Q. Do mock test marks matter?

Q. Do mock test marks matter? Should we focus on mocks or PYQs in the last 12 days?

Mock test marks themselves do not matter; what matters is your learning from them. The purpose of mocks is to build stamina, improve time management, and identify gaps in knowledge and strategy.

In the last 12 days, your approach can involve a mix of the following:

1. Previous Year Questions (PYQs): MUST-DO

• PYQs are the most authentic source to understand UPSC's pattern, mindset, and recurring themes.

• Try to understand the language of questions to identify how Upsc plays with the words to set traps

• Focus on why the correct option is right and why others are wrong.

• Prioritize PYQs of at least the last 7–10 years.

2. Mock Tests: Practice with Purpose

• Do 1 paper every alternate day or every 2 days.

• Focus on revision-based mocks rather than new content-heavy ones.

• More important than attempting mocks is doing quality analysis:

• Why you made errors.

• Which topics are weak.

• Are your guesses working or backfiring?

3. Revision > New Material

In the last 12 days, shift focus from learning new things to revising what you already know.

Use mocks to test retention, not to learn completely new content.

In these final days, prioritize PYQs and revision, and use mocks selectively for practice and confidence-building, not for marks.