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This is the most important table for UPSC Prelims 2025. A lot can be deciphered on the basis of this. For example, based on above table, Economics, Polity and Environment are most important subjects... followed by Geography & S&T..


UPSC Prelims PYQ Book https://products.politicsforindia.com/product/upsc-prelims-pyq-topic-wise-book/

Politics for India & Education Province wishes a very prosperous and Happy Diwali to everyone!

As promised, we've offered a special discount on all the above PYQ Book to the aspirants who had purchased them earlier. If you had purchased any of the above book, please check your inbox for COUPON Code.

📣📣 UPDATED PYQ BOOKS NOW AVAILABLE 📣📣

We're glad to announce that long awaited Updated PYQ Books are now available for purchase. You can use following links to download sample PDFs and know more about them.

1. UPSC Prelims PYQ Book (1995-2024)
https://products.politicsforindia.com/product/upsc-prelims-pyq-topic-wise-book/

2. UPSC Mains Unsolved PYQ Book (2013-2024) [Topicwise + Yearwise Questions]
https://products.politicsforindia.com/product/upsc-mains-pyq-book/

3. PSIR Optional Unsolved PYQs Book (1995-2024) [Topicwise + Yearwise Questions]
https://products.politicsforindia.com/product/psir-pyq-topic-wise/

A combo of all three books is also available at discounted Price
4. PYQ Book Combo
https://products.politicsforindia.com/product/combo-upsc-prelims-mains-psir-pyq-books/

🌸 Wish you all a happy Dussehra 🌸

📣📣 Releasing tomorrow!! 📣📣

Prelims PYQ Book with Best Classification and Analysis in the market. Coming Soon!!

*** First impression of 2024 GS papers ***

1. Essay, GS-1, GS-2 and GS-3 were largely in accordance with the usual pattern of exam with few surprises in between.
2. However, the questions are also becoming more specific. When they're referring to Current Affairs, they're being very specific about it. That creates a problem if we've not studied the topic.
3. GS-4 was totally unexpected. They've asked a lot of application based question rather than only theory questions. This has taken many by surprise.

Way out:
1. A special focus on Essay, Ethics and Optional is required.
2. With GS having a vast syllabus and unpredictable pattern, it's difficult to rely on it.
3. However, we do need to manage GS - So every topic in the syllabus needs to be done well.
4. Do prepare current affairs to the best of your capacity.
5. Most importantly - practice lot of answer writing - which 99% of students don't do.
6. Writing answers, making yourselves go through exam environment and then adjust your preparation accordingly is the sure-shot way to be prepared for exam.

I hope that our students could write both essays nicely. I did get some calls / messages after the paper talking about it. It's okay to feel happy if you've been able to write good essay, or feel sad if you couldn't. However, in any case, the best thing will be not to dwell on it at all. Forget Paper 1 altogether. You can't do anything about it now. Rather, focus on tomorrow's paper and papers after that. Same holds true for remaining papers also.

Once optional paper is over (next Sunday), then you may go through all papers, all questions, calculate your probable marks... then your cadre, your posting.... and so on.. but not before. Best wishes again! 👍

For all those who're giving exam tomorrow,
Wish you all the best for exam 👍.

For some of you, it will be your first Mains, for some you might have given it before as well. In any case, do know that this could be your last Mains as well.

While in Prelims, knowledge matters a lot, same is not true for Mains. It's possible to pull it off even in last moment if you've descent knowledge of the subjects. Essay and ethics are subjective to large degree. While practice ensures that you'll get good marks in these two papers, you can get them without practice as well.

In any case, I would just request that don't loose hope. Anything could prove useful in coming exam. There could be question on something you've read some years back, maybe in your school or even watched a movie about it... So keep your mind open, utilize everything you have at your disposal and try your best to write exceptional answers.

Having said all of this, of course, those who've studied well, will have an advantage. But I just wanted to convey that even if you couldn't, you still have a hope.

So I wish that you're able to give your best in coming papers. Best wishes once again.

Regards,
Abhijeet, Politics for India

*** Finishing Mains Paper on Time ***

One of the biggest problem you may face at this stage in Mains preparation is finishing paper on time. At times, I receive very good copies from Test Series students.. but then I realize that they've taken a lot of time extra than it was allotted. While it's okay in the beginning stages of preparation, right now, less than a month before exam, you should be finishing paper on time.

Have a proper plan w.r.t. GS as well as PSIR paper. Have milestones in between.

For example
1. In GS you can plan to give 7 mins to each 10 marker and 10 minutes to each 15 markers. It will make up 170 mins total. 10 mins can be buffer.
2. Now, each question will take different amount of time in reality. But the average should come out like this.
3. Accordingly, you should be on 9th question (10marker) at the end of 1st hour, at the end of 2nd hour, you should be on 15th question...
4. If at end of one hour, you're still lagging behind, you can pace up and catch up. If you're already ahead, you can afford to give some more time to a difficult question.

Similarly for PSIR
1. Total 250 marks, 3 hrs. (10 - 10 markers, 6 - 20 markers, 3 - 20 markers)
2. You can plan to write questions worth 85-90 marks every hour.
3. That would mean that you finish 1st question ( 5 sub-questions) and 2 sub-questions from 2nd question by end of first hour (total 7 questions), same in 2nd hour (total 7 questions).. and then remaining 5 questions in last hour.

Having milestones really helps. You can plan in a different manner than given above.. but have a plan. This will ensure that you get timely feedback and accordingly adjust yourselves.

Hope all of your studies are going well. Do not even slightly give up at this stage. Nobody knows whether he'll clear the exam until results are out. While Prelims is somewhat predictable in this sense, Mains is totally not. So do you best for remaining days and you may very well find your name for the next phase.

*** UPSC-CSE False Claim by Institution Regarding Selection ***

Many students have asked me over years whether joining coaching classes is necessary for UPSC-CSE preparation. While many have cleared exam without coaching classes, we don't have sufficient data to suggest it. And the narrative created by institutions, by publishing long list of candidates creates further confusion.

Recently I came across an interesting news article and got access to some data. Here are some eye opening facts:

[1] Claim made by institute: 200+ selections in UPSC CSE 2022
[2] Actual selected students: 171
For this false claim, institute have been fined for Rs. 3 Lakh (fee equivalent to 2/3 students 😅), while they must have misled 100s of students using such false claim.

Breakup of selected candidates
[1] 102 - Free Interview Guidance Program (IGP)
[2] 55 - Free Test Series
[3] 9 - GS Classroom course
[4] 5 - under Institute-state govts. agreement for free coaching.

Note that first two programs i.e. IGP and Test Series have been said to be free. For IGP, aspirants join many institutions, and yes, this particular institution also must have done significant value addition to Interview preparation.

Since test series is also free, most likely it will not be coming with evaluation or feedback from institution. In such case, the value addition done by test series in students preparation will be close to zero.

So in effect, only 14 candidates had significant contribution of institute in their preparation for Prelims and Mains.

This is data pertaining to only one institution. Since this came in a news article, I could present it for you. For other reputed institutions, I tried to get access to such data, but their website doesn't mention which program, particular topper had joined. (If somebody has such data, please share with me, so I can compile it).

This is unfortunate reality. There is huge gap in claims made and the ground situation. Please consider this before deciding whether to go for self study or to join any institute for classroom program.

If possible, please also share this article with others so that they can make an informed decision and save money as well as their valuable time. This article should also give some solace and confidence to those who're doing self study for CSE.

Happy Independence Day everyone!! Today marks the special day in our history... we got independence not just from British rule but from millennia under foreign subjugation. Let us remember the sacrifices of those all who individually and collectively struggled so that we could live in a independent Bharat.

Common mistakes committed by the candidates in Conventional Papers

Demo file from UPSC:
https://upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/CommonMistakeCndts-engl-130123.pdf

Please go through the entire PDF carefully.

*** For those who're giving Mains for first time ***

While the Mains preparation must be going on in full fledge, please take out some time to have a look at actual QCABs UPSC provides for exam. Also have a look at 'Common Mistakes' document published by UPSC.

https://politicsforindia.com/upsc-mains-answer-sheet/

*** Approaching UPSC Test Series ***

An important trend I have observed over the years in Test Series courses is that many students do not complete all the tests. Around 70-80% people write first test, then around 50% the second... it goes down test by test.. This is sad, not only because you tend to waste money, but also because answer writing never improves if you continue to do this. And without good answer writing, you can never get exceptional marks either in PSIR or in GS.

One of the reason students don't write tests is - they feel that they will first finish the topics the test is about, and then they will confidently give the test. Please know that in humanities, you will never get that feeling of completeness. Things are quite open-ended, and it will always feel like, you need to do more.

Another factor that stops aspirants from giving tests is, fear of getting less marks. Again, know that the marks secured in mock tests have no value at all. The feedback, the places of correction etc. are more important than the marks. You've to score marks in final exam, not in mock tests. Marks in mock tests are no indication of your final marks. What you've to ensure is, you are actively working on the feedback you receive in evaluated tests.

Also know that, from my personal experience, and that of toppers as well, even with good preparation, in final exam, there will be good no. of questions, where you'll not have much content to write. For such questions, you'll have to think of content then and there itself. So the idea that 'i will study well for the topic before exam, and then give the exam', doesn't make much sense.

Please get out of this wrong mindset. You should give tests according to schedule irrespective of your level of preparation. Please do not postpone the tests, that way you will never complete them, nor will your answer writing ever improve. I've seen students who've been getting exceptional marks in Mocks, but were nowhere when it came to Mains results... and there have been students who used to get less marks in Mocks, but got their name in final list. Why do you think then institutions often publish toppers copies which are not evaluated. Please give it a thought.

Best wishes for answer writing!

Congratulations Indian Cricket Team 🏆

https://products.politicsforindia.com/product/upsc-mains-mentorship-program/?utm_source=tgc&utm_medium=med220624

You can find more details for mentorship program here:

Sample Schedules for Mains 2024 Preparation. We'll also implement these in our Personal Mentorship Program for Mains 2024. You may/may not join our program, but the schedule given above will be extremely useful.

There is so much chatter regarding Prelims, happens every year. In our analysis, the exam this year was relatively easy. The cut-off will be around 90-95.

*** Anyone who is getting above 85 ***
You should gear up for Mains preparation. There is no harm if you study vigorously and don't clear Prelims once results are out.
We'll have results mostly around 1-5 July.
Take 2-3 days break and then start fresh.

*** For those who're getting below 85 ***
It's perfect time to introspect. Don't beat yourselves up, try to see what went wrong.
Unless you've clear understanding reg what went wrong, what you could have done etc. you should not take any decision i.e. to try for next year or to try something else.
At the end, if you still don't feel clarity, and this was your 2nd+ serious attempt, you need to explore other opportunities (believe me, there are more than plenty)

*** If you decide to give one more attempt ***
Study nicely this year, don't fool around.
You can take a good break of 7-10 days and then start fresh.
Prepare an overall schedule till Prelims next year and a detailed schedule for next 3 months.
Have a systematic approach and study accordingly.

*** If you decide to move on in your career ***
State PSC is one good option.. but also see to no. of seats available, past record of state in conducting fair exam etc.
If you're exceptionally good in CSAT, you can try banking exams like IBPS PO, SBI PO, IBPS Clerk etc.
If you're not so good in CSAT but good in GS, you can try exams like SSC, CRPF etc. (there can be more options as well)
There is also an option of moving to private sector (if you're from engg. background). You can do some data science/AI/ML course and join IT.
MBA is also good option, especially you've prior job experience.
There are many more career opportunities in both private and public sector. You can spend good 15-20 days in just exploring all your option and then fixate on something.

Best wishes everyone!!