Shaurya Arora Mains Strategy

For mains the two most important things are:

1. PYQ's --> These get repeated year-on-year. For example, questions on cyber security in GS-3 have been a consistent feature. Syllabus is very well defined in mains and the questions are often based on the same themes with just slight changes in the language or the style of asking. PYQ's and syllabus headings are most important for mains.

I have shared the analysis of the theme-wise PYQ's year-wise below

2. Answer Writing Practice --> This exam is an exam for average students. Raw intelligence wont help for mains. One must put in the hours and write and write and write. There are many reasons as outlined below:

a. Improves Presentation - This plays a very important role in giving a good impression in the mind of the examiner checking more than 50 copies a day. (This is analogous to the fact that there is no point having a good product if it isn't marketed well - our knowledge and content must be well presented with neatness and cleanliness). Answer writing practice leads to improvement in neatness, spacing, indentation

Note - to improve presentation, one can experiment with stars, triangles, arrows, boxes, double underlines, etc

[I underlined alot in my answer sheets, it helps the examiner to read and not skip the main points and my value addition, in fact in some places double underline and dark underline can also be used apart from just single underline]

b. Ensures adequate practice with respect to time management and space management in the exam (Aim to fill all the pages in the exam and keep a hard deadline of 7 min and 10 min for 10/15 markers respectively. I used to start with Q11 and try to complete the first six 15-markers in the 1st hour)

Tip - the last page of the answer should be the most filled and till the full bottom (the intro and first page can be slightly spacious but try to end the last page till the complete bottom - leaves a good impression for the examiner)

Tip - try to substantiate your points and add value addition (facts, data, committees, judgements, schemes, examples, etc)

c. Boosts Muscle memory and confidence. We are easily able to recollect and reproduce in the exam what we have previously written with our hands. This is muscle memory. Moreover practicing answer writing also equips us with the tools to attempt even those questions for which we may not have complete knowledge.

d. In fact it must also be emphasized that for mains 'immediate' answer writing practice is more important. It doesn't matter how many tests were written before, unless you do "immediate" answer writing practice in the 3 months between prelims and mains.

Takeaway:

Thus the most important is studying the mains syllabus headings + doing PYQ brainstorming of past 5 years + maximum answer writing as much as you possibly can - especially for ethics, essay and optional. (Swing of marks in ethics is 90-140, swing in essay is 80-150, and swing in optional is 200-325, whereas the swing of marks is very less in GS papers, thus prioritise accordingly and focus more on brainstorming PYQ's, and answer writing practice over everything else)

PS - no need to over-spend time on current affairs for mains. Be careful from getting trapped in the infinite abyss of current affairs. Be very wary and study selectively and smartly.