PRELIMS POINTERS

Hello chinars and deodars,

Here are a few prelims pointers, I ensured I remember before walking into the exam hall-

1. Not referring to multiple prelims notes by various institutes in the last month/ week before the exam. Halting current affairs discussions. Continuing with normal routine- watching news, reading papers etc.

2. Feeling a sense of completion with respect to syllabus.

3. Being calm, aware, logical and ready for surprises in the paper. 

4. Setting the approximate number of questions I thought I would attempt, given my mocks and negatives. (My range was 85-91)

5. Not giving in to the last minute pressure. I felt that in the last 10 -15 minutes of my prelims paper 1, I attempted more than said number of questions based on sheer luck and out of fear. Such miscalculations often resulted in higher number of negatives than positives. 

6. Read EVERY line of the question properly along with ALL the options. I did not want to make mistakes in understanding the questions. I emphasised on keywords, correct/incorrect asked in the question and options given.

7. Making intelligent guesses, logical analysis and using common sense in questions. 

8. Completing the first reading of the paper and marking the answers in almost 1 hour 20 minutes and then going for a second reading of the questions I knew but was not sure among two options to make intelligent guesses. 

9. Not letting how paper 1 went affecting how I attempt paper 2.

10. Ensuring not to discuss the paper in the break between two papers.

11. Ensuring I read comprehension with a blinkered perspective in paper 2 and understanding the meaning of questions like infer/ assume/ theme/ rationale etc.

12. Attempting logical, reasoning, aptitude questions and simple math- the topics which I had thoroughly practised and was confident doing. I tried to mark questions which were time consuming and came back to them in my second reading.  Underconfident topics like probability, integration and  combinations- which I couldn'tunderstand, I preferred leaving them. I did this to ensure a steady flow of my mindset during the course of exam. The goal was to attempt not all, but a sound number of questions which would make me qualify. 

13. Leaving the baggage of expectations, failures, emotional attachments etc at home and giving my best at the present in the exam hall. 

14. Revise minimum and most important topics on the day of the exam, if needed. Prepare revision short notes for CSAT beforehand. Plan how your day of exam should look like. 

15. Not carrying the baggage of previous question to the upcoming question. Giving each question it's due credit, time and mental space. Each question carries equal marks and hence deserves equal attention. 

16. Not basing my opinion of the paper on certain very hard questions. 

17. Ensuring, filling of the OMR sheet with care, in proper sequence. Not postponing filling of the OMR sheet till the eleventh hour. 

18. Staying loyal and confident to your own strategy.