To those who feel they won’t clear this time —

To those who feel they won’t clear this time —

I’ve been there in my first attempt.

It hurts.

Take a short break, allow yourself to feel it, and then come back stronger.

When I failed my first prelims, I made a promise to myself — that I’d return better prepared, not just for prelims but for mains as well.

That very failure became the foundation of my success. It’s the reason I’m here today, with a two-digit rank.

Sometimes, things happen for a reason — even if it doesn’t feel like it in the moment.

To those who believe they have a chance this time —

Be back at the study table by the weekend at the latest.

Last year, I made up my mind by Thursday and resumed full-time preparation by Monday.

You can begin with your optional subject and GS1, as many of the topics overlap with prelims. Or, if GS4 is still pending, that’s a good place to start too.

Regarding answer keys and cut-off discussions —

There will always be errors in answer keys, and some questions are bound to have differing opinions.

Moreover, we don’t know how aspirants have performed in CSAT. Since the 2024 CSAT was relatively easy, many might not have prepared very seriously for it. This could influence the overall cut-off.

So, even if you feel there’s a slight chance, start picking up your Mains preparation within a week.

There’s no real benefit in constantly predicting the cut-off or getting involved in endless discussions on Telegram groups.