UPSC CSE Prelims 2021: For woman topper Jagrati Awasthi, presence of mind is the most important element to ace in the UPSC prelims exam. Jagrati advised candidates not to mug up new things ahead of the exam. "As just days left for the prelims, go through the basic things, revise the previous year papers well, attempt mock tests and do not try to mug up any new contents," she said.
A day before the prelims exam, Jagrati advised candidates to sleep well and interact with their close friends and parents to get motivated and boost mental strength. According to Jagrati, her mother's motivation helped her a lot in cracking the exam. "My mother told me if you give your best, nothing will stop you. Just go and crack it," Jagriti said.
READ MORE | UPSC CSE Prelims 2021: Topper Shubham Kumar shares success mantra, check these last-minute tips
The topper also advised candidates to avoid committing mistakes in the prelims paper. "First mistake is judging the paper, don't start evaluating yourself midway. Just go on completing the paper, if you start evaluating yourself, your focus will be more on mistakes. Have a forward-looking approach, and stay focus on your prelims paper," she said. Also, "don't ignore CSAT papers as the candidates have to qualify it. Fill your OMR sheets carefully, remain in a healthy state of mind throughout the two papers."
Regarding attempting the multi-choice statements, Jagrati said, "candidates should revise the papers thoroughly and should carefully evaluate the multiple-choice questions (MCQ) s. Candidates should first eliminate the wrong statements, focus on the correct options and apply common sense in attempting prelims questions."
Section-wise prelims preparation, Jagrati said that candidates should prepare the current affairs sections thoroughly till a month before the exam. "As the prelims is in October, the candidates should prepare in detail every topic till August. The trending topics should be focused and prepare well, for unconventional topics, I suggest candidates to apply their presence of mind in attempting such questions, if you could not make it, leave it and focus on the rest of the papers," she said.
For the aspirants attempting prelims on October 10, Jagrati's advise is to remain calm and stay focus on the paper. "Don't be hesitant, if you prepare well, you will surely crack the exam. Be confident, and give your best on the D-Day," the topper said.
READ MORE | Working for rural people, motivates topper Shubham Kumar to take UPSC Civil Services
ALSO READ | ‘Lockdown gave additional time to study’: UPSC Civil Services rank 2 Jagrati Awasthi
