Low syllabus coverage (this was my first attempt - and a complete disaster, even though not unexpected). Had to give 80-90% of my time post Prelims only to optional.
1. Could still only cover ~65% of optional syllabus and zero mocks - my optional (Maths) ensured I'm out
2. relying on just Prelims level reading for static subjects like History, Geography, Polity. Only 1-2 mocks of each GS paper, no time to incorporate feedback or compare with toppers' copies, even though scores were decent (85-95)
3. Only relied on newspaper and TV debates for content. I now realise some compilation is needed to fill the gaps.
Takeaways: finish Optional before Prelims itself, read some good compilation selectively, spend time with the GS answers you write - compare and improve.
