How I Increase My UPSC CSE Score by 80 Marks and Get an AIR 32- Rallapalli Jagat Sai
“My mother had indicated an interest in seeing me pursue a career as an administrative officer. That was the driving force behind everything. “I’m delighted I was able to accomplish this,” he says.
Sai was born in Andhra Pradesh and travelled to Vellore, Tamil Nadu, to study at the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT). He earned his engineering degree here and went on to work in Pune and Bengaluru before resigning and preparing for the UPSC CSE exam.
While Sai did not use any new content in his subsequent methods, he did learn how to study more effectively and how to approach the exam.
The fifth time around, he did things a little differently.
1. Concentrate on Execution
There are times when students are well-versed in the exam’s themes but are unable to effectively communicate their ideas. As a result, you will receive fewer marks. “I used to write simply a few points in each answer,” Sai explains. Those were the ones that I considered to be the most crucial. This time, however, I made careful to focus on the quality of the information I was producing rather than the quantity.”
Each additional half-mark or one-point obtained in a question will add up to over 180 points in the end. “This was one of the ways I was able to raise my overall score by nearly 90 points,” he continues.
2. Every topic, big or small, is significant.
In their general studies (GS) paper, aspirants sometimes overlook important areas. For example, applicants for GS2 may not place enough emphasis on governance throughout their preparation. “In the GS 3, most applicants lay a greater emphasis on economics and less on science, technology, and internal security.” While I made that mistake in my first few efforts, I corrected it by giving these issues equal attention and weight in my preparation,” he says.
Sai believes that by doing so, he was able to attempt more questions with confidence, which helped him improve his overall score.
3. Split your time in half.
“When attempting the paper, aspirants tend to spend more time on questions they know the answers to and less time on problems they don’t.” “This time, regardless of my knowledge of a particular topic, I made sure that I offered equal attention to all of the questions,” he adds. He advises candidates to examine the paper with clinical eyes and not become emotional when they see things they are familiar with.
“Spending extra time on topics you already know a lot about has a very low marginal utility. So, don’t do it,” he says.
4. Seek assistance when necessary.
Preparing for the UPSC CSE is a time-consuming and exhausting procedure. “Be clear about why you have opted to write the exam,” Sai adds. “There are many instances when aspirants may feel like giving up.” When the need arises, please seek assistance from other officers or seniors who can assist you. When it comes to getting support, don’t be afraid to ask for it.”
“Initially, I had to rely on my self-correcting ways,” he explains, speaking from personal experience. I didn’t reach out to seniors who had aced the UPSC CSE until much later.”
5. Examine Every Minor Error
Sai advises applicants to spend time analysing their blunders after each failed attempt. “There’s no better way to learn than this.” This also assures that the same errors do not occur again. Strengthen your pluses while focusing more on your shortcomings. Spend time analysing your mistakes even while you’re doing mocks,” he advises.
6. Do not put your competitors at a disadvantage.
“I felt like I undercut the competition that this exam attracts with my first attempt. While it’s critical to examine your skills and shortcomings before taking the exam, you should also be aware that your performance will be judged in relation to others,” he says. As a result, being aware is crucial for success on this exam.
7. Prepare for the interview by practising
Sai was presenting for the interview for the third time, and he claims that the difference this time was the amount of practise he put in.
“Along with me, my brother was studying for the UPSC CSE.” This was beneficial because we spent a lot of time quizzing one other and discussing various issues. “Finding someone with whom you can discuss ideas while preparing for the interview is beneficial,” he explains.
Another approach to prepare is to participate in mock interviews. Aspirants must make an effort to improve their knowledge of current events on a regular basis.
