Every year, lakhs of aspirants appear in the UPSC CSE exam and most aren’t even able to crack the Prelims. There are those who can’t clear the first stage even after multiple attempts. The question arises, why this happens even though they were so dedicated and had put in a lot of efforts.
IAS officer Yogesh Mishra tries to analyse this question and find the answers. He knows the exam process very well as he and his siblings have all gone through it. He is the eldest of four brothers and sisters who have all cleared UPSC CSE. In a video shared with Indian Masterminds, the officer explains the reasons why people fail to crack the exam.
NOT GIVING EQUAL WEIGHTAGE
The syllabus of Prelims is vast and the major portion is from Polity, Geography, History, Economy, Environment and Current Affairs. Many students don’t give equal attention to all the portions which backfires in the exam. Mr. Mishra said, “The number of questions from each subject is not fixed. In recent exams, major portion came from Current Affairs. Aspirants should keep it in mind that for every question, you get equal marks. So, equal focus should be given to each subject. It might happen that major questions come from the subject you are skipping or not paying attention to. This will waste all your hard work. Follow the concept of equality for cracking this exam.”
SKIPPING REVISION
He also said that many aspirants have the tendency to read more and more, but revision is not a part of their strategy. “You can’t ignore revision. It helps to store the information in the mind. Whatever you have covered, you have to re-cover, if you want to clear the exam.”
He also shared a strategy for the revision. According to him, if you are reading the second chapter of any subject, you should start by revising the first and continue it till you complete.
TOO MANY RESOURCES
UPSC demands that you have a general understanding of all the topics in the syllabus. It doesn’t require you to be an expert in any subject. “For one topic, some students start collecting books, notes, online material and coaching material. Too much resources don’t help. You are just collecting garbage. Also, you shouldn’t start researching about any topic and become an expert. You have to just clear the exam. So, stick to the basics.”
IGNORING HEALTH
While preparing for CSE, some students start sleeping less. Mr. Mishra warned that if you don’t take proper rest, you won’t be able to store anything in your mind. “Some student who come from poor background will eat one time to save money. My advice to them is, do not try to save money by eating less. Instead, don’t waste too much on books and materials. Give importance to your health because it is your most important asset.”
The officer, who helped his three siblings, Kshama, Madhavi and Lokesh, to clear the UPSC CSE, is now mentoring hundreds of other aspirants to crack this exam.
