VISION: Strategy

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Wednesday, August 02, 2023

TOPPER’S STRATEGY: STRATEGY FOR PRELIMS, MEGHA ARORA, RANK 108, CSE-2017

Hello everyone! I am Megha Arora and I have secured the 108th rank in CSE 2017. I have chosen the Indian Foreign Service as my first preference. Sharing my experience on a platform that gives guidance to thousands of aspirants is a privilege. I congratulate the team at Insights for the excellent work that they do day in and day out to give candidates the required competitive edge. During my preparation, I consulted insights for topper strategies and motivational articles.

CBSE 2014 topper is now IAS Rank 17,Shares his strategy

Strategy

aditya 14:06

From being a CBSE topper to studying at Shri Ram College of Commerce and Oxford University and working in the World Bank as a researcher, Sarthak Agrawal is now excited to join the civil services thanks to his 17th rank right in the first attempt of UPSC.

“Didn't do any formal preparation for the exam, just read random stuff;” said Sarthak on his success mantra. He shared that he didn't study for the exams as he was already interested in exam preparation tests.

He was fascinated by anything related to India in economics, politics, and relations with foreign countries that benefitted him to clear the UPSC exams. He didn't take any coaching classes.

UPSC TOPPER'S Strategy : Sanjita Mohapatra, AIR 10 (2019)

Upsc

vision cse 07:19

Sociology Strategy

Hi Everyone!

My journey in UPSC has been long. And along with it someone who has been a constant companion is my optional: “Sociology”

UPSC TOPPER'S Strategy : Abhishek jain , AIR 24 (CSE 2019)

upsc topper

vision cse 07:14

Hello everyone. First of all , congratulations to you !!! You have chosen to write one of the most prestigious examination of the country and for that , you do deserve lots of credit. Secondly , since you have visited this website, you are on the right path as you aim to learn from those who have already been grilled by this examination process. So Kudos to you !!!.

Now let me introduce myself. I am Abhishek jain. I have been born and brought up in Delhi. I did my graduation in B.com ( Hons) from Hansraj college , Delhi University. I gave my 1st attempt in 2018 and secured AIR - 111. This was my 2nd attempt in 2019 and I secured AIR 24.

UPSC (IAS) Prelims 2021: Tips & Strategy to Prepare CSAT (Paper 2)

Yojana

vision cse 08:46

UPSC Civil Services Prelims exam pattern includes CSAT paper which carries 80 questions with a weightage of 200 marks. Being a qualifying exam, aspirants usually overlook its importance. In this article, we have provided effective steps that will help to prepare for the CSAT paper.

UPSC Civil Services (Prelims) 2021 - CSAT Syllabus

Before beginning your preparation it is necessary that you go through the syllabus for the CSAT paper. The CSAT paper syllabus is broadly divided into the following categories:

Reading Comprehension
Interpersonal skills including communication skills;
Logical reasoning and analytical ability
Decision making and problem-solving ability
General mental ability

One of the most tricky areas of CSAT paper is comprehension while Basic numeracy, General Mental Ability, and Logical reasoning are of higher difficulty and may take time to solve if not practiced. Given the uncertainty of the CSAT paper and the low cut-off, aspirants can follow the below-mentioned tricks to qualify the exam.

Tips to Prepare for the UPSC IAS Prelims CSAT Paper

Devote your maximum time for the preparation of your GS Paper I but allot a one hour slot for the preparation of GS Paper-II I;e CSAT paper. As compared to Paper I, the CSAT is defined and can easily be prepared if you dedicate one hour for its preparation daily.

★ Identify your Weakest Area - For identifying your weakest subject, you can solve previous year papers of UPSC Civil Service Exams. This will not only help you in the practice but also know your strong and weak areas.

★ Time Management - While attempting the practice papers it is necessary that you take into consideration the time you spend in solving each question. One should practice more to reduce the average time spent on solving a question.

★ Identify your Strong Subjects - It is recommended that once a candidate knows his strong subjects, he/she should solve questions from that section first. This will not only help them feel confident about their preparation but also assess their performance and not panic if stuck on a tricky question.

Strategy to Prepare Comprehension Section

UPSC IAS Prelims 2021: Last Two Months Revision Plan for Qualifying Exam

Upsc

aditya 07:43

UPSC IAS Study Plan: UPSC is going to conduct the UPSC IAS Prelims 2021 exam on 27th June in written format for the recruitment of officers in Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Revenue Service (IRS), Indian Defence Accounts Service, Indian Railway Traffic Service, Indian Information Service, Delhi/Andaman & Nicobar Islands/Lakshadweep/Daman & Diu/Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service and others. In this article, we have shared below the detailed 30 Days and 15 Days Study Plan to crack the UPSC IAS Civil Services Prelims exam with flying colours. Go through the study plan below and start your last resort IAS Prelims exam revision.

Preparation for UPSC Prelims GS Paper

Once you are thorough with all the preparation, the next step is to plan your study schedule for the next 2 months for revision. With only 60 days available aspirants need to all the syllabus to qualify for the exam. Below we have provided a list of resources that should be followed for each subject:

➨ Current Affairs: There is no decided pattern for GS Prelims and every year the ratio of questions from each section varies. That is why aspirants should prepare the current affairs for the last 18-24 months.

References for Current Affairs-

UPSC (IAS) Prelims 2020: UPSC Topper Pradeep Singh Shares 20 Days Revision Strategy

Upsc

VisionIAS 08:34

UPSC (IAS) 2019 AIR Pradeep Singh shares the last 20-days subject-wise current affairs revision strategy for the aspirants appearing in UPSC (CSE) Prelims 2020 exam on October 4.

Science & Technology

➨ Defense Sector

Key focus areas:

Requirements of the Defense sector (eg: rqt. of 40 squadrons in the IAF)

Rafale fighter plane - main specifications
Tejas fighter plane

Complete Strategy ,Guidance and Booklist by IAS Toppers for Civil Services

Upsc

VisionIAS 18:24

Click Here to download Complete Strategy ,Guidance and Booklist by IAS Toppers for Civil Services

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How to Score 140+ in Prelims? UPSC IAS Topper Saurabh Dixit (AIR 162 / CSE 2016) First Attempt

Strategy

VisionIAS 09:53

UPSC IAS TOPPER STRATEGY

Saurabh Dixit

AIR 162, CSE 2016

First Attempt, No Coaching

This Article is a Part of Series of Articles written by Saurabh Dixit who has secured AIR 162, CSE 2016 with self study in the very First Attempt.

Sociology Strategy by Anu Kumari Rank – 2 (CSE-2017)

Strategy

VisionIAS 17:59

Firstly let me tell you that when I started preparing, I had never thought that I would be penning down my thoughts to help fellow aspirants some day. So, its a great feeling, a surreal one.. and feel really blessed that my thoughts can help someone. Earlier, when I used to read other toppers’ strategies, I found it hard to believe when they used to say that they never expected getting a good rank. I would think ..no no ..they must have been really good at preparation/studies etc and must have been aware of their intellect and quite confident of their success. But trust me, with the benefit of hindsight; I can say that when we start, we start with self doubt, lack of confidence, fears and uncertainties. Quite quite possible, one of you reading this strategy here will emerge as a top ranker next year.

So, I would say- start wherever you are, at whatever stage you are, full of apprehension, full of self doubt or lacking self belief BUT remember the only way you can go is UP..higher and higher….and that is doable when you are ready to slog yourself, work diligently and remain optimistic.

What should be my strategy for sure shot selection in UPSC prelims?

Upsc

VisionIAS 06:16

I find 5 broad reasons for repeated failures in UPSC CSE Prelims:

UPSC CSE 2018 - Expert's Strategy for Exam Preparation!

upsc cse

VisionIAS 13:43

Planning to attempt UPSC exam this year? UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Exam 2018 is scheduled to be held on 3rd June 2018 (Sunday). The official notification will be published on 7th February 2018. Here are tips from an expert, a strategy that will help you kickstart your UPSC exam preparation. The strategy is shared by Rishav Jha who is an Oliveboard user and has cleared the UPSC CSE 2016 with AIR 162.

In his own words,

“My typical day would start around 11 in the morning and go up to 4-5 in the morning. I have always been a night owl (the rigorous IPS training here in NPA, Hyderabad has unfortunately ended this habit of mine) as I believe that peaceful nights are the most productive time of a day. I never studied for more than 12 hours on any given day and I used to study for around 10 hours on an average. You have to keep in mind that quantity doesn’t matter at all. I would try to sit for an hour and study with the maximum amount of concentration that I could conjure, and then take a 15-minute break. I would repeat this cycle many times a day. During evenings, I would take hour-long breaks, hangout with my extremely limited number of friends, watch a movie or simply take a nap.

Obviously, things were not as smooth and there were times when I would face seemingly insurmountable challenges. The most important challenge was trying and being consistent. There were times when I would feel that my preparation was not going as intended and I would spiral down into phases of depression. To overcome this, I started making plans- long, medium and short term. Long term plan was solely focused on first clearing Prelims and then Mains and Interviews. Medium term plans would be for the next two to three months. But the most important for me were my short-term plans, where I would chalk out in detail what I needed to achieve in the next 15 days. Obviously, there were days when I would achieve my target well within deadline and then there were days when I would miss my target completely. But I would take my successes and failures in my stride and learn whatever I could from them and try and improve myself. Another challenge I faced was to overcome my appetite for instant gratifications. For example, there would be days when I would want to just sleep throughout the day or roam around aimlessly or watch movies back-to-back. But then I would try to remind myself about my goal and I would conjure all the mental strength I could and get back to my work as soon as possible.

Now when I look back to those days, I feel I didn’t do anything special that others didn’t do. I didn’t read anything that others didn’t. Rather I tried to be consistent throughout my preparation phase and never lost sight of my target. I guess I executed my plans quite well through my short and medium terms goals. The result was that a day before my paper, I was quite sure I would do well and then, on the day of the paper, I surpassed my own expectations.

You have to always remember that Civil Service is all about being “Jack of all trades, master of one” (one refers to your optional subject here). You have to always keep a balance between the depth and the range. For example, when you prepare for the current affairs part and you find a piece of news about PSLV launch of ISRO, try and make a short 10-point notes about the PSLV and ISRO so that any probable question with 4 options can be easily handled.

Another point is regarding what to keep in mind and what not to. Don’t go after facts, barring the crucial ones, e.g. number of successful PSLV launches till date. Focus mainly on concepts and get a fair idea about the historical background of any piece of news. If the newspaper or any other source doesn’t provide you with adequate information, go to Google immediately and clarify your concepts.

Always maintain notes. Human mind is extremely volatile and if you just go on reading, you won’t even remember 5% by the time you take your paper. I would make detailed notes of current affairs, both online (in word files) and offline (in notebooks) depending on the source. If I would read something online, I would just copy and paste it in a word file after necessary deletions and additions. Make current affairs notes month-wise so that revisions can be chronologically correct which will help you in getting a holistic and clear concept.

Don’t make notes out of books like Laxmikanth which need to be read cover-to-cover as it is a huge wastage of time and energy. Compile notes out of weight-losing sources like newspapers, because if you don’t, you will end with around 350 newspapers before the exam and trust me, you won’t like the sight of it.

Plan, plan and plan. If 15 minutes of your day is not going into planning, you are not planning enough. Plan for the next 15 days, for the next three months and for the doomsday. Then execute your plans as honestly as you can. If you have to defer your plans for 2-3 consecutive times, know that you are out of the race and you need to pack your bags and leave. To get a feel of how tough the competition is, go to any tea-stall in Mukherjee Nagar or Rajinder Nagar during evenings and look at all the dreamy eyes. More people prepare for Civil Services each year than the combined population of Kiribati and Maldives.

While taking the exam, if you are completely unsure about all the four options, leave the question. But if you can confidently eliminate even one or two options, take the attempt because the probability of getting positive marks from all such questions combined is quite high. Don’t be overtly safe or foolhardy. Given the last few years’ cut-off, it would be prudent to attempt 85-95 questions in General Studies.

Be motivated. Study hard. Have faith in yourself and the almighty. See you in the services-ciao!”

Hope this helps! Now, gear up for the preparation and ace the UPSC CSE 2018 Exam with Oliveboard Mocks!

An IPS Officer’s Strategy to Crack UPSC CSE

Upsc

vision cse 16:35

An IPS Officer’s Strategy to Crack UPSC CSE

Here’s an inspiring story of Rishav Kumar Jha who got AIR 162 in Civil Services 2015 and got IPS, borne on Jharkhand cadre. He is an Oliveboard user and shares his strategy to success. Oliveboard is an online exam preparation platform for government and banking jobs.

“Firstly, I will mention the resources I used during the preparation for prelims:

TOPIC	RESOURCES
1. Aptitude for Paper 2(CSAT)	This paper has been made qualifying since 2015. So one needs to score just 66 out of 200. For those even mildly comfortable with Maths and English, this paper shouldn’t be a problem at all. For others, CSAT manual by McGraw Hill can be sufficient. However, I would advice everyone to get some practice through a few mock tests.
2. Current Affairs	GK Today current affairs, The Hindu, Vision monthly booklets, PIB, Official ministry websites
3. History	a) Ancient- GS manual by McGraw hill
	b) Medieval- GS manual by McGraw hill
	c) Modern- GS manual by McGraw hill, India’s struggle for independence by Bipin Chandra
	d) Art and culture- Nitin Singhaniya notes, CCRT
4. Geography	NCERT books for 11^th and 12^th (total 4) and Goh Cheng Leong (for concept clarity)
5. Economic and social development	Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh, Mrunal for basics, RBI website, The Hindu
6. Indian Polity and governance	M. Laxmikanth (it may be taken as the bible for polity from the prelims perspective; you don’t need to study anything else for this segment.)
7. Environment and ecology	Shankar IAS book
8. General Science	GS manual by McGraw hill, Official websites of ministries for topics like defence, space, nuclear energy etc.

Although I had quite a brief stint with the so-called UPSC days, I learnt a lot during that phase and I would like to give some tips to the future aspirants based on those learning:

· You must always remember that Civil Service is all about being “Jack of all trades, master of one” (one refers to your optional subject here). You have to always keep a balance between the depth and the range. For example, when you prepare for the current affairs part and you find a piece of news about PSLV launch of ISRO, try and make a short 10-point notes about the PSLV and ISRO so that any probable question with 4 options can be easily handled.

· Another point is regarding what to keep in mind and what not to. Don’t go after facts, barring the crucial ones, e.g. number of successful PSLV launches till date. Focus mainly on concepts and get a fair idea about the historical background of any piece of news. If the newspaper or any other source doesn’t provide you with adequate information, go to Google immediately and clarify your concepts.

· Always maintain notes. Human mind is extremely volatile and if you just go on reading, you won’t even remember 5% by the time you take your paper. I would make detailed notes of current affairs, both online (in word files) and offline (in notebooks) depending on the source. If I would read something online, I would just copy and paste it in a word file after necessary deletions and additions. Make current affairs notes month-wise so that revisions can be chronologically correct which will help you in getting a holistic and clear concept.

· Don’t make notes out of books like Laxmikanth which need to be read cover-to-cover as it is a huge wastage of time and energy. Compile notes out of weight-losing sources like newspapers, because if you don’t, you will end with around 350 newspapers before the exam and trust me, you won’t like the sight of it.

· Plan, plan and plan. If 15 minutes of your day is not going into planning, you are not planning enough. Plan for the next 15 days, for the next three months and for the doomsday. Then execute your plans as honestly as you can. If you have to defer your plans for 2-3 consecutive times, know that you are out of the race and you need to pack your bags and leave. To get a feel of how tough the competition is, go to any tea-stall in Mukherjee Nagar or Rajinder Nagar during evenings and look at all the dreamy eyes. More people prepare for Civil Services each year than the combined population of Kiribati and Maldives.

· While taking the exam, if you are completely unsure about all the four options, leave the question. But if you can confidently eliminate even one or two options, take the attempt because the probability of getting positive marks from all such questions combined is quite high. Don’t be overtly safe or foolhardy. Given the last few years’ cut-off, it would be prudent to attempt 85-95 questions in General Studies.

This is what I followed, and this is what I think suited me best. There may be things you don’t agree with- feel free to discard them. Chart your own path to success. Keep reminding yourself why you have left a luxurious job or career and are slogging it out day in and day out. Be motivated. Study hard. Have faith in yourself and the almighty. See you in the services-ciao!”

Hope this inspires and help you in your exam preparation journey. Now, ace your UPSC CSE preparation with Oliveboard Mocks.

UPSC IAS RANK – 4 ARTIKA SHUKLA: Preparation Strategy – First Attempt, Self Study, Followed Insights from Prelims to Interview

Strategy

VisionIAS 13:35

Artika Shukla

Rank – 4, CSE – 2015

Hello everyone!

I am Artika, a doctor my profession. I first thought of appearing in the civil services in November 2014. I resigned from the course I was pursuing (MD paeds) a week later. And began serious preparation from dec,2014.

At that time I was as clueless as a newborn. All I knew was that the only thing I could now try my hand at was civil services 2015 and that I had to give it all I got.

I did not join any classroom coaching. I did join vision ias mains test series. And followed Insights with operatic regularity throughout the year. This was my first attempt. And my optional was medical science.

I am here to share my strategy with you . I hope you go through this with a little trust in me,pick and choose whatever suits you the best. And if this benefits even one of you,I would consider myself fortunate.

Prelims:

Essential book list :
1. Spectrum modern india

Class 11 and 12 geo ncert
Economics class 11th and 12th ncert
Economic survey
key features of budget
Laxmikant

Daily newspaper reading – I used to read The hindu.
Art and culture- multiple resources – CCRT, Class 11th NCERT on art, any reputed coaching material, themes in Indian history etc
Shankar Ias book for environment

I might miss some books completely. Do cross check with the booklist given on Insights or any other place.

No need to read special science and tech booklets or attend mock classes for current affairs. The above book list is sufficient if coupled with daily newspaper reading + Solving Insights test series paper.(EXTREMELY USEFUL)

What I Did:

Bought all the prelims test series papers of Insights and Vision about a month before the exam. Spent days and nights on end solving them. In my experience,this was more beneficial than any book or notes I might have read earlier.

A number of questions were repeated directly from insights test series!

Here I want to state that The questions in the tests are tough. They are meant to take you a notch higher than the rest,I believe. therefore,don’t be disheartened if you can’t score a lot on them. I could never score a 100 on any of them! But continue solving them with utmost sincerity and diligence. And the final exam paper will seem like a piece of cake.

Mains:

Essay:

I didn’t write a single essay before the exam. I would suggest you not to follow in my footsteps. Write a few essays before the exam. If nothing,you’ll atleast be more confident in the examination hall.

Some important points regarding essays:

1. Learn a few quotes by important political personalities a day before the exam.. like Mahatma Gandhi,Lincoln.Nelson Mandela,Martin Luther King..even Fredrick Neitschze or Max Weber – on common topics like education, democracy, social empowerment.
Use them to start or end the essay. I did this and I think it might have increased my score.
2. Make headings.
3.Have a central theme in the essay and keep reiterating it every few paragraphs or so.
4. Cover as many dimensions as you can.
5. Try having an optimistic conclusion.
We all know there is no ideal essay on a topic. I would suggest Try bringing something of your own into the essay. Your own perspective will make it unique. And fetch you marks !!

GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 1

Essential book list :

Bipan Chandra India Since Independence (selected chapters)
Bipan Chandra India’S Struggle for Independence
Class 11 and 12 NCERT geography + GC Leong
Art and culture- multiple resources – CCRT, class 11th NCERT on art,any reputed coaching material, Themes in indian history etc
Society and other miscellaneous topics can be dealt with by reading the newspaper daily and thoroughly. No special preparation is needed.

GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 2

This is where INSIGHTS SECURE really saved my neck!

I could not have even attempted all the questions in the final exam had I not followed the secure initiative so thoroughly.
My advice to you is – try going through all the secure questions daily. Try answering them. If not possible, at least read the article and jot down the main points included in it in a notebook. If even this is not possible, at least go through the compilations which come out in the end.

This is an exercise whose importance I cannot emphasize enough. Reading 10 articles everyday on topics of relevance helps you gain perspective, increase your knowledge as well as teaches how to write answers comprehensively.

If there’s one thing in this entire write up that you wish to follow, let it be this. Trust me, you will not realize how much it helps you until the day of your result.

Other resources for paper 2:
Laxmikant
PRS
PIB
Various sites of the ministry
Vision current affair notes

What I did:

At the end of October, I made a notebook for paper 2. And I used to write one topic on one page – really concise and to the point. For ex- the juvenile justice bill. Make arrows and write about what it was, what it is now, main points about the bill, the pros, the cons, what prompted an amendment and the Way forward. Insights initiativecalled MINDMAPS helped me in this a lot!!

This is how you should tackle a topic – inside out. So that once you’re done with it, you are able to answer almost anything related to it.

Make such a notebook at the end of the Oct/Nov and fill it up with 40-50 topics that were relevant the entire year and revise it in the week before the exam.

Will do wonders!!

GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 3

Similar strategy as above. Follow Insights Secure!!

2 new additions : Economic Survey : EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
key features of budget.
ARC for disaster.

GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 4

I would specifically say that this paper requires no preparation. It is a test of your analytical and decision making abilities as well as common sense. The best you can do is get 2 or 3 papers of a decent test series. Read and understand how to approach case studies and give one or two tests of ethics so as to understand the kind of questions asked.

Try not going for the extremes in the answers that demand a stand.

Express yourself well and try to finish the paper on time.

That’s all!

Personality Test :

The interview guidance write up on Insights was extremely useful to me. It gave me a direction at a point where I was clueless. I also gave 2 mocks each at Vaji and Samkalp.

The only useful piece of advice I can give you about PT is that more than the content of your answers, your conviction and your confidence matters.

Try building them up.

General tips :

1. Do not spend more than 2 months exclusively in the preparation of prelims. It is a qualifying exam. Instead use the time to increase your grip over your optional/GS mains.

2. Choose an optional you’re comfortable with. Something you enjoy reading and writing about. Optional marks can make or break your result. IT is the most crucial part of the preparation.

3. Answer writing practice has two parts to it :

One is the ability to finish a paper within 30 mins, to improve your speed and to have a good handwriting.

The other is to build your content from diverse sources, collect and present the information in an organized manner.

Both are required. Keep practicing until you’re good at both.

4. In the final exam, always write an introduction.. the content if possible in points followed by an optimistic conclusion. Train yourself to write answers in this manner quickly.

5. Personality Test is the most whimsical part of the entire process. Try not to depend on it at all. The Mains Exam is what gets you in the final list. Give it your best shot!!

Motivation:

This is an exam not only of knowledge but also of strength,patience and focus. Work hard. Be ambitious and do not be afraid to start. Start where you are. Start with fear, with doubt, with pain. Start with voice shaking and hands trembling. Start where you are, with what you have. You can. You should. And if you’re brave enough to start, you will succeed one day.

Best wishes,
Artika Shukla
Rank 4 (CSE 2015)

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Tips to Prepare for the UPSC IAS Prelims CSAT Paper

Strategy to Prepare Comprehension Section

Saturday, May 01, 2021

Preparation for UPSC Prelims GS Paper

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Science & Technology

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Artika Shukla

Rank – 4, CSE – 2015

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