Strategy for UPSC Mains - Essay, Optional, Ethics - 60 days Timetable
The eye of the UPSC Civils is nothing but the Mains. Out of the total 2025 marks, 1750 marks are allotted to it. EOE Triangle helps one to ace it.
"I can only see the eye of the bird" was Arjuna's reply to Dronacharya during an archery session. It made him the great archer. Similarly, the eye of the UPSC examination is nothing but the Mains examination. As Prelims is just a qualifying stage, the real test for an aspirant lies at the Mains stage. It could be your Day-maker or a Day-breaker and the results lies in your own hands. Let me explain the easy way of acing mains in 60 days by concentrating on 3 limbs of the EOE Triangle - i.e., Ethics-Optional-Mains in this post.
Importance of UPSC Mains
Every UPSC aspirant knows that out of the 2025 marks in a Civil services exam, 1750 marks are allotted to the Mains and the Personality test is conducted only for 275 marks. The UPSC mains could be a game-changer for an aspirant. We could estimate the importance of UPSC mains by comparing the Cutoff marks and also the marks of the topper.
UPSC Mains cutoff Vs Toppers' marks
From the above representations, we could easily note the fact that the Personality test plays only a minor role in the overall civil services exam. The Mains is the deciding factor here. An aspirant could become a topper irrespective of whether his interview marks - be it 190+ or 150+. That's why I assume Mains to be "the Eye of the bird".
Ingredients of UPSC Mains
UPSC Mains exam is made of 9 papers in total with 2 qualifying and 7 others with each standing for 250 marks. But the 3 General studies papers cover multiple subjects (12 in number) and it would be a mistake to cover them at first. I followed a strategy known as "EOE First" which we will see in detail.
Strategy for UPSC Mains
I have clearly explained the strategy in an 8-minute video. Apart from this, the above image is self-explanatory. Nevertheless, I would like to leave you a hint with regard to UPSC Essay preparation - Don't go after books or materials to collect fodder for Essay writing. Instead, start with MINDMAP preparation, as it is natural that beginners wouldn't have enough fodder for a complete 1.5hour essay.
Ethics, Optional, Essay - Timetable
The above timetable caters only 3 hours per day, 6 days per week for 60 days. Towards the end, you would have made at least 15 Essay Mindmaps, 45 Ethics case studies, 60 hours each for Optional and Ethics. Remember not to overdo the number of books for UPSC Mains, as the success mantra is - "Minimum resources, Maximum revision".
Explanatory video
To hold a firm grasp on the matter, watch a simplified video (8 minutes).
Other Related guidance
I would consider myself fortunate if I am able to push your UPSC journey a notch towards the goal. Feel free to leave me a word in the comments section below.
Regards,
Priyanga R Annadurai.
Priyanga R Annadurai.
You can reach out to me by filling the contact form.
The Disclaimer!
This article is 100% based on personal experiences and experiments with UPSC Civil services exams at all 3 stages. Please test them and apply only if it suits you! There is no single foolproof path to clear the UPSC examination. Each UPSC aspirant has their own strengths and weaknesses, and only after careful analysis of the same, we could arrive at any conclusions. I let this burden on you and it's your responsibility to identify whether the strategies mentioned here suit you. 👈👉
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