The UPSC Civil services prelims 2021 is just 1.5 months away, and may I cement the fact that this period is the most important in your preparation. Hence, I request every aspirant out there to give their maximum effort during this time and reap the benefits. I will share some tips and tricks to improve the preparation strategy for the upcoming exam.

1. Sleep Well – It is as simple as that sometimes to get the best result. Your brain needs to be functioning smoothly, and this requires sleep. While sleeping, the brain processes what you have learnt into long term memory that you need to recollect in a matter of seconds in the exam hall. Hence, you have to sleep for at least 6 hours or depending on how much your body needs to rest.
2. Pick the Low Hanging Fruits – Some topics are more important than the others in Prelims. This observation is based on various questions from repeatedly asked topics over the years. Hence, make sure you are well versed in these areas so that any questions from these areas are answered with ease. Some of these topics are “Jainism and Buddhism”, “Indus Valley Civilisation” from Art & Culture, “National Parks” from Environment, Important International/National Reports, “Banking” from Economics, significant scientific discoveries or achievements by ISRO/Indian scientists from Science & Technology, etc.
3. No more New Textbooks – Kindly refrain from reading new textbooks. Anything new takes time to understand and revise, which will take up valuable time and affect your result negatively. Hence, under no circumstance shall you take up a new book.
4. Using the Mock Tests Wisely – Not only should you attempt as many mock tests as you can, but the trick is to revise them often. Many a time, aspirants attempt the tests but do not learn from them. By learning from the tests, I mean you must analyze the mistakes made in the test and understand why you made it, and you must often revise the answer key. Continuous revision allows you to memorize these areas, which are essential for the exam.
5. Continuous Revision – No matter how good you are, revision is the key to your success in Prelims. Revise through your reference textbooks using the already underlined areas and short notes you made along the margins. Along the same line, revise the current affairs topics using the current affairs magazine. Since the latest developments are important in Prelims, you should give as many revisions as you can on the magazine you are already using. Once again, this is not the time to read a new current affairs magazine. Stick to the one that you have been reading all these months.

Prelims, unlike the Mains, is an exam that requires you to make decisions in a short period. This is why it can be called the toughest of all the stages. Keep a calm mind all through the exam to have clarity of thought. A clear mind can help you score better in Prelims. With the basic knowledge you have gained and critical thinking, you should calmly go through the questions and approach them one by one after going through each option. Kindly remember that the questions often contain clues that you can find if you read them composedly. I wish you the very best for Prelims 2021.