Why detailed solutions are not provided with SFG Tests?

A lot of candidates have been asking us as to why detailed solutions are not available with the SFG Tests.

A lot of you are disappointed too. We understand.

However, the SFG has been designed in a manner keeping a few key goals

• the candidate reading basic books and newspaper is rewarded on a daily basis
• multiple revisions of the basic book is completed way ahead of time – as much as possible
• the program has to be affordable.

We also get mails from lot of student saying that if no solutions are given it becomes solving random MCQs

First, when 80-90% of the questions are from the book, and if a candidate is unable to answer question them – there is a serious problem in preparation strategy of the candidate. It cannot be the case that questions are asked from basic book – you are told in advance which chapter questions will come from – so these are clearly not random questions.

By all means your goal should be to revise multiple times and get at least book based direct questions right. This task should be completed by Feb , so that you start revising your syllabus by then.

Second, we want you to go back and look at the books and find out where you are missing out. The SFG does one thing – and that is make you thorough with the basic books and concepts. Some people complained that looking at the book wasted 2-3 hours at times. The point is – we want you to waste time looking into the books. We do not want a situation where our SFG students dont know what is there , and where it is in even in the basic books!

A candidate also mailed us saying that it was easy for them when Plebiscite, Referendum, Recall was explained in the solution – as in the question it looked confusing! Also, he said he was not able to locate it in the book!

This is bad. You are preparing full time, and you cannot NOT know where it is in the book.

Please do waste a few hours re-reading the chapters from the books. We want you to waste that time in the books. be thorough with that.

Thirdly, knowledge is gained in levels and iterations. We do not want a situation where you are not going back and reading the text a second and third time and now you have added a new source – ForumIAS Detailed Solutions -and now you are reading the same content from two different sources. You must see the same things again and again from the same place so that it is frozen in your memory.

Fourthly, clearing the Prelims is about two things – Knowledge Base and Problem Solving Skills. The KB you are already developing by reading text. The problem solving skills you will acquire by solving questions , making mistakes, going back and seeing why you made the mistake in the first place . And how you can break from this cycle.

Fifthly, we again, believe that after every test, if you have spent ‘x’ time in solving the paper, you must spend ‘2x’ time in analyzing the paper and making sure that you do not repeat the mistakes that you made the first time.

Lastly, the Prelims is a little different from Banking and SSC examination . Here a certain level of acuity is required.  In the CSE prelims, we do not have a ten thousand MCQs ( which is popular in Banking and SSC examinations  ) where you do one book and you are done . The Prelims will require a bit more than that.

We sincerely believe that if you follow the program with all rigour , you will be a different person altogether in the coming months.

Enjoy the journey!

ForumIAS