Winners do not do different things. Only, they do things differently.
That's also true of those who aspire for the top-notch jobs in the government that come with lot of authority and influence.
There are three ways of tackling any examination–hard work, hard work and hard work.
While there is no denying this time tested methodology, choosing the right strategy, assessing ones performance and improving on the weakness can provide the cutting edge.
Tips
With the civil services prelims pattern changing from this year, aspirants had valuable tips at a seminar organised by The Hindu Education Plus in association with Triumphant Institute of Management Education (TIME) the other day.
Changes
How will be the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), that replaces the preliminary exam in 2011, what are the changes and challenges. Experts held forth on the nitty-gritty of the change in the exam pattern this year.
The UPSC has done away with the optional paper, brought in changes in general studies paper while introducing new subjects like reading comprehension, reasoning, interpersonal skills, communication skills.
Both Paper I and Paper II will have 200 marks each and the exam will be of two hour duration. How many question will be there is not known.
“But there is no point worrying on this count. Just strengthen your basic abilities,” said P. Vishwanath, director, TIME.
Handling difficulty
What differentiates a good performer from the rest is his ability to answer difficult questions. Any test paper is a combination of easy and difficult questions. One must develop the ability to answer different types of questions.
What matters is not how much one scores but ones position in relation to other test takers. “Reasoning, analytical ability, mental ability and decision making power will be on test,” Mr. Vishwanath told the civil service aspirants.
Boys and girls, who turned up in good strength at the Urdu Hall in Himyathnagar, heard with rapt attention as Mr. Vishwanath gave tips on cracking the highly competitive exam.
Language skills
Of course, good grasp of English will make a difference. One need not be a grammar pundit but must possess basic language skills.
While answering questions from a passage, one must be able to guess what the author is trying to say indirectly.
Strategy
The preparation strategy for Paper I involves good knowledge base, extensive reading, thorough practice, regular test and performance feedback.
Speed
Tackling the Paper II calls for good understanding of test area, learning concepts and building basic ability, speed improvement, sufficient practice and exposure to different models of questions.
Should one quit the existing job to prepare for the exam? Not at all.
“The best time to quit is after you get selected,” advised, S.P.K. Naidu, who retired as Special Chief Secretary to the Government of Andhra Pradesh.
The experts had one final piece of advice for the students–don't be in a tearing hurry to write the exam right now. One can make four attempts up to 30 years. What is important is making proper preparation.
