IAS Prelims Test Series - 5 Things To Keep in Mind Before You Join One
UPSC Prelims test series helps IAS aspirants to score good marks in one of the most competitive civil service exams in India. As they said, ‘Practice makes a man perfect’, solving the IAS prelims test series is a wise move towards your goal. Now, the question arises on how to find the best IAS prelims test series out of a lot available.
IAS Prelims Test Series - 5 Things To Keep in Mind Before You Join One
UPSC Prelims test series helps IAS aspirants to score good marks in one of the most competitive civil service exams in India. As they said, ‘Practice makes a man perfect’, solving the IAS prelims test series is a wise move towards your goal. Now, the question arises on how to find the best IAS prelims test series out of a lot available.
Hariram Shankar who has scored All India Rank 145 in the UPSC CSE 2016 sharing his experience saying that, don’t wait for completing the full syllabus for taking mock tests. Solve as many mock test papers as you can do. This helps you in getting an idea about the pattern of questions in the exam and then you can prepare accordingly. This helps me a lot!
How To Select The Best IAS Prelims Test Series
Any IAS prelims test series consists of a number of online mock tests to solve. Of course, such tests are designed on the same exam pattern as that of IAS. Looking at the high-demand among the candidates, there are a huge number of IAS prelims test series available offline and online.
To take you out with the dilemma of choosing the right UPSC Prelims Test Series 2020, the tips given here would be of great help for the candidates looking for IAS prelims test series.
Check The Chances of the Questions To Be Asked in The Actual IAS Exam
Find out the probability of the questions in test series which are actually asked in the UPSC exam. Questions like “Who is the current Finance Minister of India” or “When did Jallianwala Bagh incident happen” are likely to ask in Bank PO and PSC exams. The nature of the UPSC exam is quite different and harder than this.
In UPSC, a candidate should focus more on General Studies which is the mix of current affairs and general knowledge. The reasoning is also a popular topic covered under UPSC exams. Usually, it is seen that candidates are clueless about the type of questions asked in the UPSC exam. So, it is very important to choose from.
Pro Tip - Don’t focus on the difficulty level of questions. Just focus on the probability of the questions to be asked in the Final IAS exam.
It has been commonly observed that many of the coaching institutes tempered mock test series for tempting the students. To attract the students who want to solve easy questions, some coaching institutes set very simple and easy questions. Those candidates, no doubt, feel happy to score good marks in IAS Prelims Test Series but later in the final exam, they have to face failure.
On the contrary, some coaching classes set very tough question paper to establish the mentality among the IAS aspirants that this is the toughest examination ever. This creates unnecessary fear and demoralizes candidates.
So, in-all, a good IAS Prelims Test Series should consist of questions that give a true picture of what actually the questions asked in the UPSC examination. One should give preference to the experienced faculty setting the paper for mock tests.
Get Feedback From UPSC Toppers On IAS Prelims Test Series
Don’t forget to consult with UPSC toppers in the recent past, before you enroll for the UPSC Prelims Test Series 2020. Get real testimonials and feedback from the toppers interview. It’s also a good idea to consult with your fellow UPSC aspirants and seniors.
Consider Negative Marking, All-India Competition, Revision in IAS Prelims Test Series
There are many examples where aspirants perform well in the mock test series but fail to do the same in the actual UPSC exam. The reason is simple because they didn’t practice in the right direction. That’s why we are here emphasizing the importance of choosing the right IAS prelims test series.
Also, only practice is not sufficient for the preparation. You have to do quality practice which is possible through practicing the right mock test series for UPSC exams. While solving the mock test series, you should consider all the criteria like negative marking, time limitation, performance, etc. as applicable in the actual exam. Also, ensure that while you take the mock test papers, your revision should be done through it.
Cost of IAS Prelims Test Series
Whether you accept or not, price is an important factor that every aspirant considers. (Well, we are talking about the majority so, there could be some exceptions to this factor). In metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata, the IAS prelims test series is very costly while the same might be available at a relatively cheaper price at other locations. So, you should also compare the prices however, while considering the price, do not compromise on the quality of mock test series.
Type of Questions and Pattern of Mock Test Series For UPSC
The last yet equally important thing you should consider before selecting the right UPSC Prelims test series 2020 is the type and pattern of questions added in the test. IAS is a subject-specific exam, so, the strategy lies to identify the weak subjects and plan on that basis. Of course, questions about current affairs which are very important need to be considered. It includes events that are recently happened and everything from the past at least 3 to 4 years ago. Replication of questions asked in UPSC Civil Service Prelims.
Always Remember - A Right Start is a Half Success!
It's very important to move through the right track because the wrong pathway can never lead you to the right destination. Choosing a correct set of mock test series is crucial for the success in final IAS prelims examination and it plays a very important role in clearing toughest exams like UPSC.
