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[Results] Prelims 2020 Over - Gearing for 2021

Because of the corona virus issue? If it does not happen then worst affected will be people whose interview is stuck, around 600-700 such people I think are yet to appear for their interview.


@neyawn sir and others, what is your take?

This is the official Thread for discussion of Prelims Postponement, Please do not create new threads for the same.

jack_Sparrow,curious_kidand137 otherslike this
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I missed Prelims 2018 cutoff by 3 marks and cleared Prelims 2019 pretty easily (My score most likely was between 110-115).

But, fucking up Vision Tests has been constant for me. I think I've never scored more than 100 in any of their tests. It's usually in 80s for me. Today also, I only got 85 :(.

I don't intend to boast here or call credibility of Vision Tests into question. All I am saying is the results here do not reflect how prelims may go. This paper was way different than how CivilS was. Also, UPSC is most likely making a conscious effort to not make papers on similar lines. So please don't get disheartened people. Let's learn something out of this and not overthink about it.

Itachi,Auroraand28 otherslike this
6.1k views

I missed Prelims 2018 cutoff by 3 marks and cleared Prelims 2019 pretty easily (My score most likely was between 110-115).

But, fucking up Vision Tests has been constant for me. I think I've never scored more than 100 in any of their tests. It's usually in 80s for me. Today also, I only got 85 :(.

I don't intend to boast here or call credibility of Vision Tests into question. All I am saying is the results here do not reflect how prelims may go. This paper was way different than how CivilS was. Also, UPSC is most likely making a conscious effort to not make papers on similar lines. So please don't get disheartened people. Let's learn something out of this and not overthink about it.

+1 
There's minimal correlation with the scores we get in Abhyaas and those we get in actual Prelims. On the D-Day, whoever has the max. control on their nerves wins. Knowledge isn't much of a kingmaker beyond a certain point. 

Aurora,GaryVeeand13 otherslike this
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» show previous quotes

@Kasturi22 Congratulations for clearing difficult exams like IRDAI and Nabard. Nowadays these regulatory exams are way harder because of the obscenely low success rate like 0.13% for RBI with so few seats and lakhs of applicants. I was a regulatory exam aspirant since 2018 failed all while reaching 2 interviews now turned UPSC aspirant only because there are atleast 200 300 seats for general but yeah syllabus is 10x here. Hope you clear UPSC with flying colors ma'am. Also this year everyone somehow seems to be preparing for UPSC around me. Insane competition incoming for us all!

Did you get those words etched on your Junagarh inscription, Skandagupta? :P


Rarely get to see any Ancient History fandom. High-five!

 I, Skandagupta scion of the mighty Guptas drove away  the savage shveta turushka hunas(white huns) from our homeland bharatvarsha and I have recorded my exploits in Bhitari as an inscription. That rudradaman who pillaged junagarh and overwrote Mauryan inscription on the famous rock was another yavana invader whose kingdom was destroyed by Gupta ancestors to bring self rule. Hail Bharata!

Okay, Vikramaditya :)

That's my grandfather nibba.

You also took the title after defeating Huns. You forgot? :p

No I didn't. Mainstream history might have forgotten me but true history buffs will always remember me as the greatest defender of India along with the likes of God king Chandragupta Maurya(vs Mighty Greeks), Gautamiputra Satkarni(vs Shakas+greeks) Joint north-south alliance leaders ie Pulakeshi of Navsari Chalukya+Nagabhatta of Gurjara-Pratihara vs all conquering Umayyad Arabs, Krishnadevraya vs Bahmanis and of course Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj vs Aurangzeb+Deccan sultanates.

EiChan,AzadHindFauzand1 otherslike this
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Deleted
Is the test code for Abhyaas Test 3 - 3002?
5.4k views

I missed Prelims 2018 cutoff by 3 marks and cleared Prelims 2019 pretty easily (My score most likely was between 110-115).

But, fucking up Vision Tests has been constant for me. I think I've never scored more than 100 in any of their tests. It's usually in 80s for me. Today also, I only got 85 :(.

I don't intend to boast here or call credibility of Vision Tests into question. All I am saying is the results here do not reflect how prelims may go. This paper was way different than how CivilS was. Also, UPSC is most likely making a conscious effort to not make papers on similar lines. So please don't get disheartened people. Let's learn something out of this and not overthink about it.

Couldn't agree more. 

4.6k views
I scored 92 in abhyas 2 andd 97 in abhyas 3 ,my score was 124,116,130 in 2016,17,18 prelims .Is this abhyas a real gauge of competion .Have the game beome tougher . or vison is has grown outdated .I used to score in range of 110 -120 back then quiet easily in vision  open test which were free in those years .Not in touch of the  prelims(gs)process after mains 2018 result .some experienced  guy please clarify.
GaryVee,
5.1k views
@Sheraaaa 130 in Pre 2018 is damn good.

I'd say 2017 onwards, CivilS exam is diverging more and more from Vision Tests. So yeah, you can say Vision Tests are getting outdated to an extent. Also, I feel vision tests these days involve minimal logic and it's about either knowing the answer or not. CivilS is certainly not like this.


Homo Neanderthalensis ,
5.2k views

I missed Prelims 2018 cutoff by 3 marks and cleared Prelims 2019 pretty easily (My score most likely was between 110-115).

But, fucking up Vision Tests has been constant for me. I think I've never scored more than 100 in any of their tests. It's usually in 80s for me. Today also, I only got 85 :(.

I don't intend to boast here or call credibility of Vision Tests into question. All I am saying is the results here do not reflect how prelims may go. This paper was way different than how CivilS was. Also, UPSC is most likely making a conscious effort to not make papers on similar lines. So please don't get disheartened people. Let's learn something out of this and not overthink about it.

True!

4.4k views
@kochikaame Thank you bro.That was differnt era yar failing n mains have taken the youthful energy from me.Fir bhi hum honge kamyab.

Yes ,you figured out the correct thing ,just reviewd my test vision is getting factual without scope of elimination  .They are not asking easy question which everybody knows .I fear the youngsters will be misguided by  focussing  on obsecure facts rather than revising common stuff .yes beyond 30 questions which everybody know upsc is more about logic and nerves.


EiChan,GaryVeeand5 otherslike this
4.8k views
Hey everyone, I am in a bit of a dilemma. I’ve finished Forum simulators until 8, Vajiram until 22 a while ago, and am now doing Vision. Finished 8 today. Been scoring decently, but Vision tests have been seeming a little divergent from PYQs to me too. From what everyone has said I don’t even want to venture into Abhyas. Should I continue and finish the Vision series, or go back and finish the simulators or Vajiram? I haven’t done any tests from the COVID extended months.
4.5k views
Hey everyone, I am in a bit of a dilemma. I’ve finished Forum simulators until 8, Vajiram until 22 a while ago, and am now doing Vision. Finished 8 today. Been scoring decently, but Vision tests have been seeming a little divergent from PYQs to me too. From what everyone has said I don’t even want to venture into Abhyas. Should I continue and finish the Vision series, or go back and finish the simulators or Vajiram? I haven’t done any tests from the COVID extended months.

Personal opinion- Pick up simulator, Vision and Vajiram and put them all aside. Last 15 days should only be revision of what you’ve already done.

Itachi,chamomileand4 otherslike this
4.8k views

I missed Prelims 2018 cutoff by 3 marks and cleared Prelims 2019 pretty easily (My score most likely was between 110-115).

But, fucking up Vision Tests has been constant for me. I think I've never scored more than 100 in any of their tests. It's usually in 80s for me. Today also, I only got 85 :(.

I don't intend to boast here or call credibility of Vision Tests into question. All I am saying is the results here do not reflect how prelims may go. This paper was way different than how CivilS was. Also, UPSC is most likely making a conscious effort to not make papers on similar lines. So please don't get disheartened people. Let's learn something out of this and not overthink about it.

Thank you so much for saying this. I just scored really bad on a mock test and just wasted the rest of the night feeling like I won't be able to clear it or how much it'll suck if I am not able to clear Prelims. This really makes me feel better. Of course at the same time I'm going to keep trying to get better scores in these mocks.

Dora-the_Explorer,kochikaame
4k views

Vision abhyaas is not at all good.

Many newbies will be duped into believing that UPSC is game of facts. Which it is not


Its game of logic. Yes some questions are trivial and very factual, but then, you only had to score 50 percent, not 100. 


Focus on the bare basics and foundation. 


That alone would help you clear,


And i can guarantee that all these CA compilation are also not worth. Better way is to take issue and learn it comprehensively, rather than going for every obscure schemes and programs

chamomile,Wats_there_in_a_nameand2 otherslike this
4k views

rashivsaid

Hey everyone, I am in a bit of a dilemma. I’ve finished Forum simulators until 8, Vajiram until 22 a while ago, and am now doing Vision. Finished 8 today. Been scoring decently, but Vision tests have been seeming a little divergent from PYQs to me too. From what everyone has said I don’t even want to venture into Abhyas. Should I continue and finish the Vision series, or go back and finish the simulators or Vajiram? I haven’t done any tests from the COVID extended months.

Personal opinion- Pick up simulator, Vision and Vajiram and put them all aside. Last 15 days should only be revision of what you’ve already done.

Makes most sense, thank you :) I’ve been doing mocks to get some sort of feeling of security, but it’s not worth missing out on revision. Will replan my schedule. 

3.9k views
All the mocks must be reflected upon with UPSC PYQ's as the guiding light. 
Personal experience, I was giving environment mocks of an institute. Terrible scores. Like my best was 86.33.
Was shell shocked!
Picked up PYQ's and was able to do 80% of the questions from the past 10 years easily. I believe mocks trick us into studying more, which is actually not needed in the last 15 days at least. Had I not looked at the PYQ's, I would have had run blindly behind random compilations, screwing my chances.
So as someone said above, last 15 days should be just for reading and revising and PYQ's.

GaryVee,Dora-the_Explorerand5 otherslike this
4.5k views

Good people of Forum.. Thank you for existing.. I am a newbie with first serious attempt..Left my job for this. So i have been ticking all the boxes wrt UPSC preperation, but being a bit bogged up in this final hour.

Could you people please elaborate a bit on how to go about for last 15 days..I mean share your experiences (what worked/what didn't).

I hope this will others like me also.

Thank you in advance

Dora-the_Explorer,discoFighterand2 otherslike this
3.4k views
There has not been a single question from non-constitutional bodies in the last 10 years( only 1-2, that too very very layman) but see for yourself, most of the TOUGH mocks will have such question. Why?
Similarly, In Economics, in the past 20 years, UPSC has asked questions regarding Current account convertibility and Capital account convertibility. But the scope of the question remains limited to what are they and can be easily identified if you have read about them only once, that too superficially. But Mocks, they will boast their gyaan by asking limits, sectors, LERMS and what not. 
I can quote at least 20 more examples likewise. That is why Mastering PYQ is the key. Not the random Mocks. :)
GaryVee,Dora-the_Explorerand5 otherslike this
4.4k views
@Param_Roy My advice, focus on Polity and History first. 30 questions roughly every year. That is the core area building up your mocks. Standard sources+PYQ.
Make them your base and then do other sources. See, economy and geography are intuitive, if you have understood them earlier, you will be able to do questions. Hence I said the focus on history and polity!
And, Personal experience, do not run after CA, the merit is built upon static portions. :)


GaryVee,Dora-the_Explorerand3 otherslike this
4.4k views

*Make sure you are able to revise5 whole static syllabus last week before the exam. 

*Prioritise polity and history to be revised in last 3 days before exam. 

*Do not read anything new. 

*if doing CA from any compilation, revise it once more. Preferably this week and leave it. 

*Observe atlas for 10 minutes everyday before sleeping 


GaryVee,Dora-the_Explorerand3 otherslike this
5k views

I would like to share my knowledge about prelim stage, having given 4 attempts so far, I have figured out few things.

1. Cutoff in the past 4 years has been less than the marks which one can obtain from easier questions.

2. Coaching mocks actually are not at all relevant these days. They were not relevant earlier as well, the only mock which should be solved is last 25 years question papers, but it has to be done diligently.

3. There is a lot of misinformation about prelims, actually it is not that difficult to crack. It's more a game of nerves rather knowledge. Last year many questions could be solved through elimination actually. For instance the question on maternity act. Had upsc wanted to they would have made options difficult but they don't do such things. They are not coaching mocks!! The only common sense expected of you was to just think, that if a woman visits creche 6 times during a days working hour, what would be her productivity?that ways you can get your answer. There were many such questions.

4. Be convinced that you will absolutely not know answers to 15 questions and we should respect this fact. It is very much possible to clear cutoff by attempting 85 questions. I have done it thrice.

5. Now onwards stop solving any such open mocks, these mocks makes questions on exceptions and upsc is not like that.

6. Just go through your current affairs daily, atleast revise 3 modules in a day. Take up one static subject try to finish it in one day. You don't need to get into details of everything. Just try getting an idea.

7. Regarding polity and history, a lot of time need not be put into preparation now, just focus on topics asked in previous year questions. Do only those topics.

8. If you can manage try reading lucent atleast once just glance through it. You will be surprised to find a lot of questions actually comes from it. For instance when everyone were hairsplitting over future buddha question, I could mark it within seconds as I read it clearly in lucent. So you may find such topics.

9. Just trust yourselves at this point of time. Its important to be calm and start believing in your gut feeling from now on. If you respect your gut feeling, it will pay you in the exam while doing 50/50 questions. 


Aurora,Rise from Ashesand22 otherslike this
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