CSE 2021: Plan / Strategy / Daily Routine
Hello 2021 aspirants. I thought it would be nice if we can share what we are doing and intend to do with one another here.
This could be a thread for discussing everything prep for 2021.
No one method fits all but to see the plans and progress made by fellow aspirants might help with the finer details of preparation and also keep one on track.
Moderator Update: This thread has crossed 1 million views and has thousands of comments slowing down the website. We are closing this and moving to the next thread
1.how do you guys balance between finishing syllabus and writing mocks? If I focus on the former, I end up writing no questions and if I do the latter, I write extremely shitty answers and not even finish them on time..
2. How to handle that overwhelming feeling after looking at such a huge syllabus?
3. Despite reading society for 2-3 day, I still got almost blank while writing a mock, what should be done to retain it more and seamlessly?
4. Also, how to attempt paper within the allotted time span?
Specific doubt for@AJ_ .. How did you score so well in ethics? Had you prepared for those types of case studies before hand??? How yo tackle unconventional type of paper?
1. My strategy was to create a test taking schedule before hand, in which I knew, I'd be writing what test when. Which decided the parts I had to revise and how well.
For example. 10th Nov is GS 1, then 2 days of History, 1.5 days of society and 2 days of Geo + buffer days would get me ready to write it. Not the entire day, but 3 hour slots for these things I'll do before writing the test.
2. Deal with it 1 page at a time, 1 topic at a time, 1 GS paper at a time. And consolidate mentally (either through highlights or notes, your choice)
3. Society questions are tricky in the sense that they don't follow a decided syllabus. Need a bit of sociological thinking to be able to deal with them on the spot. This overview can be developed by reading 12th Sociology NCERTs - that did the trick for me.
4. Use the 5 minutes given to read the paper completely. Mark questions which you know the least about and attempt them at the end with whatever time left (make sure it's not less than 3 minutes even for these type of questions). Use the extra to write very good answers for other questions.
@Arrokoth Can you elaborate what did you do for Prelims. Your GS score in prelims is too good. I have always suffered in prelims. 5 attempts (all failed in prelims), 2022 would be my last one.Please be specific about your sources, what you think worked for you and how to approach prelims on a whole.Thanks a lot in advance
Hey, so:
1. Sources - same as Anudeep Durrishetty Sir's booklist (found on anudeepdurrishetty.in)
2. Approach - look at PYQs by UPSC (not just CSE) constantly. Try to figure out "why" an answer is right and "how" (which means by making what logical connection) can you arrive on the correct answer. This is to be repeated enough number of times with as many PYQs of CAPF, CSE as possible.
Rest is just revision of basic books, and using mocks as an opportunity to test how much of basics books am I able to retain.
3. All said and done, a bit of self-confidence and a dash of luck goes a loooong way in clearing the IFoS cutoff in Pre. The CSE cutoff can be touched without luck too, although self-confidence is absolutely essential.
1. For GS papers, how to strike a balance between content enrichment and revision? Basically, where to draw the line.2. Additionally, how did you go about enriching your pre-existing content?3. In GS, as issues are endless, is having ready points for as many issues as possible, really helpful while brainstorming in the exam, or is it better to stick to a few issues, limited content and more practise/test related brainstorming?4. Your overall strategy for prelims? How did you ensure such comfortable scores and what worked for you?Thank you!
1. If you have about 400 words of solid content + examples + case study + best practices over each topic, you stop. Then if you find something new, only use it to replace existing content. That will make you think of the actual worth of new content you are looking at.
2. Additional enrichment for me in 2020 happened through Niti Aayog reports, ARC summaries and innovative case studies, over and above VAMs. All of these I could actually use in papers for the first time.
3. First part is ideal to be strived towards after achieving what I've written in Q 1. Second part is the patch work to be laid as a reality. Work for 1, practice for 2.
4. My overall strategy I've pointed out in a response above. Those are the large parts of it. If you would want it in detail, please tell me - I'd have to write a book like message. 😅
Please suggest, how to prepare current affairs for Mains 2021. I have read newspapers daily. Wrote insightsonIndia answers for 3-4 months.
Last year, i failed to write good answers even for questions on NEP 2020 and Jal Jeevan mission.
I am thinking of going through Vision Mains 365, is this a good option?
I did Vision Monthlies as the only revisable source of CA. Every other thing I just highlighted a particular area (for example insights, or a really good newspaper article), took a screenshot and read.
365 may work too, it is a dense but good source
Newton981,The Sense of An Ending:
So, hello!
Writing this post on this thread because probably/maybe/perhaps you guys would know about us.
Who's us?
Me and @AJ_
What are we upto?
Tying up ends, so to speak. FC is coming up for both of us (three of us actually, @whatonly )and then IAS/IPS/IRS trainings start. So, basically THE career begins. And shoppings for the career begin much early.
So, we wouldn't be here. Not in the absolutely-sitting-at-this-site-constantly-refreshing way anyway.
Bhai kehna kya chahte ho?
That we would want to help as many people as possible before we leave this place. Try and help people sharpen their tools for Pre-Mains-Interview and lessen their anxieties.
Because once that training starts, we wouldn't be of much use on one-to-one interactions. And we, simply put, would hopefully be occupied by learnings about services, than to visit this place regularly.
We'd be leaving this space by 6th November '21.Till then, here to help. All the time.
Ask us things, worries, doubts and talk to us. We'd be happy to indulge.
So, finally, looking forward to talking to you guys if you would want.
@Arrokoth - Rank 124, CSE 2020
Pre Scores:
2019 - GS: 129.34 CSAT - 100.34
2020 - GS: 117.69 CSAT - 106.68
@AJ_ - Rank 16, CSE 2020
Pre Score:
2020 - GS: ~121 CSAT: ~140
Sir,
I scored miserably last time in mains 2020. I made diagrams and flow charts as I was suggested. Scoring adequately in mocks of GS but got poor marks in GS. I have attached screenshot of an answer and marks. I wrote similarly in exam. But result was opposite.
Please help me. Thank you.
Hello, the issues that I can see here:
1. The density of content is less. You are using many words to explain relatively not-so-important things.
2. Conclusion is a very important part of the answer, puts you at a relative disadvantage if you miss it in questions.
3. For a good 10 marker, it needs to have 10-12 substantive points along with a data dense intro + innovative conclusion.
Example: in this question:
Intro - definition of MSME by investment+turnover, their contribution to Indian exports + example of a good exporting MSME
Body -
A. Issues - 5-6 issues (with atleast 4 issues being supported by examples)
B. Government schemes - 4-5 (use agri-export policy, trifed schemes as well)
Conclusion - speak of either a case study doing work + values required for doing well in export.
@Arrokoth thanks a lot for this. All the best and have fun during FC :)
Arrokoth,THE_MECHANIC
Hello, the issues that I can see here:
1. The density of content is less. You are using many words to explain relatively not-so-important things.
2. Conclusion is a very important part of the answer, puts you at a relative disadvantage if you miss it in questions.
3. For a good 10 marker, it needs to have 10-12 substantive points along with a data dense intro + innovative conclusion.
Example: in this question:
Intro - definition of MSME by investment+turnover, their contribution to Indian exports + example of a good exporting MSME
Body -
A. Issues - 5-6 issues (with atleast 4 issues being supported by examples)
B. Government schemes - 4-5 (use agri-export policy, trifed schemes as well)
Conclusion - speak of either a case study doing work + values required for doing well in export.
Thank you sir. One more question sir is it possible that every question can be covered with such quality. Good conclusion, density and targetted points. If no then how do you write those answers.
Hello, the issues that I can see here:
1. The density of content is less. You are using many words to explain relatively not-so-important things.
2. Conclusion is a very important part of the answer, puts you at a relative disadvantage if you miss it in questions.
3. For a good 10 marker, it needs to have 10-12 substantive points along with a data dense intro + innovative conclusion.
Example: in this question:
Intro - definition of MSME by investment+turnover, their contribution to Indian exports + example of a good exporting MSME
Body -
A. Issues - 5-6 issues (with atleast 4 issues being supported by examples)
B. Government schemes - 4-5 (use agri-export policy, trifed schemes as well)
Conclusion - speak of either a case study doing work + values required for doing well in export.
Thank you sir. One more question sir is it possible that every question can be covered with such quality. Good conclusion, density and targetted points. If no then how do you write those answers.
Ideally 60-70% of your answers should be of this quality. Rest are of the same format but less of every single component 😅
Last minute notes of pre were - dates, article numbers, specific details of tricky economics terms, tricky clauses of schemes + atlas from the NP/WLS perspective
For mains - one pager of terms, phrases that I linked recall of larger points with - per topic. No CA revision in last minute. That was all well revised atleast 5 days before itself.
1)MGP or Vision IAS FOR a mains test series?
Vision has a centre in my town, MGP doesn't but have heard good things about it. I think I won't be able to simulate hall like conditions at home/library.
2)For Ethics, how is Lukmaan IAS test series? Or should I go on doing it myself? Lat year scored terribly, in the 70s.
Thank you and All the best!
1)MGP or Vision IAS FOR a mains test series?
Vision has a centre in my town, MGP doesn't but have heard good things about it. I think I won't be able to simulate hall like conditions at home/library.2)For Ethics, how is Lukmaan IAS test series? Or should I go on doing it myself? Lat year scored terribly, in the 70s.
Thank you and All the best!
1. You may do Vision then. That exam feel is much important, wherever you may have it.
2. I've heard good things about it, but I didn't enroll in it. Maybe@AJ_ can shed some light on this.
Score in 70s shows quite a bit of scope in both improvement of answer dimensions and content density. You maybe benefitted by taking external help.
heisenberg_,Muffin
@AJ_ @Arrokoth I have noticed that if I have good content I can write a pretty good answer with relevant data and facts but in questions where my content is low I write really bad answers, I feel like I don't have the art of writing general answers. Can you please tell how should I approach such questions.
Q1: I revised my notes ~ 2 layers (1 layer for some topics). These are mostly just the important IMS questions, either from their notes or test series. After that focused on practicing more and more:
- Did IMS 2020 TS in Practice Mode (only 2 tests in TEST MODE)
- Did IMS 2019 + 2018 TS in Practice Mode.
- Did Shankar 2020 TS + SuccessClap TS for Practice.
- Did PYQ 2011 to 2020 in Practice Mode
- Any other Question Bank/Source
Revised the notes made on the basis of above.
Also revised micro notes (which are formulas + some tricks). See Kanishak Sir's Micro Notes for reference.
Q2: If you haven't done either before. I think do the PYQs from 2011 to 2020. Then move to IMS test series. But if you have done till 2011, then go for Test Series instead of going beyond 2011. This is keeping in mind the paucity of time.
Celeborn,Indian_Human.
@AJ_ Hi, I've physics optional but juggling with GS and optional remains pretty much the same wrt to maths and physics. How did you manage optional along with GS in those 2 months? I've confidence in GS, such that I just need to revise and write the mocks for majority of the GS. While my optional scenario is completely opposite, probably due to the fact that I need to cover the syllabus once to get some confidence in that.
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