Dear All,

By now, you must have been through with your readings and revisions. Now it is time to relax and allow your mind to calm down so it can function optimally on the D-Day. A fatigued mind is the last thing you would want on Sunday.

After the humdrum, here are some last minute tips which can help you sail through the first hurdle:

1. Reach the venue well before the scheduled time so you do not enter the examination hall panting. It not only affects your performance, it disturbs others as well.
2. Enter the Roll Number, Series Code etc. carefully on the OMR sheet. You cannot erase it as it is to be marked with a black ball point pen.
3. The first page of the question booklet contains the instructions to the candidates and is seldom read by them assuming it to a copy-paste from the previous years. READ IT. You never know when UPSC may add/delete/alter an instruction.
4. Do count the number of pages as indicated. Never takes more then 30 seconds.
5. Read the questions carefully.
6. Read all the answer choices before you zero in on the one you wish to mark as your response on the OMR sheet. Remember UPSC clearly mentions that in case you feel there are more then one correct alternative, mark the ‘most appropriate’ one as your answer i.e. Option (a) may appear to be correct but Option (d) may be the most appropriate. So read all of them before you mark your response.
7. There are a good number of questions wherein several statements are given and you are asked to choose the correct/incorrect ones.

   • First of all be sure whether you are being asked to choose the statements which are ‘correct’ or ‘not correct’. Thereafter check the statements which you know to be definitely correct or definitely incorrect. Use it to zero in on the answer. Knowing the definitely incorrect statements is as good as knowing the definitely correct ones.

8. Use elimination method judiciously.
9. DO NOT indulge in indiscriminate guess work.
10. Mark the responses carefully in the answer sheet as there is no/little scope of altering it.
11. Coming to Paper II, even though it has been made qualifying, do attempt all the questions you can.
12. Most importantly, do not worry about the cut-offs in the examination hall. Focus on the paper. Cut off can be discussed in the evening, even though it is fruitless.
13. After Paper I, maintain a safe distance from those claiming to have attempted 80, 90 or even 100 in some cases. By evening they will come down to 60 and 40, the next morning when they regain their senses.
14. Keep the OMR sheet tidy.
15. Do not forget to carry your roll number and black ball point pens.

Best of Luck!