10 Things to do in the Exam Hall for Success in UPSC Exam

R.A.IsraelJebasingh IAS

Director, Officers IAS Academy, Chennai.

First

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      A day of a District Collector has ups and downs. There may be some good news item in newspaper praising about your work. Within an hour there may be some bomb blast in your district.The District Collector should neither start jumping seeing the positive news item nor should start shivering hearing bad incidents. He is expected to approach both equally without over reaction.

•        Similarly in the Exam Hall 5 consecutive questions may be known to you or 5 consecutive questions may be unknown to you. Don’t over react for both. Approach like a District Collector if you want to become a District Collector.

Second

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      Attempt maximum number of questions. If you can eliminate 2 choices out of 4 choices and do not know to choose between the 2, please don’t leave it. Attempt it. Probability of getting it right is in your favour.

Third

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            Questions will be simple with no ambiguity. Don’t assume UPSC cannot simple questions and complicate it by over thinking. In reality questions are simple and direct in UPSC exam.Don’t think too much.

Fourth

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             In the first round you may know only 30% sure answers. Put a tick if you attempt a

      question in your Question Paper so that while coming on 2^nd and 3^rd rounds you won’t waste time in identifying unanswered questions.

Fifth

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      Ensure the Question Series(say A series or B series or C series or D series) is correctly shaded in the coding sheet or else all answers may go wrong. The Hall Invigilator will also check. But check atleast 5 times whether you have shaded the correct one.

Sixth

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      In the exam hall be bold and confident. If you don’t know 3 consecutive questions, have a firm belief that people around you won’t know 9 consecutive questions. Be relaxed and cool. If you start shivering then you are out of race. So assume that you are the most intelligent candidate who is taking prelims and if you don’t know all others will definitely definitely will not know. Strongly believe it.

Seventh

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             Keep a look on your watch now and then. By 40^th minute you should have crossed 

   

      the 50th question.This will give you time for 2^nd and 3^rd rounds

Eighth

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      Take deep breathing frequently in the exam hall so that you are full of oxygen. This will help you to relax and be cool and approach the questions in the correct manner.

Ninth

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      Watch out whether the question has ‘NOT’. Say

•          Which of the following is not a Monetary tool used by RBI

•          (a) CRR (b) SLR (c) Tax (d) Repo

 Many a times candidates miss out the key words like NOT in the questions.

Tenth

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      While eliminating questions which are not sure shot questions, you distance yourself and assume if your Role Model would have eliminated, how he would have done. Your role model may be some senior of you who cleared the civil service exam comfortably. This will reduce the stress in you and approach it rightly.

Thank you and Best Wishes