UPSC Civil Service Exam 2014-Civil Service Examination Tips-Time Management

CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATION PRELIM'S TIPS

TIME MANAGEMENT

Many of the friends tell me the reason for not clearing prelims as they did not have time so left many questions unanswered even they know or partly know the answer.
This is not an excuse at all. You are punished for one more year since you manage the given time badly. Remember time and question paper is same throughout India, and "time management" is part and parcel of this exam.

So to avoid it, you can follow the following tips.

1) Divide 120 minutes (2 hours) by number of questions. That is the exact maximum amount of time to solve a single question. 

For example if you have 100 questions, then 120/100=1.2 minutes (72 seconds/question approximately)

You can take a normal digital watch with you. It helps you to keep track of these minutes often.

2)if you are stuck up in any question, and if you are solving it beyond the time allocated for that question , then you should mark the question and go to next question.(you may have few seconds or minutes at last ,that u can use for these left out questions)... Remember if at all you are solving the question beyond the prescribed limit, then you are doing it at the cost of other questions which you may know. 

3) Assume if you have hundred questions, finish the easy questions first, then go for tougher questions later.

4) Some people have a bad habit of marking the answers in question paper itself (don’t know why!!!), and marking all the answers at last minute in the coding sheet. There are lots of chances you will do this wrongly when you are hurrying up. SO NEVER EVER DO THIS BLUNDER. When you find the answer, see the question number properly and mark it in the coding sheet properly then and then.

5) Some questions may not be worth of thinking too much and deriving the answer. If there is a provision, substitute the four choices in the question directly and find the answer (especially for paper-II).

6) Don’t be afraid if the initial questions are tougher and you don’t know the answer for any of those. Keep your calm and keep solving.

7) Above all reach the exam hall with the hall ticket, one hour before so that you won’t panic. If you are late this may affect your performance at the exam hall since you are tensed.

"ALL THE BEST"