How To Prepare for IAS Prelims in the Last Few Days?
The last few days before any exam is a crucial time, not because the exam is knocking at the door but because it is the time when you need to control your nerves and remain composed. Here are a few things that you can do to prepare yourself better for the IAS exams.
- Revise more than you learn: You have prepared for a long time and covered as much of the UPSC syllabus as you can. It is the time to revise what you have already learnt and make your knowledge in those areas stronger instead of trying to cover new areas.
- Solve previous years IAS question papers: When you solve question papers, you get better acquainted with the question pattern. This helps you to understand which parts you need to focus on more.
- Take mock tests: There are many UPSC test series available on the internet. These help you get better at time management. Whenever you take a full-length test from an IAS test series, consider it to be your actual IAS Prelim exam and not just a mock test. This practice gives you confidence while appearing for your final paper.
- Remember the UPSC exam pattern and marking scheme: Keep in mind that there is negative marking for each wrong answer in the IAS exam. The importance of taking up online UPSC mock exam series cannot be stressed enough. The online test series give you instant results and better insights on your performance. Adapting your study pattern and focussing on the required areas of the UPSC exam syllabus based on the performance analysis given by the mock tests can really boost your result in the exam for IAS.
- Keep reading newspapers: Aspirants make a big mistake when they stop reading the newspaper. You must keep reading the newspapers and know the current affairs in a gist. It is not required to read every article in detail, but you must have an overview of what all is going around you, in India and in the world.
- Maintain a healthy lifestyle: You should not burnout yourself with stress; it can hurt your performance in the exam even if you have thoroughly covered the complete syllabus for UPSC. You must get proper sleep and give enough rest to your brain. You can try meditation; it helps to increase your concentration and memorisation capacity. Lastly, do try out a healthy balanced diet to stay active and focussed. It should also help you to stay away from any stomach issues at the last moment. That's the last thing you'd want! However, a pastry or a chocolate every now and then should be good in case you feel the need to pamper yourself, especially if it's dark chocolate.