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An Open Letter(s) to those who flunk(ed) Prelims

Prelims Flunked - An Open Letter

Update : Open Letter #2 -Click here

Open Letter #1

This years' Prelims was tougher than the past decade - that is a settled debate now.

However, this is a note - some sort of open letter to all those who did not clear Prelims 2021.

First, as much as the dictum - that you are either 'IN' or 'OUT' remains the most relevant fact, what is sometimes missed in the cacophony is an objective assessment of where you stand at the end of your prelims 2021 results.

The Prelims failure is often as humiliating as the Interview low score. You always think there is somethingfundamentallywrong   with you - something beyond correction, and perhaps you are beyond redemption.

This is far from truth.

As a professional or a Mentor I can tell you that what is more important that wheather you are in or out, is what you are scoring, and what is the natural progression from here.

I happened to meet two people, close friends two weeks back in New Delhi - one of them scoring something like 60 and another something like 88. They both had one thing in common - they both had not cleared the prelims.

But the stupidest thing to assume that you belong at the same point in your preparation journey based on the binary result of IN or OUT.

As a matter of fact, for those of you who have flunked prelims, look beyond the facts wheather you are IN or OUT.

And try to look how much you have scored.

Let me explain , and make it more objective. 

If you have scored somewhere in 80s, it is certain that you had a decently good preparation, and in most likelihood if you give about 3.5 - 4 months for Prelims - with a laser sharp focus, you will clear Prelims 2022.

In short, stop crying over the fear of not clearing the Prelims in CSE 2022 also. Those are irrational fears, even if they are deep seated.

Two, make a plan as to how you will balance your GS Mains, Optional & Essay next year, apart from the Prelims. Also you will need to stick to some rules like

  1. 4 Months at least to Prelims
  2. 4 Months ONLY to Prelims and no touching Mains
  3. Studying for 8 hours for the first two months and upto 10-11 hours in the last 2 months
  4. Developing Ability to study under stress, and not resort to binge watching / eating / pron etc, and accepting that stress is a part of the exam process. We have to perform despite the stress.
  5. Solve at leas two coaching Test Papers and revise like a maniac
  6. Expand your reading list, ( but stick to the multiple revisions of Primary sources ) , so that you are able to answer a bit off track questions. You can take a look at the SFG Booklist for reference.

Three, do not put yourself in the category of all those who have not cleared prelims. There are people who have not cleared Prelims this year, but will clear it by all means in 2022. 

And there are people who have not cleared prelims in 2021, and wont clear in 2022 and 2023. You are not the same people. Nor are your study style, commitments, and understanding of the exam, or idea of what constitutes hard work  the same.

Also, there is a massive difference in Attitude itself.

For those who are scoring in the range of 60-85 types, it simply means you have not given the exam the time it requires. You have not done the umpteen revisions that the exam demands. Also, you have not developed the right paper solving strategy, which comes from writing more tests, with the purpose of figuring out how to increase attempts, how to manage time, and where all places has the paper setter asked the question from.

You at best require 5 months of dedicated prelims preparation. 5 months, accounting for loss of 1.5 months to heart break, sardi khansi, nazla, zukaaam, anxiety and depression, and for some people plain laziness and procrastination - which are a different class of diseases altogether.

If you give it 5 months, with 6-8 hours of studies religiously - excluding newspaper and classes and 10-11 hours in the last 2 months, you should be sorted out.

For those who are scoring less than 60, you will need to ask yourself the below questions.

First, was this your first attempt? If the answer is yes, you will do well, and there is often a 60-80% jump in marks, given that first attempt + less than 60 marks simply means not finishing the syllabus and reading the syllabus only once or twice. You will do fine in 2022, if you are cautious, give 5 months to prelims, and go for revisions like a maniac. You should see your score hugely improve.

Secondly, if this is your third attempt or more and you are scoring less than 60, dude, you have not been preparing. The habitual offender that you are, you are liklely to flunk the next prelims as well and the year after. Less than 60 marks after 3 attempts is not about ability to work hard or understanding of the exam.

It has to do with poor study culture and study ethics. By poor study culture and study ethics I mean

  1. Saying that I will something on my own, and not take coaching - and then neither taking coaching, nor doing self study
  2. Saying - Yes I have read Laxmikant, but like a ghost govt employee ( weeding out whom will be one of your key tasks in Civil Service ) who cant answer anything related to his work, you cant answer any questions from there. To find out such people, I often ask two questions. One, Who was the Chairman of the Drafting Committe, and two b) Who was the chairman of the committee for negotiating with States. Most people answer Sardar Patel for (2), becuase they want to guess and not read the damn book.
  3. Not able study for 3+ hours at a stretch, and spend hours dreaming of IAS, or how life will be after they become IAS. They are the ones, who form a majority who provide the 3 crore views to IAS / IPS Entry videos.
  4. Not studying throughout the year, and then doing two things. Six months before the prelims, joining Optional classes / Test Series and 2 months before prelims suddenly realizing that they are not prepared. And then looking for IAS Gurus asking how they can clear the prelims in 2 months, and that they are willing to do "anything" for clearing the prelims. 

If you are a seasonal aspirant like above, and have clocked 3+ years like above, the best and only course of action for you is to go for a rehab.

And by rehab, I mean joining a foundation course, where you see younger people study, and with much more energy, and you feel guilty and you study as well. No amount of guidance can put you back on track. The second way to get out of the rut is to take up something like SFG , right from Level 1, and write it as a Test with twin goals of scoring well and improving learning, and not as a question bank to solve at home. You will be able to break the chain that way.

And those of you who are Type 1, that is getting in 80s and have worked hard this year, for not only 1-2 months, but for at least 3-4 months AND have seen their marks increase from 50-60 to 80+ this year, do not over react to the situation. Give Prelims sometime, you will be through.

In the end remember, this exam is about having a little faith in ourselves, and taking that leap of faith.

You will do okay next year, like 10,000 other people. Do not have a pity party and under estimate yourself, trying to solve a problem that does not exist in the first place.

Remember, competitive examination is also about time and timing. Get both these right, set up and fix your non changing first principles, follow them to the hilt and you should be through for CSE 2022.

Wishing you only success,

and no sympathy 

-

Neyawn

Deepak802,Joeyisthebestand82 otherslike this
51.1k views

48 comments

Deleted

I feel so happy reading some of the comments(hopefully this isn’t time wasting) 

But tbh guys you all are wonderful. 

I don’t have any friends(wrt intellect/similarity). Here I feel you guys are my friends just by reading comments. 

My DECEMBER MONTHS TARGET—>

1)Finish optional(Section A of Paper 1 and half of Section 2 paper 2) 

2) Finish ethics with revision 

3) Finish history and start geography by 16th or 18th Dec max 

4) At least 3 month CA magazine(pending since June) 

5) CSAT daily 1/2 an hour 


I hope to achieve these targets! And I’ll! 

schrute_farms,accio_cappuccino
7.4k views

I feel so happy reading some of the comments(hopefully this isn’t time wasting) 

But tbh guys you all are wonderful. 

I don’t have any friends(wrt intellect/similarity). Here I feel you guys are my friends just by reading comments. 

My DECEMBER MONTHS TARGET—>

1)Finish optional(Section A of Paper 1 and half of Section 2 paper 2) 

2) Finish ethics with revision 

3) Finish history and start geography by 16th or 18th Dec max 

4) At least 3 month CA magazine(pending since June) 

5) CSAT daily 1/2 an hour 


I hope to achieve these targets! And I’ll! 

None of us have too many friends here. We are a bunch of awkward nerds, mostly keyboard heores.

But we have good people here. 

D7,Hawk eyeand9 otherslike this
7.9k views
Really worth reading Sir... Thank you so much...
5.6k views
@Neyawn please recommend how should I approach csat . This time was getting 85-88 in GS but in csat attempted all RCs and it backfired as 16 got wrong in them. Not that great in Maths either. Can you recommend some test series or some programme that's really good for csat with ample amount of tests or should I prepare it on my own
5.3k views

These are the posts I come back to every time I need motivation or reality check or simply to get out of wallowing in self pity.

Thank you sir.

Philosopher94,huck
6.2k views
hi. I gave my first pre in 2021 with almost 8 months of prep (pre oriented , didnt touch mains). If I start focusing on pre from jan (for 5 months) again then mains prep will be left behind and I might fall into that vicious cycle that you had mentioned in one of your posts. I am falling in the 2nd category (60s range). What would you sug  
brook,Preitam
6.2k views

@Neyawn 

I just wanted an honest guidance. I wrote my last comment about prelims 2021 ... getting 84-88 in Gs and being terrible at Csat. My problem is I'm not prepared with my optional Sociology had taken classes for it in 2020 so I know generally about it but since then been too engrossed in finishing off the syllabus and Prelims that couldn't give a proper reading of the standard sources etc in it. 2 attempts are over for me and I'm keeping other exams as backup so I'm actively preparing for other exams and giving them like this month have 2 other exams to give so CSE preparation is not going full fledged as I should have. My query is if you say 5 months is required to clear prelims and I'm not fully prepared with my optional. What should I do then , should I try to get finish my optional somehow my January or should I not give the next attempt. Sincerely I request you to share some of your much required insights

5.1k views
hi. I gave my first pre in 2021 with almost 8 months of prep (pre oriented , didnt touch mains). If I start focusing on pre from jan (for 5 months) again then mains prep will be left behind and I might fall into that vicious cycle that you had mentioned in one of your posts. I am falling in the 2nd category (60s range). What would you sug  

all same for me too. 

4.4k views
@Uyguygyguigiug I sail in the same boat as you


4.8k views

And here I am with 5th attempt and continuous prelims failure, scoring great in Paper 1 (Reserved Category) but flunked in CSAT in 2020 & 2021. Writing GS + Essay (MGP+) in December, Optional Test Series in January & Prelims dedicated preparation from February onwards. @Neyawn Please suggest if this goes well ?


4.8k views

@Mukzy You need to take some classes in CSAT or get a good friend circle and solve CSAT Papers in the winters of Delhi and finish off with CSAT. By Feb you should be brilliant at CSAT.

There was an old member of forum @greymatterrules on discuss, he is now a District Collector in Assam in some Chihang district ( not sure of the name ) . He shared something brilliant with me which I will share with you .

One day, when a student turned up ( greymatterrules was in information service that time, we did not have an offline center, but we decided to do prelims test series in offline mode , we had no staff, so those from forum, who wanted to catch up, i told them to volunteer and help out with prelims paper distribution at a center of another coaching , and he was there to help conduct the prelims exam ), s/he said that she was poor at modern history.

And he said - who on earth is poor in history. You could be bad at physics, or maths and may have low IQ and aptitude - even that is surmountable by hard work. But history is a matter or reading and reading. If I revise more than you I become better, if you revise more than me, you will be better.

So see if CSAT is a matter of practice or is the question high funda that you can never be good at it. If it is doable , do it fast.

If I were you, I would do it in Dec _ jan with a buch of friends having only CSAT agenda and problem solving. That way we would hangout as well as achieve something from exam point of view. If I dont have friends who can tell me how to solve, I would take some nearby coaching where I can at least ask how to solve PYQs.

That is all that is.

What I would not do, is exhaust attempts over CSAT. That is a sign of flimsy or non - seriousness, no matter how sincere you are. 

Let us not do this. 

My logic for clearing Prelims is not only because it is a step to becoming IAS. But also because if you dont clear Prelims, you think differently vs a person who who clear prelims ( writes mains and does not clear it ). You think UPSC ( and life ) is completely chance , and you move towards some sort of nihilism - that nothing works. 

Also, when you move ahead in a non-tech career, you will see that nearly everyone has been a UPSC aspirant. And there again the hierarchy will play out - the Inteview appeared guys at the top, the mains appeared below and prelims even below ( I am talking job scenario and not risky ventures such as politics, business, films, journalism etc. )

DM,crikeymateand6 otherslike this
5.9k views
Thank you sir.your articles are really eye opener.
4.4k views

@Neyawn 

I just wanted an honest guidance. I wrote my last comment about prelims 2021 ... getting 84-88 in Gs and being terrible at Csat. My problem is I'm not prepared with my optional Sociology had taken classes for it in 2020 so I know generally about it but since then been too engrossed in finishing off the syllabus and Prelims that couldn't give a proper reading of the standard sources etc in it. 2 attempts are over for me and I'm keeping other exams as backup so I'm actively preparing for other exams and giving them like this month have 2 other exams to give so CSE preparation is not going full fledged as I should have. My query is if you say 5 months is required to clear prelims and I'm not fully prepared with my optional. What should I do then , should I try to get finish my optional somehow my January or should I not give the next attempt. Sincerely I request you to share some of your much required insights

Look, this exam requires a certain time to prepare. Give it that time. If you have not cleared prelims there are two ways to proceed 

(a) focus on prelims, give it 5 months and accept the fact that you may have suboptimal mains preparation and you may need another attempt ( which means studying afresh for mains after the mains - which I have seen that only people who have elder siblings or parents in Civil Services or some very good guidance do ; the rest waste the post mains time ) . Accept that fact and stay away from people ( and coachings including forum )  who tell you what will you do "even if you clear prelims, you wont crack Mains." 

OR 

(b) Take a planned drop ( rather than flunking the exam and taking an unplanned drop with a weakened psyche ) and give 5-6 months to GS Mains ( GS and essay ) and 5 months to prelims.

My point is that when we write an exam - "not clearing it should not be foregone conclusion" - that is you know beforehand itself that you wont clear it because you could not prepare because of time / calendar contraints ) . Your preparation should be such that you have a fighting chance?

DM,TsarBombaand3 otherslike this
5.9k views
hi. I gave my first pre in 2021 with almost 8 months of prep (pre oriented , didnt touch mains). If I start focusing on pre from jan (for 5 months) again then mains prep will be left behind and I might fall into that vicious cycle that you had mentioned in one of your posts. I am falling in the 2nd category (60s range). What would you sug  

@DEVI1997 YOu are 1997 born. You have age on your side ( most prolly ) the vicious cycle isn't flunking the Mains. Its flunking the prelims, which I am more worried about.

With 60 marks, you have not revised the basic books itself

With 80-90 marks, you have revised the basic books at least!

DM,
5.3k views

Neyawnsaid

@Neyawn 

I just wanted an honest guidance. I wrote my last comment about prelims 2021 ... getting 84-88 in Gs and being terrible at Csat. My problem is I'm not prepared with my optional Sociology had taken classes for it in 2020 so I know generally about it but since then been too engrossed in finishing off the syllabus and Prelims that couldn't give a proper reading of the standard sources etc in it. 2 attempts are over for me and I'm keeping other exams as backup so I'm actively preparing for other exams and giving them like this month have 2 other exams to give so CSE preparation is not going full fledged as I should have. My query is if you say 5 months is required to clear prelims and I'm not fully prepared with my optional. What should I do then , should I try to get finish my optional somehow my January or should I not give the next attempt. Sincerely I request you to share some of your much required insights

Look, this exam requires a certain time to prepare. Give it that time. If you have not cleared prelims there are two ways to proceed 

(a) focus on prelims, give it 5 months and accept the fact that you may have suboptimal mains preparation and you may need another attempt ( which means studying afresh for mains after the mains - which I have seen that only people who have elder siblings or parents in Civil Services or some very good guidance do ; the rest waste the post mains time ) . Accept that fact and stay away from people ( and coachings including forum )  who tell you what will you do "even if you clear prelims, you wont crack Mains." 

OR 

(b) Take a planned drop ( rather than flunking the exam and taking an unplanned drop with a weakened psyche ) and give 5-6 months to GS Mains ( GS and essay ) and 5 months to prelims.

My point is that when we write an exam - "not clearing it should not be foregone conclusion" - that is you know beforehand itself that you wont clear it because you could not prepare because of time / calendar contraints ) . Your preparation should be such that you have a fighting chance?

Thanks@Neyawn  for replying I would definitely be going with the former option that is preparing for prelims Feb onwards ,till then I can do Mains as much as I can ,after Prelims I'd give it a shot for mains . I really do need time for proper mains preparation ,answer writing, essay,ethics, optional. I also need a govt job as backup  its really important in the situation I'm in rn. 

So I hope I'd be able to manage Mains prep till Jan and have a fair chance after prelims 

4.2k views
@Neyawn Yes you are right. I am 97 born and could hardly revise the syllabus even once. Took that much time to complete it. Thank you for the guidance.  Will focus on revising now. 


4.2k views

@Neyawn This is exactly what we needed. Hope for the dejected souls. Reality check for some. On top of that..atleast someone cares for the ones who flunked prelims. Failing prelims puts you in that neglected community  that people overlook.

D503,
3.6k views

Thank you so much for this. 2021 was my first attempt and I fall in the first category with 86-88. One mistake I made was to not be regular with SFG tests. 15 days in and I was already done with what seemed like a dreadful exercise, waking up that early in the morning to give mocks. But once I dropped it, it totally ruined my productivity. I realized that those 15 days were my peak productivity days.

I was hospitalized with fever 1 month before prelims and there went 2 crucial weeks down the drain. 

I have decided to complete my optional prep by 15 Dec, and leave Mains GS for after Pre. Hoping to stay healthy and be regular with the SFG tests this time and not be discouraged by the low scores!


Sunflowerr,MM
4.5k views

Thank you so much for this. 2021 was my first attempt and I fall in the first category with 86-88. One mistake I made was to not be regular with SFG tests. 15 days in and I was already done with what seemed like a dreadful exercise, waking up that early in the morning to give mocks. But once I dropped it, it totally ruined my productivity. I realized that those 15 days were my peak productivity days.

I was hospitalized with fever 1 month before prelims and there went 2 crucial weeks down the drain. 

I have decided to complete my optional prep by 15 Dec, and leave Mains GS for after Pre. Hoping to stay healthy and be regular with the SFG tests this time and not be discouraged by the low scores!


Hey are you gonna join the Sfg level 1 starting from December. Can you tell me when the next phase happens . I guess it's in February right for those who can't join rn

3.5k views
Neyawn please chk my message once!! 
3.5k views
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