UPSC Civil Services prelims 2021: Here’s what toppers’ suggest for last minute revision

What sets these toppers apart rest candidates is their preparation strategy, revision technique and ability to tame exam pressure. Here are some tips from the toppers of the last few years on how to revise and perform well on exam day.

Focus on static syllabus revision, current affairs of last 1 year

AIR 10 Satyam Gandhi recommends that in the final week, aspirants should focus more on revising the short notes prepared during preparation. He also suggests revising the static subjects diligently for the prelims exam as in the unpredictable pattern of the exam, static is the only sure section.

He emphasises the importance of Economics, Polity, and History for the prelims preparation. According to him, aspirants should pay more attention to these subjects.

While UPSC CSE 2020 topper Pradeep Singh suggests the candidates to not study any additional topics or subjects at this hour. “Revise well whatever you studied, the questions on current affairs or other topics will be from the past one year and not on recent topics as papers are already prepared. So this week you can skip the paper reading and invest time in current affairs revision,” he suggested.

Do not aim to overperform in exam

Appearing in mock tests is one of the repeatedly recommended tips by the toppers every year. These mock tests not just prepare the aspirants for the exam day but also help them analyse their strong and weak areas.

Therefore, it is essential that aspirants understand their performance in the mocks and perform accordingly in the exam.

“On the exam day, aspirants should not aim to overperform but take the exam like the mock test. More than thinking about the result, they should concentrate on understanding and solving the questions,” Satyam Gandhi said.

Whereas UPSC CSE 2018 topper Kanishak Kataria suggests appearing in the prelims without focusing on the result. “It is important to weed out any anxiety or negative thought on purpose and focus on one round at a time. This focus and clarity of thoughts will also help to remain calm in the exam hall,” he shared.

Keep your mental and physical health in check

Meanwhile, IAS Pratibha Verma, UPSC CSE 2019 rank 3 suggests maintaining the mental well-being for performing better in the exams. She stresses following a healthy routine to be well focused on the exam day.

“This is a tough time and it’s hard to maintain concentration, but one has to get away from distractions and focus on mental health. I used to do yoga and meditation for at least 1-1.5 hours daily. Students should focus on completing their daily schedule and targets,” she said.

Have second thoughts about appearing in exam?

Having second thoughts on appearing in the UPSC prelims exams is common at this stage. Aspirants often get nervous about their preparation and wonder to not appear in the exam. To such students, AIR 15 Ria Dabi says, “If you have the motivation to give this examination, then you should give it, you should believe in yourself, put in all your hard work and dedication. And when you make it, you will surely be proud of yourself and be able to work for the country and it will give you a lot of satisfaction.”