Mains 2021 Post result Thread: What went wrong and way forward.

1) General Approach

I felt I worked hard enough. But by the time December came, I started facing slight burnout. This time I'll take adequate breaks + pace my prep accordingly. Imo two weeks of studying right before Mains is 5 times more valuable than the month right after Prelims. Everything should be done to peak at the right time. 

Mental and physical health is way too important and way too neglected. I'm restarting my daily habits of meditation, journaling and exercise. 

Regularly looking at the syllabus and PYQs should be the norm. I'm trying this practice of reading a particular question and then looking at the syllabus. This helps me figure out certain contexts in which questions are being asked. It's simplifying prep by helping see what's important and what's not. 

Going through topper copies also should be the norm. I learned a lot; but I feel I can learn more. I'm planning on maintaining a separate notebook where I'll note down innovations toppers are using. After I write answers/give tests, I'll try to go through the notebook and see what all I can implement. 

2) Maths:

Based on my previous experience, this time I focused on completing the syllabus and understanding concepts thoroughly. However, in the exam hall, I faced the problem of not recalling specific steps/approaches to problems. I ended up missing out on a lot of questions which I'd solved earlier but I couldn't remember the formula/steps/theorem. To address this, I'm solving all PYQs blindly without referring to formula sheets like I used to. Further, I'll keep revising short notes weekly. 

I'll also join a proper test series and give all tests religiously + go for mentor visits. Will not join IMS since their evaluation is weak. Rather I'll try to join a lesser known institute which can offer better support. 

3) GS 

My performance was better compared to previous attempts. I felt answer writing needs some more work so I'm doing TLP regularly (write atleast one answer, mentally frame remaining).

Like others mentioned, preparing static portion is necessary. Rather than doing everything, selectively reading according to the syllabus is needed. For instance, Government budgetting is a topic mentioned in the syllabus. I should ideally have prepared the theory which would have helped me answer the Capital and Revenue question better. Same for the GDP question. 

In my answers, examples + Govt initiatives/steps taken were inadequate. To correct this, I'm noting down examples from the newspaper daily. For initiatives, whatever prelims compilation for schemes come, I'll use the index to memorize schemes for each sector. Further, the Economic Survey also mentions schemes/steps taken for every sector in one place. This will also suffice. 

For way forwards, rather than giving generic suggestions I was thinking of doing NITI Aayog Strategy @ 75 (only reading recommendations portion). 

Also, many of the "bouncer" questions in GS3 came from the IE Explained Articles of the previous 6-7 months. Since these are questions nobody knows answers to, preparing them will give a competitive edge. I've already started saving relevant articles. But only in 2-3 months can I say how sustainable this is. 

4) Ethics

My theory portion went well. My case studies were poor. I need more practice. Plus case studies needed specific preparation, for which I skimmed through the case studies Playlist by Sunya on YouTube. 

Another thing I've realised is that going by the chronological order of test series yields poor results. I prepared GS 1, 2 in October and GS 3, 4 in November. By the time my backlogs and all finished, I had just one week left for ethics. This time I'll start with optional, ethics and essay in the first month and then GS. 

Plus I'll also join separate test series for ethics + essay, something which I've never done. 

5) Essay

My essay prep was great in terms of content but inadequate in terms of practice. I'll write more essays next time (especially in the first month). 

In essays, UPSC gives clear instructions as to the demand of the paper in the Notification. After every essay I write, I'll try to self evaluate myself based on the parameters mentioned. 

Yuval Noah Harari's ideas and examples are very relevant especially in tech, future related essays. I've used his ideas in 2019 and 2021 essays. I'll dive deeper into his work. His articles on the Guardian are a good place to start (both in terms of content as well as in writing style) 

Plus for philosophy essays, along with more practice, I'll be reading more philosophy articles.

Finally, it makes sense to go through previous topics. For instance, even in philosophical essays, certain themes like excellence, the self etc are often repeated. Preparing these repeated themes will yield content which can be used across essays. 

Also, I realised that the transition words I use are limited - "Further, also, in addition to" etc - I'm stuck with just a few phrases. I'll try to go through a list of connectors, transition phases and then try implementing them in essays I write. 

These are the main pointers I need to work on. 

These 'way forwards' make up a long list. But they can and must be implemented if I have any hope of clearing next time. 

Couple of weeks ago, I was personally going through bad times on personal and emotional front. 

Hey Friends.

It is so heartening to see you all dissect, even if probabilistically, what went wrong with your attempt.

It was my last attempt. I have written 4 mains. Never qualified mains. I work in the state services at a good post. I have also been in the top 3 of another exam held by UPSC.

Honestly I am a little surprised that i couldn't pass this time. Because i worked on all aspects of my weaknesses. I will have to wait for my marks for a conclusive answer to my situation.

My observations:

1.For small topics across GS, I made small notes and had data/case studies etc ready. This helps

2. For essay, I had quotes, good lines, data mugged up. I also had practised most of themes asked in previous years. Both my attempted questions in essay were attempted before exam.

3. In all GS i ended up working around 5 ten markers in last 25 minutes, sometimes less.

4. Optional 1 was fucked up due to Covid. I had hardly been able to revise. Plus exam day i was very groggy due to medicines.

5. Marks left: Around 40 in GS. 15 in optional.

6. Handwriting bad ( but legible) for 50 marks in each paper

On the plus side:

1. All answers were structured. With clear sub headings.

2. Gave examples in GS. In GS4 all 10 markers had quotes appropriate to the question. Also diagrams in case studies. Use of ethical jargon and philosophical aspects

3. Opposed to my poor performance in optional 1, optional 2 was my best paper in this mains and across all my mains including my GS papers. I gave examples from Econ survey and from recent books in optional 2 (Philo)

On balance i suspect that my optional performance in paper 1 was horrible. 

My only wish is that i should have missed narrowly. At least i should get a consolation that my efforts were in the correct direction.

To read such paid articles, you can use https://12ft.io/ after opening this, just paste url of article. It works for most of the websites including hindu, Economist. 

Relating so much to@Art_vandelay. Not sure this is the right place to post about this, but here I go: since the mains result came out, I've been trying to look for a job. I deal with grief better by keeping myself busy. I started preparing right after graduation and have no work experience to speak of. Not even an internship. I was aimless in college, I did decently well but had zero interest in anything I studied. When I started preparing for UPSC, it honestly felt great. I finally had something I wanted to do. I genuinely liked all the subjects that I studied. It was my first attempt, so everything was very new and I was very curious and actually wanted to learn. It was a really nice feeling. But after things stopped feeling 'new', I started stagnating. I stumbled through prelims and crashed and burned in mains.

When I browse through LinkedIn, I can see that I have skills and knowledge that I got because of UPSC, and some skills that I had before itself. But I don't have the qualifications to back anything up. I can only show off my skills in an interview if I'm invited to the interview. Pretty sure I get cut out in the resume stage itself. I've started to hate the fact that I'm not independent at all, still having to ask parents for money and feeling really guilty every time I spend it. I'm scared of failing UPSC again and scared I'll have nowhere else to go because no one will give me a job. All the other exams seem to be coming up too fast for me to even figure the syllabus out.

I always thought I'd figured out a backup - if not this, I can do a post-graduation or write some other exams that are easier but reality is a bit different. UPSC isn't the only exam with insane competition and a taxing exam process. I don't want to let go but I'm terrified of getting stuck in this loop.

Hi friends, wanted to share something. Yesterday I joined back my Aerobics classes and it has brought considerable improvement from a bad state and mood otherwise. I have had sleepless nights, but yesternight was a sound sleep, so would be the tonight.

I would urge you all to please engage in constructive physical exercises. Sweat the negative vibes, breath the good oxygen. It will do wonders.

I have also changed my seat in library, it has refreshed my study pattern.

Previously, I have spent seasons in bad phases post Mains results. This time, we shall not repeat it. We have no time either. If any of my other friends here have found something significant for speedier recovery, please share.

The weather inside is really bad. If that wasn't enough, it's deteriorating even further in all aspects of life - personal, academic, financial, emotional, familial and what not.

It might rain. Heavily.

No matches foundhurts more this time. I was very confident, even started light interview preparation too, alas!

I felt I had consciously identified mistakes from my last time and worked on them. Like :

In GS

1. I have revision friendly notes for substantial portion of syllabus.

2. I was part of AWFG, I wrote it deligently, made notes of WYSY, I also Worte MGP, added content from it to enrich my notes

4. Worked on writing neat and clean paper.

5. We, me and my friend, prepared a list of Hot topics, and yes questions came from it.

In optional

1. Exclusive map, diagram, enrichement focus.

2. Revised well, decently utilized those 5 days.

3. Wrote best optional paper 1 till now.

4. Most importantly, I was confident about optional preparation, this was something new!

Ab itna sab hone ke baad lagta hai ho hi jaana chahiye, Par nahi huwa!

I don't know where I messed up or what went wrong, par nahi huwa. However, when I look back, In actual exam there were unsatisfactory areas like :

1. GS 3 paper especially Sci tech and environment questions (WHO guidelines, S400, COP 26, blue LED)

2. I wrote first three case studies very poorly, I mean, it felt like I was writing the same thing again again.

3. I missed out on geography questions in paper 1. It used to be a scoring zone for me. But this time around, I knew I messed them up in the exam hall itself.

Going forward, I am a bit clueless. Things will get more clearer as marks get disclosed.Tab tak ke liye phir se wahi SFG lagana hai..

I am saying this because when I meet candidates with 1st / 4rth Mains , 1st Interview , 4rth attempt, I ask them what worked for you this time.

Honestly, a part of me wants to hear "forum helped"

I do get that.

But what I also get is,

-sir last 4 years I was sitting at home and not in exam mode, this year I moved to Delhi

- sir last 4 years i wanted to join a library, but this year, i joined library and it helpd.

- sir this year, after prelims w/o waiting a single day I joined a library and shut myself out from the noise.

Small things may have a big impact in our lives. Do not ignore them.

Take good decisions. They will make you something.

Sometimes bad decisions are better than no decision.

I don't understand what happened and still unable to believe.

I began preparing in summer of 2019 and took the first attempt in 2020. Did very well in Prelims, but I realised that though I had completed and revised optional very well, I hadn't prepared Mains, especially GS very well primarily because of lack of guidance and poor planning and even though I knew stuff, I didn't have any notes properly for quick revisions or broad enough to cover a lot of aspects. Wrote lots of TLP questions but hardly any proper 3hr test series. Wrote the exam, completed my paper, didn't leave any question. Optional and Ethics didn't go well and consequently didn't clear mains. Missed Gen cutoff by 16 marks last time. 

Right after mains in Jan 2021, I figured out my problem was lack of content and dedicated Mains prep, so I spent 3-4 months in total on GS papers, making notes, integrating current affairs and linking with static and in depth analysis of Optional. Post Pre last October, I completed Forum test series and Vision test series. Also wrote optionals but less tests and almost every question in past 20 years. Fast forward to this mains, the papers went quite well, in papers such as GS1, GS2 and Optionals I actually had so many questions that I had guessed or had written and revised before hand and other GS papers as well I wrote what was demanded with examples and Mock test inputs to improve the look and feel of answers. GS3 I wrote what I think were decent answers apart from those 3 damned(AQG{the only question I left completely blank in my past 2 attempts at CS Mains}, Blue LED and S400) questions. Still didn't clear cutoff. 

The biggest issue is I dont know what to do anymore. Right after grad, I got into this and gave it my all for 3 years, now I dont even feel like doing anything else, at the same time I dont have the physical capacity and mental strength left for the Pre-Mains- Interview cycles of other exams. People advised me to cut my losses and move on, but somehow I dont think I can let go of this so easily, and its not like I have been one of those kids who wanted to do Upsc since fucking school age. it just came as whim pretty late in college life, but for the first time in my life, I had actually wanted and worked hard for something. I feel lost and I don't know what to do anymore.

I feel you buddy....you're not alone...people like us...we can get through this....waqt hi hai...badal jayega

If it’s any practical comfort, next cycle is really really short. You won’t have time to feel much unless you wander into that emotional bin. 

If it’s any more comfort, 1800-700 are returning back for prelims. More actually. You have a golden window.

Comforting words have little meaning. You are possibly best placed to clear the exam right about now. Giving up will cause a pain much excruciating. That’s what I think and just forget everything and do my thing. 

In the last 3 days, I have realized that 60% of the questions require answers which need to be practiced beforehand in our room (for example NHRC, CBI, SCO, Parliamentary Committee, legislative council, SHGs, etc). These questions give ample scope for scoring good marks, the rest 40% of the questions are new for everyone which may or may not give you marks even if you have written average content. Thus ensuring a good grasp of static and conventional topics is very important to ensure decent marks in GS. 

My mistake was that I ignored the static portion of History, Polity, and Economy after Prelims and thus wrote whatever I remembered from Prelims Preparation.

I agree with all the points mentioned above. This was my first mains, and I thought it went well. But after post-result analysis, I found a lot of cracks in my preparation as well as answer writing. Personally, I felt I did have structure and presentation but lacked following:

ANSWER WRITING

- In 15 marks questions, restricted myself to the question and did not address more dimensions (This was pointed out in earlier MGP Tests but due to paucity of time, I prioritised completing paper over content)

- Relevant examples were missing (Requires regular newspaper reading till 15 days before the exam)

- Screwed up the static questions like legislative council (Depended on prelims preparation, hence could not even remember the basics) 

PREPARATION:

- Paid less attention to current affairs in both GS 2 and GS 3 ( Rather than looking for new sources, this time I will revise the CA magazines only)--Needs thorough revision

- Revision was mostly done immediately before the exams (ideally requires 30 days for GS + Optional)

- Did 8 GS Mocks, even less for optional. Need to increase >10 in GS and >5 in optional to experiment with content and value addition (Earlier my priority was completing the paper, this time it would be writing the best answers possible in terms of content)

- Last but not the least, Optional (Geography) was not as smooth as it should have been. Needs more quality content. (Rest marks will tell!)

I feel in each GS paper, screwing up 2-3 doable questions and sub-par performance in Optional were the causes of my failure in this attempt. Hope to not repeat these mistakes again!

Another problem I face is being directionless post prelims. For Prelims there is a certain code and process largely common for all. 

But post prelims, confronted by the vast vague syllabus, somehow I lose sight of the target. This often leads to lowering the intensity and dedication post prelims for a while. 

One mistake I made was writing too many mock tests (>25 including Essay, GS, and Optional) which left me very less time for revision.

Additionally, not doing a self-review of my answer made me believe the feedback received from evaluators which were very general in nature and did not help me to improve further. 

I felt that completing a paper on time with average content is the only criteria to qualify mains.