5 Top tips to crack IAS – Mains

Every student appearing for IAS-Mains studies rigorously but not all get through, not all pass. The strategy that you adopt while studying is the deciding factor of your name being in the success list. IAS-Mains carry 2600 marks in all. You need to plan carefully about each mark. 2-mark questions and 20-word questions can be the deal-breakers or deal-makers so pay attention on them. Always make your own notes and keep referring them. Word limit in the examination should not be crossed as it will make it difficult for you to complete the paper. Few other important tips to crack the mains are as follows:

Know the syllabus:

It is essential that you are aware about all that is included in the syllabus. There is no need to stress about the change in the syllabus. It’s common with Civil Service Exams to have a changed and new syllabus. Knowing the syllabus helps you decide which topics are relevant and which are not. The portion is huge so you cannot study it entirely; selective study is a must.

 General Studies:

This is one of the most important segments in Civil Service Exams. You cannot sit with a pile of magazines and newspapers and mug it all up at once. Regular reading of newspaper is your only savior. Keep jotting down important pieces of news and revise it at frequent intervals. This will help you recollect all the important issues when asked in the exam.

Performance:

Your score completely depends on how you perform in the exam. Everyone studies after the prelims up to the mains; how you put all that you have studied, on the paper, in those three hours decides your future. Your handwriting and presentation is expected to be neat. Writing the answers in point form rather than in paragraphs is suggested as it provides easy readability. Wherever required draw graphs, tables and diagrams, this will enable the examiner to understand your intellect.

Keep practicing:

The more you practice, the better you will perform. Practice gives you confidence, which is very important for such kind of an exam. Don’t get influenced by what your other friends are doing. If they are studying for 18 hours, you should also do that. If they have revised the portion certain number of times, you should also do the same. No. You keep on practicing as much as you can. The right approach is to keep working towards your goal without pondering much about the outcome.

Attitude counts:

Only if you have a positive attitude towards the entire thing can you make it till the end. Someone with a pessimistic approach can never clear the mains. A tensed and negative mind loses the capability to think and analyze properly. This results in poor performance. Being a little nervous is normal but don’t let it play with your head for long. After all, it is just an exam and you have been appearing for exams since childhood. Believe in yourself, if you are capable of reaching up till here you certainly hold the ability to go higher. Remember, if you think you can’t, you won’t!