{"id":1483,"date":"2025-10-07T11:48:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T11:48:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/?p=1483"},"modified":"2025-10-14T07:36:04","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T07:36:04","slug":"from-not-clearing-to-clearing-upsc-prelims-my-prelims-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/2025\/10\/07\/from-not-clearing-to-clearing-upsc-prelims-my-prelims-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"From Not Clearing to Clearing UPSC Prelims: My Prelims Strategy\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>\u2728 From Not Clearing to Clearing UPSC Prelims: My Prelims Strategy\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The UPSC Civil Services Examination tests not just knowledge but also <strong>consistency, mindset, and exam temperament<\/strong>. My journey from <strong>failing Prelims twice<\/strong> (2022, 2023) to finally <strong>clearing Prelims in 2024 and 2025<\/strong> is a story of unlearning and simplifying.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s my honest reflection \u2014 what went wrong, how I corrected it, and what actually worked.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>\ud83c\udfaf Background<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Mode of Preparation<\/strong>: Self-study<\/li>\n<li><strong>Optional Subject<\/strong>: Political Science &amp; International Relations (PSIR).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Attempts<\/strong>:\n<ul>\n<li>Prelims \u2192 2022 \u274c, 2023 \u274c, 2024 \u2705, 2025 \u2705<\/li>\n<li>Mains \u2192 2024, 2025<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u274c Why I Couldn\u2019t Clear Prelims (2022 &amp; 2023)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Looking back, these were my biggest mistakes:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Low Attempts (60\u201370 Qs)<\/strong> \u2192 Played too safe, which left me below the cutoff.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Confusion &amp; Overthinking<\/strong> \u2192 Couldn\u2019t recall answers due to reading from too many sources.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fear &amp; Negative Thoughts<\/strong> \u2192 Anxiety ruined exam composure.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lack of Confidence<\/strong> \u2192 Felt unprepared even after studying a lot.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Over-reading<\/strong> \u2192 NCERTs + 3\u20134 extra books + websites + magazines = clutter in my head.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>In short: I was <strong>working hard, but not smart<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2705 How I Cleared Prelims (2024 &amp; 2025)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The shift was not in <strong>books<\/strong>, but in <strong>mindset + exam approach<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Read Less, Revise More<\/strong> \u2192 Stuck only to NCERTs, PYQs, syllabus, PIB, and daily newspaper.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Positive Thought Process<\/strong> \u2192 Entered exam hall with a <strong>\u201cso what if I fail\u201d<\/strong> mindset.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Higher Attempts (85\u201390 Qs)<\/strong> \u2192 Maximized chances by attempting more, with careful elimination.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tricks &amp; Patterns<\/strong> \u2192 In Science, \u201cOption C (All of the above)\u201d was often correct.<\/li>\n<li><strong>No Extra Sources<\/strong> \u2192 No websites, no monthly magazines, no coaching handouts.<\/li>\n<li><strong>No Topper Videos<\/strong> \u2192 Stopped wasting time chasing motivation, focused on my own method.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Controlled Negative Marking<\/strong> \u2192 Avoided over-attempting when unsure, stayed calm.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cool Approach<\/strong> \u2192 Treated Prelims like a practice test, reduced stress.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udcd6 My GS Approach<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>NCERTs<\/strong> \u2192 Core foundation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>PYQs<\/strong> \u2192 Blueprint of what UPSC actually asks.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Syllabus<\/strong> \u2192 Read line by line to stay exam-aligned.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Newspaper<\/strong> \u2192 The Hindu\/Indian Express, issue-based notes.<\/li>\n<li><strong>PIB<\/strong> \u2192 For authentic government updates.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Revision &gt; Reading<\/strong> \u2192 Made multiple revisions instead of chasing new sources.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udcca My Transformation in One Line<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 <strong>Earlier:<\/strong> Fear, confusion, 60\u201370 attempts.<br \/>\n\ud83d\udc49 <strong>Now:<\/strong> Calm, clarity, 85\u201390 attempts.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2728 Key Takeaways for Aspirants<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Don\u2019t overload yourself<\/strong> with too many sources. Stick to NCERTs, standard books, PYQs, and newspaper.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Attempt more questions in Prelims<\/strong>. Playing safe won\u2019t help with negative marking.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mindset matters as much as knowledge<\/strong>. Go in with a calm, positive attitude.<\/li>\n<li><strong>PYQs are gold.<\/strong> They teach you more than any coaching material.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Trust your own preparation.<\/strong> Stop hopping between topper videos and new strategies.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"321\"><strong>2022 &#8211; prelims Not cleared<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"328\"><strong>2024 Prelims cleared<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"321\"><\/td>\n<td width=\"328\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>\ud83d\ude80 Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>UPSC is not just about <strong>studying everything<\/strong>; it\u2019s about <strong>studying the right things in the right way<\/strong>. My failures taught me the value of <strong>simplicity, revision, and confidence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re struggling with Prelims, remember this:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Read less.<\/li>\n<li>Revise more.<\/li>\n<li>Attempt boldly.<\/li>\n<li>Stay cool.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Because sometimes, the difference between <strong>\u201cnot cleared\u201d and \u201ccleared\u201d<\/strong> is not knowledge \u2014 it\u2019s mindset.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u2728 From Not Clearing to Clearing UPSC Prelims: My Prelims Strategy\u00a0 The UPSC Civil Services Examination tests not<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"image","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","post_format-post-format-image"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/generated-image-8.jpg",2048,2048,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/generated-image-8-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/generated-image-8-300x300.jpg",300,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/generated-image-8-768x768.jpg",640,640,true],"large":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/generated-image-8-1024x1024.jpg",640,640,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/generated-image-8-1536x1536.jpg",1536,1536,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/generated-image-8.jpg",2048,2048,false],"morenews-large":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/generated-image-8-825x575.jpg",825,575,true],"morenews-medium":["https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/generated-image-8-590x410.jpg",590,410,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"ArkreflectionsBlog","author_link":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/author\/9da31535a0094cda87af709936524f34\/"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/category\/blog\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Blog<\/a>","tag_info":"Blog","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1483"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1483\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1484,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1483\/revisions\/1484"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkreflectionsias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}