[ Official ] How was the Prelims 2021 paper?
How was the paper guys ?
Topper's key - 113.9
Shankar IAS - 105.9
IAS baba - 98
Forum - will see the video tomorrow
feels like futile exercise anyway...last year so many people failed to make it through despite scoring good as per these answer keys. This year too some questions are debatable and only the commission knows how to interpret them. I guess its better to relax for now everyone....result will be out probably this month only and we can focus on mains till then.
PapaFranku,A year ago, if someone had come to me for advice on whether to prepare for UPSC or not, I would have encouraged them enthusiastically. "Follow your dreams" and all that shit. Now I'm not so sure.
The issue is that competition is rising while vacancies are reducing. Particularly in the last few years, as with the explosion of internet access across India (thank you Jio), people have access to the best resources and the best strategies. Plus a variety of other factors.
Right now there are atleast 30,000 - 50,000 aspirants who are genuinely good enough to clear Prelims. Probably that number is higher. And it will only keep rising. UPSC has the unenviable task of selecting about 10,000 from those huge numbers. If they conduct conceptual tests like we want them to, the cutoffs will increase unsustainably. And so they resort to the easy way out. Make GS more random. Make CSAT tougher. Eliminate rather than select.
We do have other options though. The number of vacancies can be increased. But that's not gonna happen with the current policy of minimum government and maximum governance.
Another ideal option can be to increase the number of people who'll write Mains (say, to about 50,000) and then select the best from them. But again, this won't work due to logistical difficulties and economic reasons.
So most probably UPSC will continue this way only. Make GS more random. Make CSAT tougher. Until competition reduces as people realise the futility and randomness of the whole process.
And that makes me sad and pessimistic. Sad that so many bright people are trying so hard yet not able to break the barrier. Pessimistic that things are only gonna get worse.
If you're clearing prelims, make the most of it. This is an opportunity that many dream of but few get to experience.
If not, even after repeated attempts, probably it's time to deeply think about your future.
PS - I usually try to be as optimistic as I can. But today I just don't feel like it. I might clear though (from various keys). But even if I do, it doesn't feel deserved. It's luck.
How will conceptual papers increase cutoff unsustainably? 2018 was a pretty conceptual paper with cut off dropping to 98(from 107 in 2017).
The major reason I could think of is that UPSC has gone full throttle against coaching institutes, esp from last year(with aspirants becoming the collateral damage). Another plausible reason is that maybe they dont want aspirants to prepare full time for long period of time.
Hoping to clear prelims with 102 +/- 5 marks... I had a pretty goood csat paper as welll..
I am shivering.. I hope the answer keys that I checked are not wrong...
90.67 (58/38) a/c to iashub, forumias, dhrishti. Altho their keys differ in some qns, but i get the same marks from all of them. Overall 6 qns are doubtful here and there like Montagu Chelmsford, smelting plant, Fdi, definition of state, warm water and winds, constitution bench.
If i had revised more, i might have got 4 qns correct like padma award (i was confused b/w 3 and 5), hyd (i doubted statement 1 but went ahead with both), judicial custody (this was lack of revision) and ice cap (lack of revision). After all the revisions, for doing a mistake in 4 concepts i can pardon myself.
I am out of this race.
TambourineMan,Topper's key - 113.9
Shankar IAS - 105.9
IAS baba - 98
Forum - will see the video tomorrow
feels like futile exercise anyway...last year so many people failed to make it through despite scoring good as per these answer keys. This year too some questions are debatable and only the commission knows how to interpret them. I guess its better to relax for now everyone....result will be out probably this month only and we can focus on mains till then.
edit: Forum IAS -107.9
Shailputri,
A year ago, if someone had come to me for advice on whether to prepare for UPSC or not, I would have encouraged them enthusiastically. "Follow your dreams" and all that shit. Now I'm not so sure.
The issue is that competition is rising while vacancies are reducing. Particularly in the last few years, as with the explosion of internet access across India (thank you Jio), people have access to the best resources and the best strategies. Plus a variety of other factors.
Right now there are atleast 30,000 - 50,000 aspirants who are genuinely good enough to clear Prelims. Probably that number is higher. And it will only keep rising. UPSC has the unenviable task of selecting about 10,000 from those huge numbers. If they conduct conceptual tests like we want them to, the cutoffs will increase unsustainably. And so they resort to the easy way out. Make GS more random. Make CSAT tougher. Eliminate rather than select.
We do have other options though. The number of vacancies can be increased. But that's not gonna happen with the current policy of minimum government and maximum governance.
Another ideal option can be to increase the number of people who'll write Mains (say, to about 50,000) and then select the best from them. But again, this won't work due to logistical difficulties and economic reasons.
So most probably UPSC will continue this way only. Make GS more random. Make CSAT tougher. Until competition reduces as people realise the futility and randomness of the whole process.
And that makes me sad and pessimistic. Sad that so many bright people are trying so hard yet not able to break the barrier. Pessimistic that things are only gonna get worse.
If you're clearing prelims, make the most of it. This is an opportunity that many dream of but few get to experience.
If not, even after repeated attempts, probably it's time to deeply think about your future.
PS - I usually try to be as optimistic as I can. But today I just don't feel like it. I might clear though (from various keys). But even if I do, it doesn't feel deserved. It's luck.
How will conceptual papers increase cutoff unsustainably? 2018 was a pretty conceptual paper with cut off dropping to 98(from 107 in 2017).
The major reason I could think of is that UPSC has gone full throttle against coaching institutes, esp from last year. Another plausible reason is that maybe they dont want aspirants to prepare full time for long period of time.
True. However while making an attempt to break backbone of coachings, UPSC's unconventional paper will further increase dependency on coachings.
Aspirants will try to cram more random facts like past few years: GI tags, reports etc.
Next year coachings will include random sports facts in test series and monthly magazine and UPSC will ask some other random thing.
Caesar,gauravbrly409
@KingSlayer23 your 2020 score
lol don't ask :P it was 70.76
in 2019 I scored 102 something though. In 2020 I blatantly ignored basics and fundamentals in my arrogance since I had cracked prelims in first attempt earlier and payed dearly for this insolence
fortarach63,@Caesar totally agree. Exam is doable with a job. After a point studying isn't helping. It's only adding to the burden of - kuch nahi kar rahe life mein padh ho rahe hai.. Fir bhi exam nahi clear ho rha.
How do u face even yourself?
Pre then mains and interview - the yearlong process with important life stages running parallel - it's quite a task.
Better work and attempt.
@Celeborn thanks to show your integrity in the last sentence.I have invested a huge amount of time, money, emotions, physical and mental effort to this process. Detachment, alienation, sacrifice, or whatever "ahuti" this exam demands, I have submitted to it. People around me, including the mentors and forum faculties tell me, I have a huge potential to clear mains if I write. Topping in MGP test series, class tests, and what not.But for past 4 years, I have been returning back from the front door only. Not able to pass the prelims barrier.Once I was told to dominate the prelims exam. I did today. I did everything. But I am still at the door. Will be waiting for another 40 days to see if it opens or not. But this feeling. This moment of sadnes. Even after 4 years of practice, I have not been used to it. It still aches the same as it did the first time.There are so many things I have learnt in this journey, whether about studies or life, I am a evolved person today. And I know I will be a successful person in life (as per my definition of success). But this moment right now, this still ache. Very bad!May you all have a good sleep (the only good thing this exhausting day can give us). And try to be kind to yourself.
Heart wrenching comment.in my case,.i already had mental problems from childhood and it got further worse in last few years due to my failures.i wish I could come out of it and again get the ability to feel pleasure in simple things.
@Phantom Fomo itna jyada ho jata hai. In the quest to learn random stuff basics get neglected.Very true, this was my 1st thought post paper.In the tussle between coaching & upsc aspirants are over loaded.I had pledged last yr that I will not do pt-365, indices (200 atleast), still did. Cos of the fear.
And jio revolution has added fuel to fire. So much information is available that it is almost impossible to stay away from content.
plmokn25688524,I don't know how many here belong to this basket in 2021
Comparatively good margin score in GS (110+)
But then hovering around edges in csat (I don't even have slightest idea of my attempts maybe 48-51 Qns attempted( I guess , those editorials kind of lengthy comprehensions + afternoon thunderstorms showers in terrace classroom did it part in delaying time ) ,as far as csat 2021 is concerned ,i could only hope for miracles now
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