Analysing PYQs of GS papers (Prelims)

Analysing PYQs of GS papers (Prelims) is extremely crucial. The returns of doing this exercise cannot be overstated.

This is how I analysed the PYQs.

First and foremost, I approached the papers year wise and not theme wise. I used to get them printed and would solve them in an exam like simulation. By doing so, I killed two birds with one stone. I practiced PYQs and at the same time I practiced how to solve the MCQs.

Then I used to sit down and understand my mistakes (feedback loops). Understand the topics I lacked knowledge in. Understand where my “intelligent guessing” went wrong and how I could have tweaked the way I thought during the exam to get it right the next time.

Then began the most crucial part. I used to go through each question thoroughly and would gather information on all the options that UPSC had thrown at us. And while analysing ALL the options, I had created my own notes and hot topics from where UPSC had asked questions frequently. Post this exercise, you will not only have quality content but also the MOST relevant content with you. It is quite obvious that designing questions and that too hundreds of them is no joke. The examiners are bound to go back to the PYQs and recycle them in ingenious ways. By doing this exercise I mentioned above, you will arm yourself with knowledge that can tackle such questions.

Given the contemporary nature of Prelims, you have to ensure you get your fundamentals bang on. Topics like Polity, Economics, Geography and Environment for example are topics where you can be a bit certain to get the questions right. The more you put in efforts here, the more chances of you getting the questions right. Any serious aspirant would be getting the questions to these topics right. If you could not, it does not mean you are out of the race. The race just became a bit more difficult for you. These topics provide the certainty amongst the uncertainty of prelims. You can prepare them well to hedge your risks.

There is no right or wrong strategy. I had to completely leave Medieval History in my first attempt because I simply could not find the time. I had to choose between investing my time in Mathematics or Medieval History and the choice was crystal clear to me. You have to inevitably make such choices for yourself. You have to take risks. Just try to ensure that they are calculated risks based on some rationale.