Mains 2019 Preparation and Discussion Thread

@Shubzyes yahi kaha maine kuch kaha nahi ja sakta be it essay gs or optional, kayi bar kharab paper me ache marks bhi mil jate hai last year optional paper 2 for me, even good answers do not fetct marks last year gs paper 1 for me.
hence sab ab check karne wale ke hath me.

@paranthapijjaessay ruined chances for many and those who got even 130s 140s last year in essay got in the list, essay was decider amomg top 1000 students in mains barring first 50 60 rest were on par with each other on gs scores and hence essay and for some part high scores in some optional made the difference.
at last interview me marks me bhot variation hai hi.
so these three variables were at work.
jiske dono ya teeno favourable ho gaye wo race me aage nikal gaya

@sat_009mere khud ke 31 number kam ho gaye as compared to 2017. Though, mere toh across the board kam the but essay toh last year kaafi shocker tha for many.

Now its high time to leave the matters of cutoff, marking pattern of past and present etc debate to rest,
its not that its not beneficial but it is more important to focus on life and move on, any discussion above a certain point becomes not of much use,
What we can do till mains result -

1. Follow the newspapers religiously.
2. Gauze your daf thoroughly (this time hobby,interests etc will be part of daf 2, if you want slight changes in those part you can work there too)
3. be urself (meet friends, visit places, sarkari ya private job jo mili hai bhagwan ke daya se uspar thoda focus intetview me ye bhi tp puchemge, read novels which can help in interview prep too)
4. if not very sure of mains result (start preparinh parts where you lacked)
5. be positive (gymmig, meditation, fit india ye sab karte raho)
6. dont worry about result at all.

@sat_009Haan...last yr ki essay ki discussion dekhne ke baad lag raha tha 100 bhi nai ayenge bt ended up scoring 126
Yehi unpredictability bohot tension deti hai

@dr-ahmednaaz8567Above 780. But then 2017 had seen many people score too well in Essay. Ceteris Peribus w.r.t. 2017 not below 780 !

780 means more than 2018 cut off..
I think it’ll be lower than 2018..
750-765 general

@HaeckelAgree.

I didn't qualify for 2018 mains but yeah I could observe a very distinct difference in 2019 mains as compared to last year's papers. Questions required broader perspective, so i feel no-one could've addressed all dimensions adequately, so that's bound to make some decline in cutoff, but I want to ask those who've appeared for mains before as well->is it possible that our predictions of lower cutoffs is just wishful thinking? Because some of the answers that I've come across here show that yes definitely some people did have a broad enough perspective to address the demands of questions, as it goes with UPSC,our competition is not with the ones behind but with the ones ahead of us

I dont think it will go as low as 750-760 going by 2018 marking pattern.. it should be somewhere close to 780s.. and by 2017 pattern i think it would be somewhere close to 790-800. There always are people who write good answers to questions however broad they might appear.. But then all this is a mere guess..i might well be wrong.

@utkarsh_mishrasaid inMains 2019 Preparation and Discussion Thread:

@Neyawnthanks for the clarification.. actually the debate was about the GS1 question about the " causes of food processing being more successful in north west india"..How far do you think one who wrote about states like gujarat and maharastra by including them in north west india is going to lose ?

Honestly,

The marking pattern at UPSC will differ from what you get in any test series. I may have discussed this with some professors, so I can tell you this ( and what I am saying , will be told by any old timer - I am talking about people from humanities who wrote exam in 80s and 90s ) . When asked , you address the question to the best of your abilities, You write North West. But when you do not know, you write about Maha, Gujarat also. It is not bluffing. It is not science.

Do not use the words "wrong answer". Maybe the answer that focuses on NW is more right, and this is less relevant, but its not that it wont fetch you marks. Not one bit.

I am aware that this will attract some criticism here, but this is something that you will realise over the years writing Mains - what works and what does not.

@Chanakyasaid inMains 2019 Preparation and Discussion Thread:

I didn't qualify for 2018 mains but yeah I could observe a very distinct difference in 2019 mains as compared to last year's papers. Questions required broader perspective, so i feel no-one could've addressed all dimensions adequately, so that's bound to make some decline in cutoff, but I want to ask those who've appeared for mains before as well->is it possible that our predictions of lower cutoffs is just wishful thinking? Because some of the answers that I've come across here show that yes definitely some people did have a broad enough perspective to address the demands of questions, as it goes with UPSC,our competition is not with the ones behind but with the ones ahead of us

The cut off for Mains is difficult to predict given that the marking scheme is different every year. There have been years when 360 was a studpendous marks in GS and then there are years when anything less than 430 is poor. If you have attempted most questions, barring 1-2 and have written answers with understanding and with some preparation, you can expect a call - subject to the fact that you didnt screw your Optional paper.

@Chanakya
U have made many assertions and put some questions. I will try to analyse them.
First is regarding broader perspective required in this year's paper...true it may be but fact is also that insights, vision set their questions based on previous year papers...which impact our perception of those papers as we get familiar with them. ..whenever there are questions on unexpected line it appears difficult to us and when on expected line like 2016, 2017 increase in cut off...This year it was on unexpected line as UPSC took coaching institute to task
2nd is regarding lower cut off....prediction of lower cut off is generally not a wishful think as in mains 2018 or prelims of last 3 years but dip is generally not to the extent people predict...The predicted cut off which make us all happy and comfortable at forum is generally less than actual cut off because of simple laws of competition...
3rd..The answer that people choose to post are generally one well written by aspirants and not in all 20 questions..no matter how conceptual or factual a question is someone in this great country would definitely be able to address it properly but it neither has impact on cut off nor on their selection which depends on performance in all 117 question plus two essays.

@Neyawnexactly ; I find it rather funny when ppl here say that you’ll get zero marks for this content and this much for this

@Neyawn
Many have written anti defection law, age, insolvency, infirmity of mind as ground for disqualification under RPA question. Won't it be a wrong answer? Or do u expect some marks?

@dr-ahmednaaz8567thanks doctor saab for taking out time for such a thorough reply. Hopefully we'll all sail through this hurdle

@Neyawnthanks sir

@Chanakya
We shall overcome...

@dr-ahmednaaz8567less marks is as good as no marks due to cut throat competition

@ChanakyaDon't trust anyone.People tend to write those answers here which they have written well.Nobody can write 20 awesome answers.
There is difference of more than 100 marks between rank 1 and rank 100,so u only need decent answers.Read prajit nair's answers and his blog and u will realize u don't need exceptional answers.
I have also written some expectional answers with examples ranging from peppy paneer pizza to avengers movie to pink and kabir singh movie.
If I post them here u will believe my answers are all awesome,but no they are not.
So chill,if you have completed papers,written decent(not awesome as posted on forum) answers ur name will be in the list among 360 people.