Subject tests first
Alongside reading, take short subject tests on General Studies topics such as polity, geography and economy, to confirm retention and develop the habit of working through multi-statement questions.
Full-length GS papers
As the exam nears, attempt full papers at the same time of day as the real exam. After each one, classify wrong answers as: did not know, partly knew, or misread. The second and third categories are the most fixable.
Do not neglect CSAT
Treat CSAT as a risk to remove. Short, regular tests from the CSAT page keep you safely above the qualifying line without eating into GS preparation.
Elimination and risk
With negative marking, your guessing policy matters. Practise assigning a confidence level to each answer and, after the mock, check how your guesses at each confidence level actually fared. The method is explained in our negative marking article and our UPSC mock-test guide.
See the Prelims pattern overview, try free UPSC mock tests, or open the UPSC hub.
