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[OFFICIAL] SFG 2021 | Level 3 | The Last SFG for Prelims 2021 | Details and Important Announcements | Updated 1st August @6:30 PM

SFG 2021 - Level 3 : The Last SFG for Prelims 2021

Dear Students, 


As we enter the 3rd year of SFG – Select Focus Group – one of our most innovative programs for successfully cracking the Prelims Examination. Based on your feedback, we continuously innovate and update our programs, keeping in mind the dynamic nature of the Civil Services Examination, the rising standards of Civil Services preparation, and increasing competition – partly because of capacity development and fast-paced self-learning programs like SFG. 


Note: Please subscribe to the "SFG 2021 - Level 1, 2 & 3" channel for all the updates related to SFG 2021.

https://forumias.com/channel/SFG-2021-7th-Jan

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Update #8

Instructions for attempting the SFG 2021 - Level 3 tests:

https://go.forumias.com/538

The tests will go live strictly at7 AMand will get auto-submitted at8 AM.

Update #7

Results declared for SFG 2021 - Level 3

Results for SFG 2021 - Level 3 has been declared, please check if you are selected for Select Focus Group (SFG) or Reserve List Group (RLG).

Ranklist for SFG 2021 - Level 3:https://go.forumias.com/529

Payment link for students selected in SFG (Select Focus Group) - Rs. 2400 + GST (18%) per month

https://go.forumias.com/530

Payment link for students selected in RLG (Reserve List Group) - Rs. 2900 + GST (18%) per month

https://go.forumias.com/531

Note: Deadline for accepting the fees is 31st July by 5 PM. After that fees will not be accepted

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Update #6

Registrations for SFG 2021 - Level 3 are now closed. If you have missed the registration for any genuine reasons, you can fill up this form below, and our team will reach out to you. No phone calls or emails will be entertained apart from the form below.

Click here:https://go.forumias.com/528

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Update #5

Instructions for attempting the SFG 2021 - Level 3 Entrance test:

https://go.forumias.com/527

The test will be conducted in Online mode on 25th July at 09:30 AM in the morning.

Update #4

The detailed exam plan (Calender) for SFG 2021 - Level 3 is now available. 

You can see the detailed plan - https://go.forumias.com/sfglevel3-calender

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Update #3

Syllabus of Entrance test for SFG 2021 – Level 3:Candidates can expect 30 questions distributed across History, Polity, Economy, Environment, Science & Technology, International Relations and Geography. Further 10 questions will be from Current Affairs of May, June and July months of 2021 and 10 questions from CSAT.

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Update #2

Entrance Test Date - 25th July 2021

Registration Link - https://go.forumias.com/525

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Update #1

SFG 2021 Level 3 - Calendar Released - 20th July | 08:00 PM

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SFG – How it works 

              • Select Focus Group (SFG) is a small group of students who are selected by ForumIAS every year for coaching them to clear the UPSC Prelims Examination. Every single candidate selected and retained consistently in the group with Top ranks has cleared the Prelims examination in the past.
              • 100 Students will be selected for the Select Focus Group, through the SFG Entrance Test, who will be required to report at 7AM every day 6 days a week to write an hour-long test based on a pre-planned syllabus, followed by a discussion on the same. 
              • Candidates who are unable to make it to the SFG will be maintained in a Reserve List, who can also write the tests. 
              • Tests are conducted daily and results are provided within 8 hours of test with a Name and Rank list for candidates and parents to evaluate their daily performance. 
              • All candidates writing the CSE 2021 are eligible to apply for the entrance test. 


              SFG Level 3 - The Last SFG for Prelims 2021 


              The SFG Level 3 is a 40-day capsule program with the following objectives:


              • Developing problem-solving skills for solving analytical, conceptual and thought based questions. 
              • Developing skills to solve questions based on the application of the reading that they have done for Level 1 and Level 2. 
              • Mastering the art of handling questions from unknown areas and applying concepts from their wider reading which is relevant for the Civil Services Prelims Examination. 
              • Developing time management skills, and being through with the syllabus 
              • Providing a reliable, time-bound framework for revision just before the examination. 

                

              Application Procedure 


              • The program will commence from 2nd August, admission to which will be entrance based. The Entrance Test will be conducted on 25th July. The results of the Entrance Test will be announced the next day i.e. 26th July. 
              • Admission to the SFG and RLG are based on the rank of the candidate in the merit list of the SFG Entrance Test. Students can apply for the program by registering for the Entrance Test by paying a fee of Rs. 500+ GST. Candidates can register by visiting https://go.forumias.com/525. The candidate must appear for the entrance test on the designated date and time, subsequent to which he/she will be admitted to the Select Group or the Reserve List. 


              • The candidate must pay the program fee as per the group he/she is allocated. 

              Note:   Admissions to the SFG / RLG Group will only be on the basis of the merit position of the candidate in the entrance test. The Entrance Test will be held on 25th July. Candidates must register for the SFG Entrance Test by visiting https://go.forumias.com/525. No admission will be granted to the candidate without appearing for the Entrance Test. 

              Fee Structure and Details: 


              The course duration is about 40 days and fees will be charged after your selection to the SFG/RLG list. Fees for the full duration of the program is to be paid before 1st August. 




              Important Dates:


              SFG 2021 Level 3 - Calendar Released - 20th July | 08:00 PM

              Entrance Test – 25th July 2021 | 9:30 AM 

              Result of Entrance Test - 26th July 2021 | 05 PM

              Last Date for Fee Payment – 1st August 

              Program Commencement – 2nd August 


              -- 

              Wishing You Success, 

              Always, 

              ForumIAS Academy 

              Neyawn,ssver2and25 otherslike this
              266.8k views

              333 comments

              @sator But imp topics like AIPA (Paris committee), IAIS being asked in SFG tests are missing. How to handle them? Even topics that are mentioned (like ADMM Plus) are mentioned like the subscript in MF forms. Cannot solve qns even after a thorough read. How do you attempt them? CA is giving a hard time.

              Hello,

              You may feel lost sometimes, but trust me you are not. You need to be very clear with your strategy,

              And at this point it should be -

              #1 I will do one magazine thoroughly, and answer anything that comes from it.

              #2 I will try to do test papers, and if something is from the monthlies, I should solve it, or revise the monthlies. If it is not from the monthlies, I will just add to my knowledge / database.

              You are good to go, daughter of the Mountains ( if that is what your screen name means ! ) 


              I am no knight. Do not call me Sir

              ssver2,Integerand16 otherslike this
              6.2k views

              if the classes are being conducted online, then why is the fees increased to 2400+gst for sfg.

              sfg1 and sfg2 didn't have so much fees, not even for rlg


              Regards

              Curious Kid

              Menchester14@,_Rana_and12 otherslike this
              86.3k views

              All of you can expect a question or two from this article 

              https://blog.forumias.com/ipccs-sixth-assessment-report/


              I am no knight. Do not call me Sir

              ssver2,D7and10 otherslike this
              5k views


              Recounting this sweet memory from SFG 2019 :)

              Much has changed now wrt my outlook towards scoring low in mocks.Low scores are not bothering anymore. Earlier, it was a roller coaster ride every morning. Overtime, it has added to emotional strength and stability.

              Keeping a note of what works and what doesn’t on daily basis really helps in the long run. Good luck dostoen : )


              Neyawn,Joeyisthebestand7 otherslike this
              6.4k views
              Please include current affairs in topic wise manner rather than monthly basis.
              Joeyisthebest,UK01and7 otherslike this
              15.7k views

              In today's test, q11, shouldn't first statement be wrong, DPC (243ZD)came into existence through 74 th amendment, not 73rd. The 73rd and 74th amendments are two different amendments, not a combined one.

              Though statement 1 is not completely true, 2nd statement is definitely wrong. Therefore marked 'd'. Had there been 'only 3' option, would have marked that instead. 

              This is exactly how I would fight doubt and confusion  in the paper. You don’t have to know everything, you just have to know the right things. You just made my day, thank you!


              I am no knight. Do not call me Sir

              ssver2,DMand7 otherslike this
              4.5k views

              @farejul @forumiasacademy Thank you for this course. Really keeps us on our toes. Please please continue this course until prelims. 2 more rounds with more syllabus to cover each day (since we can revise faster the next time) so that a total of 3 readings are done. It is the best thing for an isolated online student to be consistent and focused. Kindly consider this request.

              Joeyisthebest,DMand6 otherslike this
              6.1k views
              Complementary?
               "All India Simulator Test Series ( Complementary)
              It is recommended for students of SFG/RLG to join the All India Simulator Test Series, given that
              (a)It is given as complementary for SFG/RLG students.
              (b) Students can appear on their convenience before the final UPSC Civil Services Prelims Examination i.e 10th October 2021."
              D7,Nucleusand6 otherslike this
              9.1k views
              @appyphany I think you should trust your gut. Not take mocks like sfg to your heart. There is a reason why even those people who score low in mocks are able to clear the actual exam, and those who ace the mocks are not able to. 
              UPSC Prelims != mocks of any institute
              I have had the same problem as you, and I know it is infuriating af, you second guess yourself and your strategy. The fact is, I have simply stopped caring about the mocks and the scores. For one, they are sectional tests and focus on micro facts/concepts which you may even skip in the actual papers, as you can compensate in other areas. Secondly, the questions in mocks, especially in SFG, tests are a bit on the tougher side, and force you to get out of your comfort zones. Trust me, I also get irritated when I see some questions which I feel are unnecessarily getting into weird details.
              But, at the end of the day, mocks are mocks, just learn new stuff from them, hone your strategy, and forget about the rest. If it has worked out for you so far, trust yourself and your preparation.
              Integer,DMand5 otherslike this
              7.4k views
              Sir it's 8 PM.. calendar not yet uploaded
              yashjeetsingh22,Omenand5 otherslike this
              10.1k views
              @farejul Appreciate the rules. Thanks for the prompt response. Is there a specific reason for this? What is the envisaged role of giving out the QP 'after'the test anyway? If at all, it will only benefit if we are able to attempt the questions as per the real exam. I would not have raised this concern if we were preparing for CAT or GMAT or other computer-based tests.

              Consider this flow of events: A student downloads and prints the QP. Attempts it on the paper and then marks the answers on the portal. The time taken in marking on portal is roughly equivalent to OMR.

              Also, this raises another query - What would happen if I were to click submit on the test right after starting it? Would I be able to see the QP immediately? I understand this would throw me out of the rank list but are there any other repercussions of this? Thanks much!


              Integer,DMand5 otherslike this
              9.6k views

              Can you reschedule the exam for those who are writing MP PSC exam on 25th??


              DM,UK01and4 otherslike this
              94.7k views

              @forumiasacademy One request, please include topic-wise current affairs rather than month-wise, since most people read from topic-wise modules rather than from monthly current affairs.

              Also, please include one test on covid -- all aspects from the epidemic act, to the biology of the virus and vaccines, etc. so that we can test ourselves on the facts we are supposed to know

              aithunitheesh197,madzand4 otherslike this
              93k views
              @TH14  This makes a lot of sense. So, one just has to stay sane and believe in one's own ability and strategy. Thank you ! It's also a relief to know that the questions these days are irking most of us . Haha :p


              Integer,DMand4 otherslike this
              7.8k views
              Same. My Lowest score till date :(
              Was decently confident but either ques were way to factual from small topics or were asked in much detail or I was grossly under prepared. 

              I even got basics wrong like Ajivika and couple more which added to the debacle. :/

              A good way to handle such debacles is to read the topics again with the added knowledge from the tests. Make a list of the topics and revise them with added knowledge. Once the SFG is over.

              DM,BigChonkand4 otherslike this
              4.2k views
              @Shailputri Last year I made subject-wise books on ever-note and copied things from solutions that I didn't know or did wrong. I arranged them in sub-headings, for ex - polity note had a heading on FR, Elections, etc. Revising this in the last week really helped me. This did not comprise solutions from all the tests that I took but covered most of them. 

              Simultaneously, I also had a table where I wrote my attempts in 1st round, 2nd round and 3rd round, along with the correct and incorrect ones. Now this is not something I could replicate in the actual exam because after some 60-70 questions I realized I do not have that kind of time but it did help me in not marking absurd answers in the first round since I knew my accuracy rate. In this table I also wrote silly mistakes that I committed in that paper [not reading not, always etc.] as well as mistakes from topics I thought I knew well but did wrong. I believe this table helped me avoid silly mistakes and made me realize the optimum number of questions I had to attempt. 

              PS - Not adding anything about this year because I have just started reading for prelims 2022 but I think I will end up doing something similar this year as well. 


              BigChonk,Jhumpa21Mewatiand3 otherslike this
              10.1k views

              satorsaid

              I have got a huge doubt after reading Corrigendum of Test 3, for question 28.
              Earlier@Neyawnclarified that "general" statements are to be treated true, without going into the exceptions.
              In Q28 of Test 3, Statement says All business pending before Lok Sabha's Committees lapses on its dissolution. Which is true "generally". But exception is the pending assurances before Committee on Govt. Assurances, which do not lapse.
              Despite knowing the above facts I got the question wrong yesterday, due to this confusion.
              Can anyone please clarify.

              Hello,

              I am sorry an advice on the Internet put you through this jeopardy. This is not what I meant when I said you should think if a statement to be generally valid , it is true.

              I should have given a more radical example.

              When we have statement that says All X is Y, if you have an explicit exception, sometimes just mentioned in the same chapter or the next paragraph , you must count that exception and mark it as an invalid statement.

              Think of saying like this "We cannot say that All business pending before Lok Sabha's Committees lapses on its dissolution" as ....

              When you have a known exception, sometimes clearly listed in text, the statement will cease to be valid.

              Also, the statements which can be generally true will likely be in an unexplored area such as environment and science & tech ( such as an application of bio tech - which you have not heard of ) and there you must take it as a general statement.

              Also, if a statement is given, and it is from an unexplored are in the standard text and you have to solve it by application of knowledge ( and not knowledge itself ), you can consider a statement to be valid, if there is a "possibility of it."

              For example, drones can help fight wars in land , air and water. Now you dont know of drone inside water, but is there a possibility of naval use of drones in some way? If yes, it will be avalid statement.


              I am no knight. Do not call me Sir

              eclectus,UK01and3 otherslike this
              5k views

              I have made this OMR for SFG. I gave test in OMR today and got real paper pen feel. Attaching a sample and PDF of OMR, in case anyone wants to use it.
              SFG OMR.pdf

              BigChonk,Jhumpa21Mewatiand3 otherslike this
              8.8k views

              This is how it looks.

              Jhumpa21Mewati,Infinitybeyondinfinityand3 otherslike this
              8.8k views
              @sjerngal it is true. It’s a common misconception that Buddhism and Jainism were against discrimination of any kind. That’s because we mainly view them through a modern lense. From the vantage point of modern values, Buddhism and Jainism weren’t exactly anti-discrimination, just more progressive than the Brahmanical order. There are several examples: Gautama Buddha was against women’s entry in the Sangha, slaves needed to be first freed by their masters before joining the Sangha. Jainism was sufficiently harsh on women. 

              Since both Mahavira and Gautama Buddha belonged to Kshatriya clans, both religions tend to put Kshatriyas above Brahmans. They didn’t exactly condemn the varna order and in fact display a tacit approval of the system. Jainism was even stronger than Buddhism in their Kshatriya bias.





              Nucleus,sjerngaland3 otherslike this
              4.3k views
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