Q1: For the 2020 cycle it was something like:June 2019 to January 2020 was Mains Preparation.January 2020 to May 2020 was Prelims Prep. Then exam got postponed.So remaining May and June ~ Maths/GS Mains Prep.Then as per cycle essentially.Overall timeline of entire prep would be slightly difficult to summarize.Q2: For 2020 Cycle:Prelims ~ 200+ MocksMains ~ around 10-12 before Prelims + 3 b/w Pre and Mains (Note ~ these were tests given in TEST MODE)Interview ~ 20+ MocksEssay ~ 5-6 Essays, half of which were b/w Pre and MainsQ3: Ideally it should be a Feedback Loop something like this:
- Revise Notes
- Give Test/Brainstorm on Questions
- Understand Mistakes/Errors
- Add Content to Notes
Q4: For Prelims, I revised through Tests. I remember how in 2020 we had a discussion on "Active Recall" in Forum. That's the idea basically. I would give a test, mark mistakes + add these to my notes, revise notes and keep giving more and more tests.
For Mains:
- Cover Optional extensively.
- Brainstorm a lot of questions.
- Practice answer writing.
- Revise notes ~ 7-8 times or even more. Unlike Prelims where subconscious knowledge can help, in Mains you must have knowledge in a much more say "active form". This calls for more revisions.
Q5: Can do either. At the end it's about having 1-pager notes on important issues. To each his own.
Q6: Since I have a slightly low score, I'll instead try and give mistakes that can be avoided:
- Don't make essay look like a long GS answer.
- Essay should not be a "patchwork" of different dimensions. By this I mean to say, continuity and smoothness in Essay add a lot to the reading experience for the Examiner.
@AJ_ can you pls tell us more about solving 200+ mocks for prelims. Like, in how many months? You gave 2-3 mocks every day?
For me 200+ mocks is huge task, that must require time and efficiency
I'm curious how did you manage giving so many mocks.
Thanks!
