Important: Admissions for New Batches of MGP+ and MGP 2017 are now OPEN. The Program will commence after the Prelims Exam from July 1, with Orientation Scheduled on June 24.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PLAN DETAILS IN PDF – MGP Schedule A – 10th December

Click here to enroll in MGP+ ( 25 GS Tests + Essay ) | Click here to enroll in MGP ( 25 GS Tests )

ForumIAS will be conducting a Mains Guidance Program for 2017. The Primary Focus of the Program will be

• Covering the entire syllabus via a Test Series in a disciplined manner before Mains 2017
• Providing vital inputs and feedback to improve answer quality and possible scores through experienced Mentors
• Aiding Students in Preparation across all stages of preparation through Email, Telephonic and one to one support
• Designing the Test Schedule in a manner such that it will be possible to prepare for both Prelims & Mains together

We have broken the syllabus in small doable parts that can be covered in a week. After a week, candidates can appear for a Test on the topics. This will

• help in checking their preparation on the topics mentioned on a timely basis
• get feedback and marks on the paper they have written via email and telephone
• cover the syllabus in a disciplined manner, which is otherwise difficult
• become aware of issues and questions on the topics being prepared. This is especially useful for those who have just begun. Timely tests help you understand what to focus on while studying.

We have designed the MGP 2017 with inputs and feedback from MGP 2016 Students. The key things we will try to accomplish is

• ensure that students cover/touch upon the full Mains syllabus at least once before the Prelims
• GS Paper 1 is covered in a holistic manner before Prelims through 8 Test on GS Paper 1. This ensures that candidates do not waste 2 months on GS Paper 1 next year between Prelims & Mains
• the Tests calendar is designed such that syllabus common to Prelims and Mains is tested in Feb – March by when everyone should start preparing for Prelims
• Major Part of the “Mains-only” syllabus will be covered by January-February mid itself.
• Students have access to Mentors who will aid and guide them all throughout the preparation phase.

• There are two versions of the Program : MGP & MGP+ ( MGP Plus )
• MGP has a total of (a) 25 Tests – having 17 sectional Tests that will be released before the Prelims Examination (b) 8 Full Length Tests released after the Prelims Examination. The last 4 Simulator Tests will be conducted as per UPSC Timings on two consecutive days.
• MGP+ ( MGP Plus ) has a total of (a) 30 Tests – having 17 sectional Tests that will be released before the Prelims Examination (b) 8 Full Length Tests and (c) 5 Essay Tests released after the Prelims Examination. The last 5 Simulator Tests ( GS – 4 Papers + 1 Essay ) will be conducted as per UPSC Timings on three consecutive days.
• Supplementary Notes on Topics of Relevance to the Mains Examination will be provided.
• Quality Improvement Sessions & Feedback sessions with ForumIAS Mentors will be conducted in classroom and telephonically

The Test design is based on the feedback from our MGP Students of 2016 – some of whom are serving officers in Indian Revenue Services and Allied Services and joined us for rank improvement.

There were some of the common things that they told us

• The preparation for Mains must begin before Prelims and at least one iteration should be completed.
• Papers like Ethics and GS – 1 , which become a big burden to cover between Prelims & Mains must be covered as much as possible in December – January
• candidates must spend December and January-February for covering Mains syllabus and the Time after March must be dedicated for Prelims solely.
• Essay must be included in any Mains Test Series unlike MGP 2016 where Essay was not included, and some of them ended up not practising a single essay 🙁

Based in their feedback and participation , we went for this program design where we have classified the Topics in a manner such that

1. Interrelated topics of same paper or even different paper to be covered together to provide a holistic idea for a given topic.
2. The topics relevant for “mains-only” are covered earliest So that they do not become a pain point in the later date of your preparation.
3. The Tests are designed so that the Prelims and Mains preparation is synced as Prelims approaches closer
4. The quantity for topics are such that it can be easily covered on weekly basis. Your static portion will be complete in 3 months at a fast pace with 4-5 hours of study on a daily basis.
5. The First Tests are half Tests of 125 questions and 90 minutes duration , which will easy to attempt and complete and will help complete the syllabus and get assessment from mentors.

The current affairs portion of MGP will be supplemented by Mains Marathon program 2017. Candidates are expected to attempt questions of the Mains Marathon in a notebook that will create a repository of Important Issues all throughout.

The Test Plan is designed to achieve 3 times revision of the full syllabus for candidates appearing for Mains 2016.

Each answer booklet will be reviewed and evaluated by ForumIAS Mentors, who have relevant experience with the Civil Services Mains Examination. Relevant feedback on making improvements will be provided.

ForumIAS will be assisted in this initiative by several members who have scored well in the successive examination . Several members who have secured good ranks and marks after making changes to their strategy will also provide inputs for the same.

Tests will be released on the Test Portal and in the Classroom on Saturdays, as per calendar. It is expected, but not mandatory that students write the Tests between 11AM – 1 PM on Saturday. Post Test discussions can be held in the second half of the day.

Candidates can enrol for the Mains Guidance Program (MGP ) through the Payment Links at the bottom of this document. After enrolment, they need to create an account on forumias.academy.

Tests will be released on the Test Portal on Saturdays, as per calendar.

The students will

• Download the QCA Booklet and print it and attempt the Test on it.
• The Attempted Paper should be scanned by a scanner or Mobile Phone using the Camscanner app and sent to ravi@forumias.com
• It is recommended, but not binding that students write the Tests between 11AM – 1 PM on Saturday.

Discussion videos of the Test will be uploaded on the Test Portal within 2 weeks of conducting the Test.

Students can write the Tests anytime after the Release Date. This means that the Tests that they miss can be completed anytime till 2 weeks before the UPSC Mains Examination.

There is no boundation of completing a certain number of Tests before Prelims

However, in calendar month, candidates will be entitled to assessment and evaluation of upto 5 Test Papers. Beyond 5 Test Papers, it will be on the availability of Mentors.

This is because of in the last week, candidates write 2 Tests everyday – and send 12-15 copies in a time span of 1 week, just 2 weeks before the exam.

With just 2 weeks for the exam, it is impossible for us to give us an honest feedback and point out any lacuna simply because

(a) a poor feedback right before the examination serves no purpose.

(b) There is no time for the candidate to implement the feedback. Changes to writing style are not overnight and require 2-3 Tests at least to implement.

This defeats the purpose of the Test Series itself.

Secondly, sending 8-10 copies in a week ends up compromising on the time we can give to candidates who write Tests on a timely basis.

ForumIAS prioritizes candidates who appear for the Tests on time.

We have scheduled the Tests on Saturdays so that working candidates can attempt the Tests on Saturday or Sunday. Discussion Video will be made available within 2 weeks of the Test. You will have access to Mentors via email and can request for a call back.

MGP+ ( 25 GS Tests + 5 Essay Tests ) Rs. 18000+ Service Tax = Rs. 20,700 – Payment Link – Click here

MGP ( 25 GS Tests Only ) Rs. 15000+ Service Tax = Rs. 17250 – Payment Link – Payment Link – Click here

Already existing students of the ForumIAS Prelims 2017 Test Series ( both Online & Offline ) can enrol for the MGP and will be entitled to a discount of Rs. 2000 for both MGP and MGP+ ( GS + Essay )

Please use the discount code EXISTINGSTUDENT when you use the payment links above.

In case you want to enrol for both Prelims & Mains Test Series, you can first enrol for the Prelims Test Series and then enrol for the Mains Test Series by using the discount code EXISTINGSTUDENT for the payment links above. Please do not hesitate to reach us at ravi@forumias.com if you have any queries.

Note that there is no difference in fees in joining MGP online or Offline

1. Please enrol via the payment links provided above.

1. After making the payments, please create an account in our test portal http://forumias.academy and we will add the MGP 2017 Course to your account. In case you face any delay, please email us at ravi@forumias.com

3. The tests will be uploaded in our test portal http://forumias.academyas per test calendar and you will be notified for the same through mail.

4. If you want to write the test online, download the question cum answer booklet, write the test physically, scan your answer-sheet and send it to ravi@forumias.comfor evaluation.

NOTE: While mailing your scanned answers to ravi@forumias.com, the Subject line must contain Name – Roll no. – Test Code – Date of submission. The scanned file should also follow the same naming convention. Evaluated copies will be mailed back within 15 days of submission.

5. If you want to write the test offline, come to our test-centre* on the day of the test. You will be given QCA booklet to write the test. After attempting the test, submit your answer sheet in the test-centre itself for evaluation.

NOTE: Your QCA/Answer sheet must contain your Name, Roll No., Test Code and Date of submission. You will receive your evaluated copy in pdf format. You can collect the original physical copy from the centre on the date of next test.

6. If you cannot attempt the test on the day it is conducted, you can write the test any day after that at a time comfortable to you. This applies for both online as well as offline mode. However, it is recommended that you sit for the tests on time to avoid backlog and lagging behind. Especially for offline students, it is recommended that you write the Test on designated dates with other candidates to get the examination feeling.

NOTE: Evaluation will be on a first come first serve basis. Papers submitted on time will be given priority in evaluation over papers submitted late.

7. In order to make sure that evaluation quality is up to mark and evaluated copies are sent to respective students within 15 days of submission, students will be allowed to submit at the most 6 tests in a month for evaluation.

NOTE: ForumIAS Mentors will prioritize Students and copies that are regular. In a month, there will be maximum 6 copies of a particular student that will be evaluated. Beyond it will be upon the availability of Mentors. This does not necessarily means that copies will not be corrected, but merely the fact they will not be prioritised.

8. Our Mentors can be reached over email for guidance, queries and other test-related assistance. A call back can be requested over email to discuss your paper one to one.

9. For any queries, please reach us at ravi@forumias.com to get a quick reply. Alternatively, you can call Shantanu at +91-8800631116