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[Official] ForumIAS SFG 2021 - Level 1 Details and Important Updates

SFG 2021 Level 1 - Details and Important Updates

 

Important Update : LIVE Session for SFG 2021 - Level 1 General Discussion and Way Forward -  19th January 2021 at 4:00 PM. (Click Here)


Dear Friends,

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.

To check the instructions on how to write SFG 2021 - Test 1 :  

https://go.forumias.com/264


Important Dates: 

Date of Entrance Test 2 - 3rd January 2021 (10:00 AM to 11:00 AM)

End Date Registration for Entrance Test 2 – 2nd January 2021 | 5 PM

Please click on the link for instructions regarding attempting the Entrance test.

https://go.forumias.com/254

Result of Entrance Test 2 –4th January 2021

Commencement Date of SFG Level 1  – 7th January 2021


Syllabus of SFG Entrance Test - Candidates can expect 30 questions equally distributed across History, Polity, Economy, Environment and Geography. Further 15 questions will from Current Affairs of October, November and December months and 5 questions from CSAT.


SFG Level 1 Calendar: https://go.forumias.com/sfg21-calender




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 7 AM 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. Candidates who couldn't clear the cutoff and are unable to make it into both SFG and RLG can register for the 2nd Entrance Test
  • Tests are conducted daily and results are provided within 8 hours of test with Name and Rank list for candidates and parents to evaluate their daily performance. On the basis of rankles, about 50% of bottom performing students from SFG are migrated to the reserve list on a weekly basis, and an equal number of students from reserve list (RLG) are moved into SFG.
  • The decision of the management in this regard is final and not subject to dispute. Please note that this migration is done not keeping in mind the overall merit list but moving away bottom 50% from SFG and picking up an equal number of people from RLG.
  • Thus those who may be getting more than RLG students, but are bottom 50 in SFG will be moved to RLG.
  • Every month, the bottom 20% or so non-performing students are eliminated from the program to maintain the quality of competition.
  • All candidates writing the CSE 2021 are eligible to apply for the entrance test.

This year we introduce some changes as to how we conduct the SFG exam. Please note that changes that we bring are always in response to the examination pattern, the student feedback and our own learning with respect to how to best enable a serious candidate to clear the exam


Covid 19 Update:Keeping in mind the Covid situation, SFG – 1 entrance Test and the SFG program will be conducted in the online mode only for the year 2021. SFG – Level 2 may be conducted offline as per government guidelines and this decision will be taken at a later date.

 

This year SFG will be conducted in two levels as below:

SFG Level 1 (Foundation)

The SFG Level 1 is for beginners, freshers, first-timers, or simply those who have not cleared the Prelims examination ever before. The objective of the SFG Level 1 Program is three things

  • Students know the basic books and basic concepts back and forth
  • Students complete coverage of the syllabus through self-study
  • Students are thorough with previous years papers
  • Students develop the discipline and time management skills that are needed to clear the exam

The SFG Level 1 Tests will have book based / text-based / notes-based tests. By the end of SFG Level 1, you can expect that your coverage of the syllabus is complete, and you have done previous years questions well.


SFG Level 2 (Advanced)

SFG Level 2 is for people who have completed the reading and revision of the basic books and are now ready to take on the exam. The objective of the SFG Level 2 is as below

  • 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
  • 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.

Current Affairs:

SFG Level 1 will provide coverage of current affairs from January 2020 to November 2020.

SFG Level 2 will have complete current affairs relevant for the Prelims examination 2021 integrated into the course.

CSAT:

CSAT tests will be integrated with SFG Level 2. There will be no CSAT tests in SFG level 1.


Application Procedure

  • 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 visitinghttp://academy.forumias.com
  • 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 monthly fee as per the group he/she is allocated.



Note:   Admissions to the SFG / RLG Group will only be on the basis of merit position of the candidate in the entrance test. Entrance Test will be held on 23rd December 2020. Candidates must register for the SFG Entrance Test by visiting the website http://academy.forumias.com before12 PM, December 22nd.

No admission will be granted to the candidate without appearing for the Entrance Test.


Fee Structure and Details:

  • The course duration is of about two months and fees is charged on a monthly basis. Fees for the full duration of the program cannot be paid at one go.

         For students selected in SFG- Rs. 1300 + GST (18%) per month. For Payment,Click Here.

         For students selected in RLG- Rs. 1900 + GST (18%) per month. For Payment,Click Here.

  • Fees are to be paid once the candidate is selected for the program. A fee of Rs. 118 is to be paid additionally for the I-Card by all students. 


Wishing you Success,

Always

ForumIAS  Academy

 

 

curious_kid,ssver2and35 otherslike this
764.5k views

1.7k comments

@Patrick_jane Thank you.


Patrick_jane,
3.1k views

Thinker,
3.9k views

i choosed B because i was sure 2nd statement was wrong. but continental crust is more dense than ocean. 3:2.7 by ncert

Messileo,parth_sharma
3.9k views
@grv_346910 that’s an error in NCERT. Check GC Leong 


3.1k views
Deleted

Q 3 :  Stars are localized lumps of gas within the nebula.  

I marked it wrong, as I thought a lump of gas within a nebula can also be a planet and not necessarily a star. 

Though above statement is copy paste line from NCERT. 

Can anyone explain why it can't be a planet ?@forumiasacademy 

Thanks


4.4k views
sir, 
As we are in the 4th week of SFG2.0 but till now there are many mistakes in the Answer key on daily basis. It is the crucial time of our prepration, we have not enough time to check blog for the correction  of mistakes throughout the day and also the delay in publishing the video discussion.

Please make sure the cross checking of the answer key before publishing by the respected faculty and also please fixed the time of uploading the video lecture.

Possible solution: as this is an online programme, there is a flexibility in recording the video a day before the exam and upload it just after the exam it will also ensure the correction of mistakes as well.
Please take this issue on priority basis. 

Micro,GravityShadesand4 otherslike this
3.9k views
Deleted
Q. 35 : explanation :- Continental drift theory explains the evolution of man. With continental drift, climatic condition of Africa changed from forest to grassland. Hence arboreal beings evolved to man for their survival (to get protected from predators, four legs to two legs) in grassland vegetation 

Doubt :- 

Well, the above statement though make sense, but when we take the time frame of the continental drift theory according to which around65 myaago that shift in Africa happened, while earliest know common ancestor of man and ape . dryopithecus(which lived in arboreal) is around12 myaold. And common ancestor of man and ape who (Australopithecus) moved from arboreal climate to grassland happened around4 mya. 

kindly explain how drift of Continents has contributed in the process of evolution of man. ? I am not able to find any source for it. 


Thanks
Rise from Ashes,Oatmealand2 otherslike this
4.3k views

W.r.t Test 16 Q 37 Corrigendum has changed the answer to D but B seems to be correct which is mentioned in the discussion video also.


2.8k views

Q36 Test 17 : Anticyclones .

The question asks for "not correct", option should be C and Not D

Rise from Ashes,Underdog44and8 otherslike this
3.5k views
@Sashaa

was about to post that only

3.3k views
@Michael_Scofield

that's all tricky. you just have to believe that in broader sense.i got it wrong too

3.3k views

I have a doubt in Q20. the option says - "There are no clouds or water vapor in the lower stratosphere." which is incorrect - as there is a presence of polar stratospheric clouds, and presence of little water vapour in the lower stratosphere. 

However, in the solution the given statement is marked as correct. 

please clarify


Rise from Ashes,DesiJonSnowand4 otherslike this
2.5k views
@Oatmeal Similar doubt for me@forumiasacademy 


3.3k views

Question: 15


The earth atmosphere is not only heated by terrestrial radiation but also by absorption of insolation (as any gas absorb,reflect,refract the radiation) . Sostatement 1 should be wrong(because of the word 'only').

Rise from Ashes,slightedge109
3.2k views

In Q 29 

Which of the following factors affect the insolation at any point in the Earth's surface?

1. Revolution of Earth around Sun.

2. Rotation of Earth around its own axis.

3. Presence of small suspended particles in Atmosphere.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

a 2 and 3 only
b 1 and 3 only
c 2 only
d 1, 2 and 3

Shouldn't 1st statement belatitudeof place rather than Revolution. The higher the latitude the less is the angle they make with the surface of the earth resulting in slant sun rays.
3.3k views

@forumiasacademy  Please rectify your own answers

Q:36 Consider the following statements regarding the anti-cyclones:

1. They rotate in the anti-clockwise direction in both the northern and southern hemisphere.

2. There is low pressure at the center of an anti-cyclone.

Which of the statements given above is/arenotcorrect?

a 1 only
b 2 only
c Both 1 and 2
d Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer : d

Your Answer : c


Explanation

Exp) Statement 1 is incorrect. The Anti-cyclones rotate in the clockwise direction in the northern hemisphere and in the anti-clockwise direction in the southern hemisphere.

Statement 2 is incorrect. The pressure condition at the center of the anti-cyclone is high.

Answer should be C not D

Messileo,
3.3k views
@DesiJonSnow yes u r right.


2.2k views

Sashaasaid

Q36 Test 17 : Anticyclones .

The question asks for "not correct", option should be C and Not D

They will change it. 

5.9k views

I have a doubt in Q20. the option says - "There are no clouds or water vapor in the lower stratosphere." which is incorrect - as there is a presence of polar stratospheric clouds, and presence of little water vapour in the lower stratosphere. 

However, in the solution the given statement is marked as correct. 

please clarify


This is UPSC 2011 previous year question. I am attaching the question paper and answer key for your reference. 

GSPAPERI3961596518900.pdf



5.8k views

Question: 15


The earth atmosphere is not only heated by terrestrial radiation but also by absorption of insolation (as any gas absorb,reflect,refract the radiation) . Sostatement 1 should be wrong(because of the word 'only').

This is the UPSC 2012 previous year question. 

5.8k views
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