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Best wishes + Paper Discussion Mains 2024

Scrolling through over here I saw a discssion thread for every year but didn't find one for the next year.

So, this thread is dedicated to the discssions regarding CSE 2024. Anyone planning to appear for the exam next year can join the discussion.

Looking at the level of paper and kind of questions asked this year, I believe we are going to need a lot of support from each other. Hopefully this thread will grow and help a lot of aspirants, both old and new.

We can do it.

jack_Sparrow,curious_kidand106 otherslike this
292k views

1k comments

Sub-par quality of optional test series model answer  @Forum_ias_test_series 

I m part of sociology AWFG and found that most of the answer are directly copied from generative AI which lacks dept. Not expected from like institute@Neyawn 

@Forum_ia

Tata,MoorkhDuryodhanand1 otherslike this
3.1k views

Update: 

GS2 - done - but can't say completely - revisions pending

GS3- Economy portion done + Science (to good extent)

GS4 - Revision started

- Writing a GS3 and GS4 FLT tomorrow based on whatever I could recall.

Optional:

- Paper 1 - Part 1 done

- Paper 1 - Part 2 test on 28th

- Paper 2 - not revised since a long time - will get to it soon after Part 2 test

But overall - feel as if i have done nothing.

3k views
@Ykjaiswal Wrote GS3 and GS4 FLTs as planned. Completed the papers just in time, except GS4. 


SpartanSKV,
2.8k views
@Ykjaiswal Wrote GS3 and GS4 FLTs as planned. Completed the papers just in time, except GS4. 


When is all India simulator test

2.8k views
@SatyaPal 4th to 6th Sept.

For CSE Maths 2024 analysis: https://forumias.com/post/detail/Mathematics-Optional-2024-Paper-Analysis-1727851791
2.7k views

[Update: 27.08.2024]


Absolutely tanked in Abhyaas. I moved away from my old strategy to try something new in my answers. Couldn't manage my time plus lack of revision pulled my performance further down. So botched up my implementation. Missed almost 3 to 4 questions per GS paper! Again, I could not have time to finish Current Affairs because of my optional. Anyways, no excuses.. time to get back to work. 

  • Learning: Though I figured my mistakes out, I need to implement a strategy to remedy them somehow. 
  • Current mock status: Essay (3), GS1 (2), GS2 (2), GS3 (2), GS4 (3), Optional (2)
  • New aim: Concretize my attempt strategy for GS in the next 7 days and give Forum simulators to see if I could implement them correctly. 
  • New aim for Optional: Manage 50:50 time between GS & Opt now and I need to increase mocks for Maths as well. I need to finish off CP&NA PYQs (The loss of almost 40 marks in this section last year hit me hard), FD & Mech and S&D notes consolidated, Torsion part left to practice in Vector Analysis. So aim is to get this work done. 


  • Anyhow, a story to share with the community (from the inventory of my stories)- 

    Mike "Iron" Tyson v. James "Buster" Douglas Tokyo Dome, Japan, 11 February 1990:

    Tyson was the undefeated and undisputed heavyweight boxing champion of the world and was very popular at the time. Most considered this fight to be a warm-up bout as he had scored a 93-second knockout against Carl Williams in his previous fight. On the other hand, Douglas was considered an underdog going into this fight and up until that point, he had achieved mixed success. He was recovering from the loss of his mother who had died just twenty-three days before the fight.

    HBO boxing analysts Larry Merchant and Jim Lampley expected to see "another 90-second annihilation." When asked by a Japanese customs official how long he expected to be working in Japan, Ed Schuyler of the Associated Press replied, "Oh, about ninety seconds."

    Just before the fight, Tyson was seen partying with singer Bobby Brown and he refused to sleep early for the fight, deeming Douglas "an amateur" he could beat "if I didn't sleep for five weeks."

    The fight:

    From the outset, Douglas showed no fear. He moved with agility, throwing punches whenever he saw an opening, using quick jabs to keep Tyson at bay. Douglas finished the second round with a snappy uppercut to Tyson's chin. Seeming to regain his form, Tyson landed a punishing left to the body that had Douglas look at his corner, but still somehow Douglas seemed to dominate the middle rounds although Tyson managed to land a few of his signature uppercuts. Tyson was wobbled by a chopping right during the fifth round. Soon, Tyson's left eye began to swell from Douglas' right jabs, preventing him from seeing his opponent's punches well. Tyson's cornermen were caught unprepared; they were so confident Tyson would easily beat Douglas that they had not brought an endswell or ice packs, usually standard equipment for a fight. Instead, they filled a latex glove with ice water and held it on Tyson's eye between rounds.

    Within the last ten seconds of the eighth round, Tyson, who had been backed onto the ropes, landed a big right uppercut that sent Douglas to the canvas. Although the knockdown timekeeper began when Douglas' backside touched the ring's surface, the referee was said to have started his own count behind by two beats. Douglas rose as the referee signaled nine, but the bell ended the round.

    In the tenth round, Tyson pushed forward, but he was still hurting from the accumulation of punishment he had absorbed throughout the match. As Tyson advanced, Douglas measured him with a few jabs before landing an uppercut that snapped Tyson's head upward, stopping Tyson in his tracks. As Tyson reeled back, Douglas immediately followed with four punches to the head, knocking Tyson down for the first time in his career. In a famous scene, Tyson fumbled for his mouthpiece on the canvas before sticking one end in his mouth with the other end hanging out. The champion attempted to make it back to his feet, but referee Octavio Meyran counted him out. Buster Douglas thus became the new undisputed heavyweight champion, engineering one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.

    During the post-fight interview, Douglas broke down in tears when asked why he was able to win this fight when no one thought he could. "Because of my mother...God bless her heart," said the emotional new champion.

Each one of us has a Buster Douglas within us and each one of us is fighting their own demons. Let's fight hard for these last three weeks before Mains. All the best! 


For CSE Maths 2024 analysis: https://forumias.com/post/detail/Mathematics-Optional-2024-Paper-Analysis-1727851791
DM,Foolphotonand13 otherslike this
3k views
- Wrote Optional FLT. Next target GS1 and Optional 2A
2.4k views

[Update: 27.08.2024]


Absolutely tanked in Abhyaas. I moved away from my old strategy to try something new in my answers. Couldn't manage my time plus lack of revision pulled my performance further down. So botched up my implementation. Missed almost 3 to 4 questions per GS paper! Again, I could not have time to finish Current Affairs because of my optional. Anyways, no excuses.. time to get back to work. 

  • Learning: Though I figured my mistakes out, I need to implement a strategy to remedy them somehow. 
  • Current mock status: Essay (3), GS1 (2), GS2 (2), GS3 (2), GS4 (3), Optional (2)
  • New aim: Concretize my attempt strategy for GS in the next 7 days and give Forum simulators to see if I could implement them correctly. 
  • New aim for Optional: Manage 50:50 time between GS & Opt now and I need to increase mocks for Maths as well. I need to finish off CP&NA PYQs (The loss of almost 40 marks in this section last year hit me hard), FD & Mech and S&D notes consolidated, Torsion part left to practice in Vector Analysis. So aim is to get this work done. 


  • Anyhow, a story to share with the community (from the inventory of my stories)- 

    Mike "Iron" Tyson v. James "Buster" Douglas Tokyo Dome, Japan, 11 February 1990:

    Tyson was the undefeated and undisputed heavyweight boxing champion of the world and was very popular at the time. Most considered this fight to be a warm-up bout as he had scored a 93-second knockout against Carl Williams in his previous fight. On the other hand, Douglas was considered an underdog going into this fight and up until that point, he had achieved mixed success. He was recovering from the loss of his mother who had died just twenty-three days before the fight.

    HBO boxing analysts Larry Merchant and Jim Lampley expected to see "another 90-second annihilation." When asked by a Japanese customs official how long he expected to be working in Japan, Ed Schuyler of the Associated Press replied, "Oh, about ninety seconds."

    Just before the fight, Tyson was seen partying with singer Bobby Brown and he refused to sleep early for the fight, deeming Douglas "an amateur" he could beat "if I didn't sleep for five weeks."

    The fight:

    From the outset, Douglas showed no fear. He moved with agility, throwing punches whenever he saw an opening, using quick jabs to keep Tyson at bay. Douglas finished the second round with a snappy uppercut to Tyson's chin. Seeming to regain his form, Tyson landed a punishing left to the body that had Douglas look at his corner, but still somehow Douglas seemed to dominate the middle rounds although Tyson managed to land a few of his signature uppercuts. Tyson was wobbled by a chopping right during the fifth round. Soon, Tyson's left eye began to swell from Douglas' right jabs, preventing him from seeing his opponent's punches well. Tyson's cornermen were caught unprepared; they were so confident Tyson would easily beat Douglas that they had not brought an endswell or ice packs, usually standard equipment for a fight. Instead, they filled a latex glove with ice water and held it on Tyson's eye between rounds.

    Within the last ten seconds of the eighth round, Tyson, who had been backed onto the ropes, landed a big right uppercut that sent Douglas to the canvas. Although the knockdown timekeeper began when Douglas' backside touched the ring's surface, the referee was said to have started his own count behind by two beats. Douglas rose as the referee signaled nine, but the bell ended the round.

    In the tenth round, Tyson pushed forward, but he was still hurting from the accumulation of punishment he had absorbed throughout the match. As Tyson advanced, Douglas measured him with a few jabs before landing an uppercut that snapped Tyson's head upward, stopping Tyson in his tracks. As Tyson reeled back, Douglas immediately followed with four punches to the head, knocking Tyson down for the first time in his career. In a famous scene, Tyson fumbled for his mouthpiece on the canvas before sticking one end in his mouth with the other end hanging out. The champion attempted to make it back to his feet, but referee Octavio Meyran counted him out. Buster Douglas thus became the new undisputed heavyweight champion, engineering one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.

    During the post-fight interview, Douglas broke down in tears when asked why he was able to win this fight when no one thought he could. "Because of my mother...God bless her heart," said the emotional new champion.

Each one of us has a Buster Douglas within us and each one of us is fighting their own demons. Let's fight hard for these last three weeks before Mains. All the best! 

Thank you for sharing this!! 'Tyson vs Douglas' story never fails to amaze me no matter how many times I read it.

tedmosby,Siebzehn
2.3k views

Update: 31/8/2024

Spent last few days reading core texts of optional(beyond the initial plan) something that was undermining my self confidence. Although still not there, but feel it helped internalize many concepts and my language for the subject.

What have I done till now?

Optional Tests- 4 FLT(sectional), 3 HLT(sectional), daily brainstorming vs topper answers.

Wrote ~21 AWFGs(skipped Post Ind, World, A&C) with only 1 AWFG with all 7 Qns but minimal reading/revising. But have got hold of how to write.(Rank varied- from top 50 to bottom 30- just kept on writing).

Overall Feedback: Good breaking down of concepts, legibility ok.

Need to work upon:1. Content- Need to Mug up facts, data, committees, articles, ethics examples. 2. Timing(fear of not knowing led to wasting time writing lengthy answers)

Essay- 5 HLT, 1 FLT( scoring around 50-52 per essay).

Ethics-1 FLT(82.5)

What Next? 18 days available

Write 3 hour test for GS starting tomorrow to cover 1 round of content.  

Next 10 days- GS 1,2,3- Sectional-2 tests each(1 per day*6=6 days). GS 4-Sectional-1 test, (Essay-1FLT+GS1,2 full syllabus+GS3,4 full syllabus). 

Optional- Revise and Condense notes to 2 notebooks, only key word and thinker backward.

Next 10 days- Optional 2 FLT(sectional), 5 HLT(sectional).

If GS backlog accumulates reduce Optional emphasis from 6th onwards(tactical).

Finally, Like everyone says, from now on- Control the controllable. Study Hard, Sleep Well! 

Mahi2306,tedmosbyand5 otherslike this
2.2k views
can any previously mains written aspirants candidates clarify this:
1) how many sides/pages does UPSC booklet provide for ETHICS CASE STUDY --is it complete 4 sides or 3.5 sides(assuming question printed on half  of page 1)
1.8k views
Will cover 2 current affairs class
1.8k views
can any previously mains written aspirants candidates clarify this:
1) how many sides/pages does UPSC booklet provide for ETHICS CASE STUDY --is it complete 4 sides or 3.5 sides(assuming question printed on half  of page 1)

Generally, 3.5 sides as far as I remember. 


For CSE Maths 2024 analysis: https://forumias.com/post/detail/Mathematics-Optional-2024-Paper-Analysis-1727851791
1.8k views
Will cover 2 current affairs class

couldnt complete..
will complete it  along woth 4more lectures+np+1hr revision+awfg test revision 1per day

1.7k views

[Update: 02.09.2024]

  • Gave yesterday's Abhyaas for Maths Optional. I made really small silly mistakes (Again in CP&NA and ODE). Identified that revising formulas and notes is the real problem for me. I have conceptual clarity in all the topics. So tackling random topics isn't the issue for me. Way ahead for Maths: Pinpoint formulas and problematic areas in Maths per section.  
  • For General studies, I think I have found my way. Implementation of these ideas in the exam conditions will matter now. The "hoga nahi hoga" question depends on that. Botched up my implementation in Abhyaas which actually reflected. I believe content matters but strategy matters even more.Way ahead: Work on finalizing an attempting strategy. 

क्‍या हार में क्‍या जीत में
किंचित नहीं भयभीत मैं
संधर्ष पथ पर जो मिले यह भी सही वह भी सही
वरदान माँगूँगा नहीं।

For CSE Maths 2024 analysis: https://forumias.com/post/detail/Mathematics-Optional-2024-Paper-Analysis-1727851791
MaxAdmirer,Mohit31
1.8k views
@Royal_Challengers_Bangalore 3.25. the questions are very big. 


1.7k views
Hello , can someone please help wrt this confusion - some people are advising energy drinks like redbull for mains. Is it really helpful? But on the net it is showing that it's impact falls after 2 hours. Has anyone tried this for mains so far? This will be my first mains and i haven't tried any energy drink yet. I am thinking of using it on 2nd shift of each day - like for forenoon session. 
1.7k views
@Ykjaiswal redbull is essentially a caffinated drink with some vitamins needed for neural funtion, if you are a coffee drinker (and take multivitamin supplement) redbull wont make much of a diffrence.
Now, if you are planning to use it for exam try and test it for yourself-->to see how it affects you.
It may mess up your sleep cycle. therefore, don't consume caffine after 8 hours prior to the sleeptime. eg if you plan to sleep at 8PM last coffee/caffine dose should be at 12noon.
(8 hour deadline holds, subject to your metabolism)
it it better to spread your dosage in 2-3 portions so that a certain level can be maintained thoughout the exam. 

too much caffine in the system will give you an unpleasant high.


1.7k views
@Qurafaat Thanks bhai. Will try with simulators.


1.6k views
Thank you@tedmosby and@sylvieplath for clarifying


tedmosby,
1.5k views
Deleted

Hi,

Anyone facing the issue with mobile number error in IFS daf.space is blanked out but page is asking for it when submitting it.

5.2k views
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