DecodeCivils by Mudit Jain

Shubham Satyam (AIR-497, CSE-21) Detailed Prelims Strategy

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Hi All,

Need of the hour for UPSC Aspirants is to get their Prelims strategy right. Thanks to Shubham Satyam, who secured AIR-497 in CSE-21, that Aspirants have right example to follow. Following is Shubham’s strategy in his own words:

I, Shubham Satyam, secured AIR 497 in the Civil Services Examination 2021 in my 3rd attempt (3rd Mains and 2nd Interview). I completed my B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from VIT, Vellore in 2016. I worked as Programmer Analyst in CTS for 2 years. Then, I resigned and started preparing for CSE full-time.

Prelims Strategy:

If one were to ask in one line, what is it like to study for Prelims, I would tell them this-

Studying for Prelims is like throwing pebbles in a pitcher filled partially with water. (Remember the crow story from Panchatantra?) Instant gratification and impatience would lead you nowhere. But, if you keep in dropping those pebbles, you’ll see the water level rising!

I have cleared all 3 Prelims in my 3 attempts. This year’s marks have not been revealed yet because I had also applied for IFoS!

Few pointers that I would like to share with aspirants that helped me clear Prelims every time-

  • There’s no alternative for standard sources. NCERTs and some important reference books are bare minimum.
  • Develop inquisitiveness in yourself. There are times when common sense helps you arrive at answers in Prelims.
  • Learn the art of correlation and connections. Try to ponder over what you read and find out those interlinkages.
  • Develop the habit of reading the newspaper daily, but do not run behind Current Affairs compilations. There is no such thing as Current Affairs! Static and Static alone will help you sail through Prelims. That being said, do not ignore CA altogether. Give 75% of your time to master the static portion and rest for CA.
  • Think backwards. What would you revise 3 days, 7 days, 10 days, 15 days prior to Prelims. A solid revision plan gets the job done easily.
  • Learn the art of note-making. Without notes, your efforts will not bring commensurate result. I have written an answer on Quora about note-making.
  • Many people complain about the randomness of the Prelims which is only partially true. Some questions will indeed come from standard sources, some may not. Afterall, it is India’s toughest exam for a reason! That being said, if you’ve mastered the content of standard books, the acquired knowledge base will help you arrive at answers.
  • In Prelims, what matters is your relative performance vis-a-vis other candidates. If a difficult question is asked, it’s going to be difficult for all. One doesn’t need to be bothered by such questions. It’s the performance in the easy and moderate questions that determines selection. If you’re above average at all stages of the exam, you’ll ace the exam.

Join Decode Civils Telegram Group For Free UPSC CSE Guidance From Mudit Jain, IRS CSE 2017 (Ex-IPS CSE 2014 & 2015), Author of Decode GS-2 1.0, Decode Ethics 4.0 Part-A, Decode Ethics 4.0 Part-B and Decode History 1.0 Books

You can reach me at Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Telegram.

All My Notes

Sample PDFs of Decode Ethics 4.0 Part-A & Part-B Books, Decode GS-2 Book & Decode History Book:

decode-ethics-4.0-sample

decode-gs-2-sample

decode-history-sample

My Booklist-

Here’s how aspirants can connect with me-

  1. My blog- https://drowningice.wordpress.com/
  2. Twitter: https://twitter.com/satya_shubh
  3. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shubham-satyam-25494167/
  4. Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Shubham-Satyam
  5. Telegram: @AzadHindFauz
  6. Forum Community- https://forumias.com/user/AzadHindFauz

Other CSE 21 Topper Strategies:

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