Both Papers Were Easy

Unlike last year, when paper 1 was more difficult, in 2013 both papers were quite easy. There were no confusing or tricky questions; also the options seemed pretty straight forward. In fact candidates could end up scoring more or even the same in Paper 1 while last year, average marks in paper 2 were much higher compared to paper 1.

Current Affairs Questions Were Missing

A lot of IAS aspirants focus on current affairs so much that they end up neglecting other topics in Prelims. I have a Prelims Test Series Course containing 6000 questions where results are sent by email. Analyzing the attempt of various course learners, I realized that aspirants were very enthusiastic for the current affairs based questions and majority of them attempted such questions but neglected the conventional questions on History, Polity, Geography etc.

unfortunately in the 2013 Prelims paper, current affairs questions were missing almost entirely except for a couple of questions. It seems UPSC is well aware that many candidates prefer the easier route of only preparing current affairs topics and not the rest. You had to have knowledge of other topics as well to score well in Paper 1 this year.

Stress on Basics

This year UPSC stressed on the basics and many questions on Polity, Economy, Geography tested your knowledge about the fundamentals of the topic. For instance, many questions on Economy were on inflation and money supply which were pretty simple to answer provided you had a good idea about these basic topics of Indian economy. Similarly, questions on Polity could be answered easily if you had gone through some basic books like Our Constitution in detail. For Geography, Goh Cheng Leong seemed to be the book from which many questions were asked and I have already written in the post on Prelims books, Goh Cheng Leong is a must-read book for physical geography. The 2013 prelims just proved this.

Paper 2 was Unchanged

It followed the same pattern of large stress on passages to test your comprehension skills which is good since passages are relatively easy to answer. Even the mental ability and logical reasoning based questions were of easy difficulty. Decision making was also less confusing than last year and one only had to choose the option with a balanced view as the correct answer. So no surprises here.

Should You Re-Orient Your Preparation

No. Continue preparing as is. This year’s prelims was not path breaking in any sense. Rather continue to focus on conventional topics and books and not just current affairs as this seems to be the only tried and tested formula for success. Also build up your GK base through newspapers, magazines and reference books like Manorama Year Book to be able to face the Prelims confidently. Mental ability cannot be ignored and since only questions of easy difficulty are asked you should not leave them. Rather focus on speed in paper 2 as time seems a bigger challenge in paper 2. With adequate practice in solving the math-based problems you can manage to complete the entire paper.

How was your Prelims this year and have you started preparing for Mains?

The post Prelims 2013: What Changed and What Did Not appeared first on IAS Kracker.

Note: The table is fully sortable. You can choose to display from 10 to 100 results on a single page. You can sort the table written total marks-wise or interview-marks wise, or from lowest to highest etc. You can even search the table for roll no, name, and marks. Just click on a particular label to sort the table. For instance, clicking on Final Total column twice will sort it from highest to lowest marks. Similarly do it for other heads as well.

Community: SC-1 ST-2 OBC-3 General-4

As can be seen from the marks above, this year like 2011 civil services exam was a low scoring affair. The topper, Haritha V Kumar scored 1193 marks, which though very commendable, is quite low compared to marks scored by toppers in the previous years. In fact, this year, Haritha is the only candidate who managed a written total in excess of 1000 marks; that’s quite something! This does not mean that quality of candidates has dropped, rather UPSC has become more stingy with marks. The cut-off for General category in 2012 Mains exam was just 707 marks (excluding PH category), which is quite low if you compare it with 2008 or 2009 Mains when the cut-off was in excess of 900 marks. A difference of almost 200 marks!

And this difference has stayed constant right till the top if you compare the top rankers marks with marks of previous years toppers. The difference is almost of 150 marks. Another point to note is that interview marks have a great impact on your final tally and ranking. The top 50 rankers have averaged between 180-240 marks out of 300, which is quite high as compared to the bottom 50 rankers who have averaged between 110-160 marks in the personality test.

Due to constraints of space I have not included the PH category column in the above table but the document below contains all the heads.

Category wise cut-off in Mains i.e Written Total (excluding Physically Handicapped category):

General – 707

OBC – 689

SC – 660

ST – 664

So the difference between the lowest score in Mains in reserved and general category was 47 marks as can be seen from the table.

Download the marks document here.

I hope you share your thoughts and insights on the Mains marks in the comments below.

The post Analysis of Civil Services 2012 Final Marks appeared first on IAS Kracker.

To solve these queries I have prepared a useful flowchart detailing the entire History syllabus at a glance. You can download and print it for ready reference while preparing History topics. I’ve divided the History syllabus into three parts – Ancient, Medieval and Modern period. Below each is the chronological sequence of topics that should be covered.

Note: I have relied heavily on TMH GS Manual for listing the topics. You can read review of TMH GS Manual as well. Refer other books for Prelims here.

Click on image for full view

This is first part of series on History for IAS. Next post in this series will be preparation tips for History. If you found the diagram useful do consider sharing it.

The post History Syllabus and How to Cover It appeared first on IAS Kracker.

Women again outshone men in the IAS exam for the 3rd year straight. Haritha V Kumar from Kerala topped the list followed by V Sriram and Stuti Charan respectively. Interestingly, Engineers and Doctors again bagged the top ranks in the 2012 IAS exam.

753 Male and 245 Female candidates have been selected in the 2012 civil services exam. Of the top 25 positions, there are 13 male and 12 female candidates. Thus it is clear that although final selection of females is less than half that of male candidates, women are doing really well by getting the top rankings consistently each year.

Haritha Kumar, B.Tech, topped the list in her 4th attempt. She was previously selected for the Indian Revenue Service (IRS). V Sriram, also from Kerala, is a Doctor and cleared the IAS exam in only his second attempt. Stuti Charan, despite being an MBA, chose Agriculture and Botany as her Mains optional subjects.

The post Civil Services (Main) 2012 Final Results Declared appeared first on IAS Kracker.

Do’s

Take a print out of the e-Admit Card

As you might know UPSC does not send admit cards to your home address any longer, rather you have to print out the admit cards from their website http://upscadmitcard.nic.in You will need the Registration ID that was mailed to you when you applied for the Prelims online and your date of birth. Ensure that the photograph on the admit card is clear, if not, carry another government approved photo identity proof like Aadhar card, Driving License, Passport, or Voter I/Card along with the e-Admit card.

Carry a Black Ball Point Pen

Very important. Rounding the answers in OMR sheet has to be done ONLY using a BLACK Ball Point Pen. Pencils are NOT allowed. So remember this. In stead of bothering and borrowing from other candidates remember to keep one or two black ball point pens in your compass box or shirt pocket before you step out of home.

Reach the Center at least 30 Minutes in Advance

The exam timings are: Paper 1: 09.30 A.M to 11.30 A.M and Paper 2: 02.30 P.M to 04.30 P.M

Ensure you reach the center by 09.00 A.M since you will need to find your hall number (literally fight to see the notice board since there will be hundreds more looking for the same), relieve yourself/freshen up before the paper starts, fill in the details like Roll No., Paper id etc in the answer sheet, deposit your mobile (if carrying it).

Carry Quick Revision Notes for Paper 2

Since you get 3 hours break between the two papers you can utilise at least 2 hours for quick look through of important topics in Paper 2, if you want. Of course you can choose to just relax and relive yourself of the stress but if you want to study something then carry some quick revision notes that you might have prepared. Or maybe you can just carry a book or two and look at some tricky questions concerning Decision Making, Mental Ability and so on.

Carry a Watch

In stead of asking your fellow candidates or the invigilator about the time remaining every few minutes, it’s advisable to wear a wrist watch or carry a table clock along. This will help you know exactly how much time is left and  whether you need to rush through the questions or carry on at the current speed.

Get a Good Night’s Sleep Before the Prelims

The prelims requires at least 8-10 months dedicated preparation. It is a marathon and not a 100 meters sprint unlike our graduation exam. If you have prepared well in advance, there’s no point in taking undue stress so get a sound sleep, or at least try to, before the Prelims. There’s no point burning the mid-night oil and turning up for the exam in the morning with your mind half asleep. Remember, your brain should be alert and kicking when it matters most, during the exam.

Tick the Option Chosen in the Question Paper

This is another suggestion I often give to IAS aspirants. Always circle or tick the  the option in the question paper that you have attempted in the answer sheet for future reference. Although this is a basic tip, but something that many first-timers often fail to do. You will need this for tallying and verifying your answers later on.

Don’ts

Do Not Carry Mobiles or Other Gadgets

Other gadgets include Google Glass GSM bugs, bluetooth devices etc or some other latest innovations to aid in exam copying. Please shun such innovations. Although many candidates carry mobiles, safekeeping cannot be ensured at the examination hall. If it is unavoidable to carry your mobile remember to carry a bag as well in which you can safely keep your mobile outside the examination hall. Also calculators are not allowed in the exam hall, scientific or unscientific.

Do Not Attempt All Questions

Except for the Decision Making questions in paper 2, each question carries a negative penalty of 1/3 marks (of that question). So please do not try to fool yourself by attempting all questions. Pick and attempt the questions your are absolutely sure of first, then go for those which you are almost certain but still not 100% confident. Chances are, you will most probably be right. If your attempt is less you can gamble on some 50-50 questions of which you can eliminate at least 2 choices with surety but not three. Leave those questions where you have no idea whatsoever of the options given. Chances are, your fluke will prove costly.

Also, refer this post on how to tackle negative marking in Prelims.

These are some the do’s and don’ts that will hopefully be of use to you before the Prelims. If you have any last minute queries regarding the Prelims, shoot them in the comments below.

The post Prelims Checklist: The Do’s and Don’ts Before and During the Prelims appeared first on IAS Kracker.

What is expected of a candidate in the IAS interview?

• Constructive thoughts
• Fresh and unique ideas
• Integrity
• Honesty
• Commitment
• Firmness
• Patience

How many members conduct the IAS interview?

Although the number of members is not fixed, generally the interview is conducted by a board consisting of 6 members including the board chairperson, who is a UPSC member and the rest are invited to conduct the interview.

These members are from different fields, including subject matter experts, psychologists, bureaucrats, educationists etc. All of them are highly experienced and ask searching questions to the candidate.

It is worth knowing that the UPSC chairman does not sit in any interview board but oversees the interview process. It’s the UPSC members who chair the interview board. Typically each board member chairs one board so the number of IAS interview boards is equal to the number of the UPSC members, but there are exceptions as well.

The newer members may sit on other member’s board in their first year as UPSC member to gain some experience of conducting the interview to this premier service.

Focus areas for IAS interview

While preparing for the civil services IAS interview, there are some core areas that you should focus on.

• Birthplace and State
• Optional subjects
• Educational background
• Hobby
• Family background
• Job experience (if any) and particularly, government job
• Current affairs
• Extra curricular activities
• Educational institutions attended

Your mains form is the key guide

By far, the most important source is the mains form you filled after clearing your preliminary or CSAT exams. So ensure you fill the mains form very very carefully. The questions can be on any topic like your birthplace, name, job, optionals, family background, hobby, sports, education, state etc.

So cover each and every topic in minute detail and a good practice is to keep the copy of your mains form as the reference while preparing for your IAS interview.

The Getup

As with all formal interviews you are expected to dress formally. Female candidates may wear a Saree or a Salwar whereas males should wear a shirt with tie. If you want you can also wear a suit. Many candidates do that as it gives them more confidence. Just ensure the colors of your clothes are sober to suit the occasion. No fancy shirts or sarees here please. You’ll have all the time to wear these once the interview is over.

One reason why you should avoid fancy clothes is that such clothes tend to distract attention of the board members from you to your clothes, which is not desirable.

Keep your presence of mind no matter what

Many candidates, especially those appearing for the first time, lose their composure the moment they are unable to answer a few questions. Relax, the UPSC board members aren’t just testing your knowledge during the civil services interview.

In fact, more than knowledge they want to assess your personality, your traits, your ability to work under pressure, to handle a tricky situation. After all, this is precisely what you will be facing in an intensely political environment once you enter the civil service.

If you don’t know a particular answer, just say so politely. Do not try to bluff the members or hazard a guess. Most likely, they will feel insulted and that will be the end of your interview and that year’s attempt. These members have vast experience and knowledge and they can easily make out when a candidate is trying to fool them.

They will in fact appreciate your honesty and courage in saying that you do not know the answer. Just keep your poise and smile intact.

Remember: One good, convincing answer is better than ten half hearted answers that lack conviction.

This is the nature of the IAS interview.

Be prepared to answer some tricky questions

Answering the question requires your presence of mind. If the members ask you a recall or memory based question, you will either answer it or say you don’t know. But if the question is a bit tricky then you will need to be alert to answer it. For instance if your hobby is astronomy, then be prepared for some confusing question like “With what velocity will Tendulkar have to hit the ball to make it go beyond the Earth’s gravity?”

If you are a racing fan like me, then you could be asked some unexpected questions like what will be Michael Schumacher’s height sitting in the cockpit. To answer this you will need to know a formula one car’s ground clearance and Schumachers height.

Stick to your stand

Many times candidates are quizzed to ascertain their firmness in making decisions or statements. Once you take a stand and you believe you are correct, in spite of contrary claims by some members, stick to it.

Don’t try to be a ‘yes sir’ person. Our whole system is suffering because of such chaperone’s who change color faster than a chameleon. If you can convince the questioner regarding your stand, in a polite manner, then the other members will be greatly impressed.

Even when consensus is not possible just say that you respect his or her view but do not agree with it. But in case you realize that the member was correct after all, then you should admit it and thank the person for shedding extra light on the topic, which you were unaware of.

This is called tactical diplomacy.

Can you guide the interview course?

Many candidates who have appeared for civil services interview claim to have nudged the board members into asking questions on their well-prepared topics by purposely mentioning these in their answers.

For example, if a candidate is asked to list the steps required for boosting the economy, he or she may deliberately stress on banking services if it is related in some way to the candidate’s profile. And the next question could well be on the banking sector which the IAS interview candidate will find easy to negotiate.

But should such an approach be followed? While the jury’s is still out on this many people feel there’s no need for guiding the interview if you are well prepared. Anyways, the board members are quite experienced to know the strong and weak areas of any civil services aspirant. So it may not work even if you tried it.

Books for IAS

All the books for IAS Interview, Prelims and Mains preparation at one place.

Some common questions

Although the civil services interview is very unpredictable, there still are certain common questions, for which you should prepare well.

1. Why do you want to join the civil service?
2. Situational: If you were the Collector of a district and a communal clash broke out, what steps would you take to bring the situation under control?
3. Why do you want to leave your current job to join the civil services?
4. Explain US stand towards India in relation to Pakistan and China

Even though the first question seems pretty straightforward, many IAS candidates find it quite difficult to give a convincing reply to it. One of the reasons for this is that the interview board members do not want clichéd replies like “because I want to serve my country” and so on.

Also, avoid coaching class answers. These board members can easily pick up a reply that is not genuine. In fact some candidates have been chided for giving replies taught by Ravindran, the Vajiram director and owner.

At the same time you should also be prepared for some follow on questions for all the expected questions. Whatever reply you give, ensure your answer is convincing and genuine.

Note: You can enroll for my Test Series course at 20% discount using coupon code TESTKRACKER

The post IAS Exam Interview Preparation Tips appeared first on IAS Kracker.

I will also be discussing the changes in the new Mains pattern, the link between Prelims and Mains and how to orient your Prelims preparation to benefit during Mains.

The class is free for everyone. Register early as seats are limited.

Register for live class here

Note: Please ONLY use latest version of Firefox web browser to view the class as Chorme browser is NOT compatible and will result in poor sound quality and disconnections.

Also, if you appreciate this effort kindly spread the word around by sharing this post on Facebook, Google+ and Twitter!

The post [Live Class] Prelims Revision in 3 Months and Impact of New IAS Mains Pattern appeared first on IAS Kracker.