[ Official ] How was the Prelims 2021 paper?
How was the paper guys ?
A year ago, if someone had come to me for advice on whether to prepare for UPSC or not, I would have encouraged them enthusiastically. "Follow your dreams" and all that shit. Now I'm not so sure.
The issue is that competition is rising while vacancies are reducing. Particularly in the last few years, as with the explosion of internet access across India (thank you Jio), people have access to the best resources and the best strategies. Plus a variety of other factors.
Right now there are atleast 30,000 - 50,000 aspirants who are genuinely good enough to clear Prelims. Probably that number is higher. And it will only keep rising. UPSC has the unenviable task of selecting about 10,000 from those huge numbers. If they conduct conceptual tests like we want them to, the cutoffs will increase unsustainably. And so they resort to the easy way out. Make GS more random. Make CSAT tougher. Eliminate rather than select.
We do have other options though. The number of vacancies can be increased. But that's not gonna happen with the current policy of minimum government and maximum governance.
Another ideal option can be to increase the number of people who'll write Mains (say, to about 50,000) and then select the best from them. But again, this won't work due to logistical difficulties and economic reasons.
So most probably UPSC will continue this way only. Make GS more random. Make CSAT tougher. Until competition reduces as people realise the futility and randomness of the whole process.
And that makes me sad and pessimistic. Sad that so many bright people are trying so hard yet not able to break the barrier. Pessimistic that things are only gonna get worse.
If you're clearing prelims, make the most of it. This is an opportunity that many dream of but few get to experience.
If not, even after repeated attempts, probably it's time to deeply think about your future.
PS - I usually try to be as optimistic as I can. But today I just don't feel like it. I might clear though (from various keys). But even if I do, it doesn't feel deserved. It's luck.
"If you're clearing prelims, make the most of it. This is an opportunity that many dream of but few get to experience" Touching lines for me. After two failed attempts at pre, i finally got to write mains last year(2020). But took it very lightly(thought optional alone sail me through and average GS marks is a norm!), so paid the price, Failed! But again, no worries as i had to focus on GS little more this time. But it seems i am even not getting opportunity to write Mains this year. Score dropped from 145 to just 90(Shankar's key). Kab Milega Nirvana! Kab nikallega UPSC:D
I don't know how many here belong to this basket in 2021
Comparatively good margin score in GS (110+)
But then hovering around edges in csat (I don't even have slightest idea of my attempts maybe 48-51 Qns attempted( I guess , those editorials kind of lengthy comprehensions + afternoon thunderstorms showers in terrace classroom did it part in delaying time ) ,as far as csat 2021 is concerned ,i could only hope for miracles now
I am hovering around the 106 mark...CSAT too the same number of attempts..but with a large chunk of maths and reasoning (around 40+ out of 52 total attempts).
Civils Mains:2017,2018,2020,2021,Forest Mains:2021.
Tk17,A year ago, if someone had come to me for advice on whether to prepare for UPSC or not, I would have encouraged them enthusiastically. "Follow your dreams" and all that shit. Now I'm not so sure.
The issue is that competition is rising while vacancies are reducing. Particularly in the last few years, as with the explosion of internet access across India (thank you Jio), people have access to the best resources and the best strategies. Plus a variety of other factors.
Right now there are atleast 30,000 - 50,000 aspirants who are genuinely good enough to clear Prelims. Probably that number is higher. And it will only keep rising. UPSC has the unenviable task of selecting about 10,000 from those huge numbers. If they conduct conceptual tests like we want them to, the cutoffs will increase unsustainably. And so they resort to the easy way out. Make GS more random. Make CSAT tougher. Eliminate rather than select.
We do have other options though. The number of vacancies can be increased. But that's not gonna happen with the current policy of minimum government and maximum governance.
Another ideal option can be to increase the number of people who'll write Mains (say, to about 50,000) and then select the best from them. But again, this won't work due to logistical difficulties and economic reasons.
So most probably UPSC will continue this way only. Make GS more random. Make CSAT tougher. Until competition reduces as people realise the futility and randomness of the whole process.
And that makes me sad and pessimistic. Sad that so many bright people are trying so hard yet not able to break the barrier. Pessimistic that things are only gonna get worse.
If you're clearing prelims, make the most of it. This is an opportunity that many dream of but few get to experience.
If not, even after repeated attempts, probably it's time to deeply think about your future.
PS - I usually try to be as optimistic as I can. But today I just don't feel like it. I might clear though (from various keys). But even if I do, it doesn't feel deserved. It's luck.
How will conceptual papers increase cutoff unsustainably? 2018 was a pretty conceptual paper with cut off dropping to 98(from 107 in 2017).
The major reason I could think of is that UPSC has gone full throttle against coaching institutes, esp from last year(with aspirants becoming the collateral damage). Another plausible reason is that maybe they dont want aspirants to prepare full time for long period of time.
I didn't deeply think through what I wrote. Just wrote it in the spur of the moment.
My thought was that once you know what to prepare for, it's easier to strategise around that. Plus as your attempts increase, the probability of success increases simply due to the time spent. On the other hand with a random paper, you don't know where to focus on. With time and effort, your probability might increase, but only slightly.
I guess conventional/predictable would have been a better word than conceptual. Thanks for pointing that out.
@Shailputri kaha se dekhna hain csat ??
Sorry. No idea abt csat keys
This article is of 7th October, exam k pehle hi cutoff nikal dete Hain. Kitne tejaswi log Hain.
@Everest Prepare for Mains.....Anything above 90 would fall in highly optimistic category.
PapaFranku,When i went thru the RCs i realised the worm hole has started, so went for maths and reasoning
Civils Mains:2017,2018,2020,2021,Forest Mains:2021.
Tk17,
CRISKA87,
Are coaching CSAT Keys reliable? Have attempted very less and unsure about the Comprehension bit. Staying positive and preparing for Mains seems too big a task.
Agree with what someone commented above. Coaching keys for CSAT are very very unreliable imo. Especially with comprehension. For the other stuff they should be ok. For comprehension, you're going to get a variety of answers gaining nothing in the process and losing any existing peace of mind.
Tk17,
This article is of 7th October, exam k pehle hi cutoff nikal dete Hain. Kitne tejaswi log Hain.
It is trick used for search engines. Page post are created in advance so that it appears on top when someone search it.
The page content is updated once that event happens. Some will create page of result in advance(may be today only) , like check results here, how to check UPSC 2021 result etc.
In present era content is not for user it is for search engines. User will see what search engines displyas first.
A year ago, if someone had come to me for advice on whether to prepare for UPSC or not, I would have encouraged them enthusiastically. "Follow your dreams" and all that shit. Now I'm not so sure.
The issue is that competition is rising while vacancies are reducing. Particularly in the last few years, as with the explosion of internet access across India (thank you Jio), people have access to the best resources and the best strategies. Plus a variety of other factors.
Right now there are atleast 30,000 - 50,000 aspirants who are genuinely good enough to clear Prelims. Probably that number is higher. And it will only keep rising. UPSC has the unenviable task of selecting about 10,000 from those huge numbers. If they conduct conceptual tests like we want them to, the cutoffs will increase unsustainably. And so they resort to the easy way out. Make GS more random. Make CSAT tougher. Eliminate rather than select.
We do have other options though. The number of vacancies can be increased. But that's not gonna happen with the current policy of minimum government and maximum governance.
Another ideal option can be to increase the number of people who'll write Mains (say, to about 50,000) and then select the best from them. But again, this won't work due to logistical difficulties and economic reasons.
So most probably UPSC will continue this way only. Make GS more random. Make CSAT tougher. Until competition reduces as people realise the futility and randomness of the whole process.
And that makes me sad and pessimistic. Sad that so many bright people are trying so hard yet not able to break the barrier. Pessimistic that things are only gonna get worse.
If you're clearing prelims, make the most of it. This is an opportunity that many dream of but few get to experience.
If not, even after repeated attempts, probably it's time to deeply think about your future.
PS - I usually try to be as optimistic as I can. But today I just don't feel like it. I might clear though (from various keys). But even if I do, it doesn't feel deserved. It's luck.
How will conceptual papers increase cutoff unsustainably? 2018 was a pretty conceptual paper with cut off dropping to 98(from 107 in 2017).
The major reason I could think of is that UPSC has gone full throttle against coaching institutes, esp from last year(with aspirants becoming the collateral damage). Another plausible reason is that maybe they dont want aspirants to prepare full time for long period of time.
I didn't deeply think through what I wrote. Just wrote it in the spur of the moment.
My thought was that once you know what to prepare for, it's easier to strategise around that. Plus as your attempts increase, the probability of success increases simply due to the time spent. On the other hand with a random paper, you don't know where to focus on. With time and effort, your probability might increase, but only slightly.
I guess conventional/predictable would have been a better word than conceptual. Thanks for pointing that out.
Yes man. In that case, the same set of people will keep on clearing pre every year.
Celeborn,Philip_Marlowe
In this question 1st and 2nd statements aren't contradictory? First says passing on mitochondrial disease from parent(could be either mother or father) can be prevented.
2nd says mitochondrial disease entirely from mother.
Not asking from any argumentative perspective. Just want to understand it !
Both of the statements are correct.
Write your comment…
