The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Mains 2024 examination is scheduled to take place from September 20 to 29, 2024. This exam follows the Preliminary or Prelims examination, and only candidates who have cleared the Prelims are eligible to appear for the Mains.
The UPSC is an independent commission which conducts this and other examinations annually. It is responsible for selecting candidates for various top government services, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Foreign Service (IFS), among many others.
The UPSC will soon release the admit cards for the Mains examination. Candidates who applied can download their admit cards from the official UPSC website, upsc.gov.in.
Furthermore, each year, approximately 10-12 lakh candidates apply for the UPSC Civil Services examination, out of which, around four to five lakh appear for the Preliminary exam. From these, only about 10,000 to 12,000 candidates qualify for the Mains exams.
The approximate number of candidates reaching the interview stage (the final stage) is 2,000 to 3,000, and about 800-1,000 candidates are selected for various services.
Expert's take
Himanshu Poswal, a former aspirant and now founder at UPSC CSE WHY, an online UPSC social media community, shared his insights on time management, how to balance exam preparation while maintaining mental and physical health, strategies for success and so on.
Strategies and tips for aspirants
1) The PYQs (Previous Year Question papers)
You already know which topics are UPSC's favourites based on PYQs. Double down on revising for those! If time is running out, you can simply refer to PYQs directly
2) Current affairs integration
It shall serve as a sweet reminder that the basics of static are the same. You make your answers dynamic with examples of current affairs.
3) Don't stress
You are already in the top 13,000-14,000 aspirants out of the 15 lakh candidates. This itself places you in the lead. If you have studied well, then you don't have to take any stress.
4) D-Day games
There should be no heavy studying one to two days before the exam. Revise your short notes, don't pick anything new. Be confident. On the day, reach the centre 30-45 minutes early. Read every instruction carefully within the designated time.
5) When writing answers during the exam
During the final few minutes of writing the exam, focus on having enough content to complete the paper. Ensure that you are finishing every paper with no answers left blank
Time management tips
Speaking about time management tips, Himanshu Poswal stated three points.
1) If you are a night owl, start fixing your sleep cycle in the next 10-12 days. No matter how much you know, if your body is not active at 9 am then there is no point.
2) Focus on revisions in the last two weeks of your preparation, avoid any full-length tests. At best, write a few answers but do not exhaust yourself or peak before the exam
3) Dedicate adequate time to every answer and skip writing more for the topics you have a thorough knowledge of! For example, 150 words for 10 markers and 250 for 15 makers should do. Following this, allocate seven to 10 minutes, depending on how many words you need to write.
The balance between health and exam prep
When asked about how to maintain a balance between mental/physical health and exam preparations, the UPSC coach highlighted a few basic yet crucial habits that aspirants must follow.
1) Eating clean is a non-negotiable. Boiled vegetables, fruits and unprocessed food are the kinds of food that one should look for
2) Early to bed, early to rise. Sleep right, sleep tight. How? Just sleep early. No screen time after 8 pm and by 10 pm, I want you snoring louder than the noises of an oil factory
3) Move (but not so much that you end up with a sprain)@ Be it an evening walk for 35-40 minutes or a game of badminton. Anything that has a negligible chance of injury is a welcome step, concluded Himanshu Poswal.
Do note, candidates can expect the UPSC Final Result in April 2025.
