(s). Always take them as self assessment. Take the schedule as a guide to finishing the syllabus on time. It helps you develop a habit of sitting for three hours and write like a generalist. The scores in test series do not reflect your chances of success in CSE. Period.
Be least bothered about underlining, highlighting, paragraphs or points etc. Just write what you know. Be lucid, legible and innovative. Always stick to the point. Bang on!
Another important thing – there’ll always be 10-12 questions (out of 20) that you can score best in. Don’t lose out on them. 4-5 questions will be like you have a general idea, a tangential concept – yet you’ve to attempt it. However, do not bluff in those. Just write 100 words, if you know 100. (I did this in GS Paper II and have got 103, so you can trust me or not). And for some questions like McBride commission, etc just don’t bother. Nobody knows it. You can’t bet your selection on questions like these.
These are fodder for people who think CSE is a lottery, let it be. Just be cool in the exam.
Many a time students form an opinion of the exam just by looking at first few questions. Avoid that temptation. The exam is same for all. Be positive about it. It helps.
So what did I do after August 7?
I took rest for a couple of days, made a plan. I made a list of topics important for mains that I had not revised (for e.g., world history). Now, I knew I was good at GS part or rather the static part of syllabus. I knew all I had to do what practice tests, write few essays, keep an open mind, be imaginative (helped me score 150 in Essay) and learn Sociology by heart.
I did as per the plan. Read Yojana, Kurukshetra, Economic Survey, IYB (chapters like Agriculture), revised NCERT History books several times and so on.
More important in this phase is to remain positive but not overconfident. Revise multiple times. Period.
Clues to the main(w) exam suggest U in UPSC doesn’t stand for Unexpected:
DD Kisan (yes, I looked at theYouTube playlist while preparing agriculture for GS III) was showing programs on PMBFY. Pre exam had question on PMFBY. And GS III had a 12.5 marker on PMFBY. Surprise anyone?
CSE 2015 had a comparative on Gandhiji and Babasaheb. Our PM released archives on Netaji in starting months of 2016. CSE 2016 had a 12.5 marker n a comparative between Netaji and Gandhiji. Surprise anyone?
CSE pre 2016 had a question on Vijaynagar. CSE main had a 12.5 marker n Krishnadevaraya – the ruler of Vijaynagar – surprise anyone?
CSE 2015 had a question on insolvency bill. (This should have made you go through important bills, even coaching institutes started including it in their current affairs material). CSE 2016 had a 12.5 marker on prospects and challenges on inland waterways ( a bill declaring national waterways was passed in the same year). Surprise anyone?
The whole point is, most questions in CSE are expected and can be guessed, if you’re all in the game. I was, and it helped.
Above all, keep following things in mind. Don’t get lost in petty details. Always have the macro picture in mind.
Be quick in analyzing and develop habit of good presentation.
– Saurabh Dixit, AIR 162
(“ForumIAS is the best platform to help students in today’s era”, says the UPSC Topper)
Mains Scorecard
Below is the Mains Scorecard:
Note:
Next GS Mains Test Series for UPSC CSM-2017 on 17th August, 2017. Click Here for more details.
Thanks a lot ! Looking forward to the sociology article !
Welcome.
Worth waiting article.
Destroyed various myths.
Thanks a ton.
Congratulations for your “smartly” earned success.
Thanks
Sir please please share the optional sociology strategy without coaching and booklist.. please it will help a lot for students doing by selfstudy
Sure. Expect it soon
No offence to the writer, but the article is not a general opinion or a strategy but only what worked for him.
Having been in this cycle for some years now, I can clearly say that the day you start finding patterns in the exam, only luck can save you.
The writer has been modest, and doesnt mention the hard work he has put in behind this. Getting 289 in sociology is not some months preparation, but a genuine thorough preparation.
I agree with the insistence on content for first timers( and not so much on presentation)
Hence, to all other aspirants like me who are still waiting for their chance, please stop following these ‘words of wisdom’ blindly. Devise your own strategy and pray to God for that luck (if u are a believer).
PS. I know this might come as a shocker to some that how can a person, who has not even cleared mains be sure about all this. But trust me, I have had 2 years of this ‘gyan’ by toppers now and it hasn’t worked a dime. What they say works for them and is not a generalisation
You’re right. Even I declared in the beginning of my first post that I am writing this article to help people clear the exam in one go, mostly first timers.
And certainly, strategy and execution are very dynamic. However, every student should play on his strength.
And i don’t claim this is the only, or the best strategy. Sole motive is to share my experience. May God be with you, and you clear the exam.
Do share your experience with students then. All the best 🙂
Plz do share optional strategy too…..
Especially on thinker parts.
Soon
Thanks Forum for this article
Welcome rinki.
Simple straightforward n said about those approaches which can be easily done by any aspirant !! Thanks ForumIAS u give concise n organised material to the point n timely available on your platform unlike insights.
Welcome.
you are a smart guy (y)
Yes!
sir please give us the strategy of your sociology preparation
[…] Read the Part-3 Here […]
Thanks, it is of great help. Since you didn’t score very well in interview, can you tell us something about it.
Thanks a lot! This was very useful. The emphasis on hard work was a good reinforcer throughout.