Upcoming Success: Clearing UPSC Prelims 2021 with Persistent Effort

Congratulations to all those who have qualified or will soon be appearing for the Main Exam of the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) after acing the Preliminary Examination. This article delves into my personal journey in clearing UPSC Prelims in 2021 after four attempts, sharing invaluable strategies and insights that may help aspiring candidates navigate the path to success.

My Fortunes and Struggles

I have undertaken a journey that lasted four years, with three attempts during the Mains in 2021 and 2022, both of which resulted in a near miss at the interview stage. Finally, in 2021, I successfully cleared the Preliminary Examination after a fair amount of preparation. My attempt was focused on attempting 87 questions in the General Studies (GS) and 43 questions in the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), scoring around 106-110 and 80-84 respectively as per various answer keys.

The Challenges Faced

While the results from various keys indicate a solid performance, there was considerable uncertainty regarding my actual score due to the high variation in answer keys. Despite scoring significantly lower compared to the previous year (115 marks in GS), I managed to scrape through the CSAT paper with a minimal margin of around 8-10 marks above the cutoff of 73-75. This margin was influenced by the CSAT paper's El Nino effect, which added an extra layer of difficulty, along with the ambiguity of the GS paper.

Lessons Learned and Strategic Insights

The success in the Preliminary Examination is a reminder that consistent effort and adaptability are key to overcoming the unseen challenges of any competitive exam. This success comes with the understanding that clearing the Preliminary step is just the first hurdle in a long and arduous journey towards the IAS (Indian Administrative Services) exam. My upcoming focus will be on preparing for the Main Exam, which is currently left for me to attempt.

Preparing for the Main Exam

The challenges in the Main Exam are magnified and the preparation needs to be rigorous and focused. At this stage, candidates should concentrate their efforts entirely on the Main Exam. Irrespective of the results from the Preliminary, the next six to seven months will significantly impact the final outcomes.

Further Advice and Support

For all those who are preparing or have faced similar hurdles, my advice is to focus on continuous preparation, especially in the form of mock tests, which have proven to be invaluable in understanding the exam pattern and building confidence. I encourage you to leverage resources and seek guidance from mentors and peers. If you need any genuine support or a personal mentorship, feel free to reach out to me via Telegram using the username vibhanshu27. Let us all guide each other towards success and aim to cross the final hurdle.

Wishing you all the best for the Main Exam and future endeavors. May the examination gods grace us with success.

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