#CareerBytes: Useful last-minute preparation tips for UPSC CSE Mains 2019
What's the story
UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is one of the toughest and most competitive exams and cracking it isn't easy without proper preparation. It is a three-level examination comprising Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, and Personality Test. The Main Examination, the second level of CSE, consists of nine subjective-type papers. CSE Mains 2019 is scheduled for September 28, and here are some last-minute preparation tips.
#1
Last one month before Mains is crucial, utilize it properly
The last one month before the Main Examination is crucial and aspirants must utilize this properly to clear Mains. The UPSC syllabus for Mains is quite vast. So, first of all, they must prepare a fresh study plan for the last one month to ensure that they have enough time to revise and cover every topic/subject of the syllabus in an effective manner.
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#2: Focus on what you've learned, don't read anything new
At the last minute, aspirants must focus on what they have already studied/revised and their strengths instead of studying anything new (unless it is something extremely important). Learning new things or referring to new books might lead to confusion and increase their stress and burden.
#3
Go through self-prepared notes at the last minute
At the last-minute, candidates might not have enough time to study every topic in detail. So, instead of reading books, they can go through revision keys or self-prepared notes for quick revision. It is important to revise all the topics in the syllabus thoroughly at least twice before the exams. To ace the Mains exams, written practice on a regular basis is essential too.
#4
Solve previous papers and take mock tests to analyze performance
To ensure proper exam preparation, aspirants must solve as many previous papers and mock tests as possible in the last one month. This will help in testing the effectiveness of their preparation, familiarizing with the exam pattern, and analyzing their performance. Also, they should manage time properly in the actual examination to answer all the questions, and taking timed mock tests can help.
#5
Read newspapers every day without fail to ace the exams
Aspirants should also allot some time to read newspapers every day. They should also make a habit of writing down important facts/news relevant to their subjects and current affairs in a separate notebook which can come in quite handy for the Mains exams. This will help them in enhancing their knowledge, improving reading/writing skills, and staying updated with the latest news and current affairs.