[ Official ] How was the Prelims 2021 paper?
How was the paper guys ?
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.
Overall GS paper 1 was very easy. Maximum questions can be answered only by your basic understanding of polity science history economy only these portions have capacity to pass the preliminary. Current affairs mainly is for mains and interview perspective. Some questions from current affairs may be left as we have not to get 200 numbers, however current affairs plays a good role in understanding the basics mor correctly.. Yes if anyone lacks in basic understanding of subjects then it is really difficult to clear the pre.exam. I am also not clearing as I know I directly appeared in the exam however I am getting 80 around confirm numbers due to some basic concepts. I hope the merit definitely will come down as all of you are sharing experiences. Best of luck for getting more correct answer in discussion.
Very easy ?No, Not from perspective of someone who has actually prepared for the exam. But for someone who just appeared to get a taste it will definitely appear extremely easy. A 12th std kid preparing for NEET will find this paper a cakewalk and might even wonder why people make such a fuss about UPSC at all. It's such an easy exam. But for someone who has shaped his/her preparation based on previous year questions , this paper would be a nightmare. As to you getting 80 marks let me tell you if someone has given 3-4 attempts then that person will be able to reach this score even if he just sleepwalks into this exam and this regardless of difficulty of paper. The real struggle is to get those 5-6 qsn correct that get you through. Scoring 80s is no consolation at all.
Papers like these make me feel that it is good to prepare for UPSC, but with a decent backup or a side job.
The work I put in for UPSC, the detachment and all, I can give half of it and crack a number of decent exams. But no issues. It's a hustle I chose. Let us see what the result has for all of us!
Hello frenzzz I see peeps are starting to gather. Confession: I have no hope of clearing the prelims because the paper and my performance were like that. Having said that I have no regrets because I’m proud of my efforts (is that too vain to admit on a public platform??) and don’t think I could have done anything differently. There’s always going to be that “I could have revised this one more time”. But realistically speaking, I made the best use of my time in what I felt was a sustainable manner. Now what will be will be.
P.S I would really like to have a chat with the people who made the CSAT paper…. Do they like torturing people or is it just a Sunday affair?
I read all the comments last year also but did not comment anything because I was naive back then...just beginning my journey into UPSC...
But since last year October to yesterday, I tried my level best. Have more than 120 mocks of vision, Forum, GSSCORE, OnlyIAS, NextIAS and what not . No day in last year I spent without studying 6 hours daily.(I'm a working professional)
Last year, I was getting around 88-95 from different answer keys but didnt clear prelims. As I opted for IFoS also last year so not even know what my actual score of last year is.
And now. Here I'm again. After a year of hardwork and doing everything I could possibly do, I'm getting 86.67 in most optimistic scenario. I'm from general category just because I choose to have a job to help my family overwise I would be EWS as my all family income and other criteria is very much at lower middle class level. I'm at my lowest right now.
It's easy to say that try next year and all that cherishable stuff, but I literally left no stone unturned this time. I even got 137 marks in NextIAS Anubhav All India test series had been under top 100 in my test series...but this time I'm literally heartbroken like hell...
Hi everyone! After reading all your comments I see so many of you leaving or thinking of leaving something your prepared for years and something you loved with all your siddhat and the fault is not yours. Yesterday's paper was a exam of elimination and not of selection. CSAT particularly I believe has become a exam which selects only the elite among the masses. My centre was in TN, I saw many people who had backgrounds of not from these convent and other schools, having issues with english. The kind of passages which were given I was sure this is a exam of elimination.
I was utterly disappointed after the paper. Questions like sports awards? So many random science and tech questions? Why UPSC why? No questions on buddha, seas ? There was a complete change of pattern. Random medieval India question. Who so ever says we could have done well in calm conditions, I agree we could have , but when an unexpected question paper comes in front of us , most of us become a little hesitant in guessing answers, I was hesitant in most of them - I am scoring somewhere b/w 85-95 and I don't think I would be able to clear and one of the reasons I was sad because I did not go with my gut for some questions whose answer was actually correct. But then it was not my fault, it was exam situation and I could make limited guesses which I did and I just have to move on with it.
UPSC has become unpredictable and lowered its standards. Its right to move on , not entirely though, I would be giving other exams, picking up jobs and then side by side prepare. Gone are the days when result was proportional to the hard work.
@LetsGetThisBread I was really effected with what you have said to me! I really hope you clear, you have given so many years and you really deserves this girl. Mine was first attempt, and I still have lots of energy in me so will keep working hard.
And to everyone who is calling it quits , right decision to move on but if any way you feel you might regret it later, then I would humbly suggest giving exam side by side, because now I think you don't need that dedicated prep considering the randomness rather you need some good observation skills ( cooker question , mosquito repellant ) and of course god's luck!
All the very best everyone :)
Hi guys.. Like I mentioned yesterday, Hoping to clear prelims with 102+ marks as per 4 answer keys that I matched.. Feeling confident about CSAT because I solved maths and reasoning more than english (as was my strategy).
Since, everyone is discussing about the difficulty and randomness , I want to share my two cents and also describe my state of mind while giving the exam. It might be a long comment so read at your own discretion.
1. I scanned the paper for the first 5 minutes.. Just looked at questions and their placements.. I had Set-D, so first page was full of S&T, out of which I felt 2 questions were from some PYQs picked out verbatim. Unfortunately, I wasn't even sure of answers for them. I then looked at the 100th question and saw that 80-100 is all history and I had no courage to start paper from there.. So, I started from the beginning.
2. At one point maybe around 30-40 questions, I felt like I was giving one of Vision's mocks.. All this while, I have been a strongly opposed to Vision's mocks and somehow the paper yesterday, just reminded me of that.
3. I usually go through one reading of the paper in one hour. But by the time I was at 60th question, it was almost 10:45 and I had not even marked the bubbles. I almost felt like crying...
4. Somehow I reached 80th question.. I will not lie, I had no hopes from history, but I did 80-100 questions in almost less than 10 minutes. It was the easiest portion FOR ME in the paper and I will come back to it , why I say it was EASY "FOR ME".
5. I filled the bubbles and in one go I had filled just 60 bubbles. I knew the paper was bad overall and I was not sure of many questions, so I had to attempt more.. I attempted 90 questions.. Honestly, I felt like attempting more because I knew my accuracy was not that good.. But I stopped at 90.
Now, coming to easy/difficulty of the paper. IT WAS NOT AT ALL EASY. I love watching cricket and even look at points table , but I got confused and this question kept haunting me throughout the paper. Ofcourse, I did it wrong. I first marked correct but then changed it and got it wrong...
I WILL NOT LIE GUYS.. IF I CLEAR THE PRELIMS (which I am hopeful of, unless upsc decides to mess with me), IT IS70% HARDWORK AND 30% LUCK.
I was lucky that whatever questions that came in history, I knew many of them.. Who knew that they would ask where do Ajanta Caves lie? But I had read it , I do not know where, maybe in a video, maybe in some mock, god knows. I knew nothing about the other three options..This is luck. Sheer luck. No amount of hardwork can help you in such random questions.
I knew the answer of Lemon grass, because my father had planted it in our garden 2 years ago. Now we have never studied it in any source, this was pure luck.
I just want to say that paper was as random as it could get. And I am pretty sure , it would be more random next year as well. So, I would just say that don't chase random current affairs materials. None of them might feature in the paper, but what will actually feature in the paper and will give u a sense of calm are the questions from basic books. Like someone said polity and economics will always be your best friends. I see people running after random current affairs/mapping/indices and many people just don't give ENOUGH importance to basics.
Also, it is high time people study ancient and medieval properly. Gone are the days when toppers used to say "Medieval se kuch nahi aata". In our attempt to chase "Marketed study materials", we neglect our basics. NCERTS are the bible, no matter whatever other people say.
Honestly, I used to feel so anxious that people are reading PT365 and what not and magazines are something that have never been a good friend of mine. I did read monthlies. I did try to recall facts, but at the end, I knew there is a limit to what I can attempt from current affairs. It will not be a surprise that coaching mafia will now compile sports as an important column in their magazines. What if UPSC next year asks 5 questions on Defence and all..
At the end, I would just say from my own little experience with UPSC that don't run after random current affairs. Focus on your basic books. For subjects like History please read NCERTS also apart from the other books that we usually use. BASIC MIGHT NOT HELP YOU IN ANSWERING ALL THE QUESTIONS, BUT WHEN YOU SEE BASIC CONCEPTUAL QUESTIONS FROM POLITY OR ECONOMICS OR SOME FACTS FROM HISTORY THAT YOU READ IN NCERTS, YOU FEEL SAFE DURING THE EXAM. IT MAKES YOU A LITTLE BIT CALMER, WHICH MIGHT HELP YOU IN ATTEMPTING RANDOM QUESTIONS WITH A MUCH COOL MINDSET. WHEN YOU ARE SURE THAT YOUR CONCEPTUAL QUESTIONS ARE RIGHT, YOU WILL GO FOR THAT EXTRA QUESTION WHICH YOU THINK MAY BE CORRECT (and which you otherwise leave in that moment of stress).
TL;DR: Paper was not easy. Randomness --->infinity .. Make your basics very strong that you don't get any questions wrong from that. .. lastly, UPSC prelims is a gamble and LUCK IS A BIG FACTOR.. So, people who deny the importance of luck, please do it somewhere else.
Hey guys,
I was thinking maybe sometime we could do a forum people's zoom where we just hang out and chill for a while. I feel like the exam process feels very dehumanising and isolating, so it might do some good. Could make everyone feel a bit better to have a little bit of human connection and chitchat. I'm sure we can find a way to preserve anonymity :p
If anyone's interested we can take it up. Or if you think it's weird and creepy please ignore 😂
Hello Guys
I am 25; Graduated in 2017 from DU in BSC. Have been a forum member since 2019 (After my 2nd prelims).
My journey in UPSC CSE has officially come to a close.
This was was my 4th prelims. Unable to get through this door and unable to write mains even once ; have decided to pursue other things in life wherever it takes me.
Got into CSE prep largely for IFS/IRS - Dono mein se kuch bhi miljaye sort of.
Just want to thank all the lovely people for their support and wish you all for your future endeavors.
Maybe fir kabhi milenge yahin par.
Take care
Goodbye
Cheera (My girlfriend's cat): Standing near the door meowing wanting to be let out to another room.
My girlfriend: Everyday this poor thing does this knowing very well that the door will not open. He has great perseverance.
Me: It is not perseverance, its just that cats and dogs have very short term memory.
My girlfriend: I think that door is UPSC and you are the cat.
Me: 
» show previous quotesVery easy ?No, Not from perspective of someone who has actually prepared for the exam. But for someone who just appeared to get a taste it will definitely appear extremely easy. A 12th std kid preparing for NEET will find this paper a cakewalk and might even wonder why people make such a fuss about UPSC at all. It's such an easy exam. But for someone who has shaped his/her preparation based on previous year questions , this paper would be a nightmare. As to you getting 80 marks let me tell you if someone has given 3-4 attempts then that person will be able to reach this score even if he just sleepwalks into this exam and this regardless of difficulty of paper. The real struggle is to get those 5-6 qsn correct that get you through. Scoring 80s is no consolation at all.
Exactly. I hadn’t seriously prepared since Mains 2020, and I feel I might have cleared prelims. I might not have also, but I would have definitely come close. Paper was random, not hard. That’s worse than it being hard. When it’s random, most of your focused preparation goes for a toss. Your selection often depends on the off chance that you had read something somewhere at some time in the past, distribution pattern of questions from various subjects, or in many cases, on sheer dumb luck.
Especially when it’s a small sample size of 100 questions, 25-30 of which almost all serious candidates will get right, and roughly 35-40 of which most candidates would know very little about at the time of the exam (even though they would vehemently try to prove their reasoned answer correct later), it will just leave a rank list of thousands of students near the border. And any of them could have cleared prelims on their day. And vice versa. Quite cruel.
If you’ve given over a year and a half to this, I would strongly urge you to find a job. It is hard work, persistence and all that jazz that goes along with it. But, if the sun doesn’t shine on you, it simply doesn’t shine on you. And there’s not always a lot you can do about it. That is the truth, harsh as it is.
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