UPSC MOCK TEST SERIES – WHY YOU “MUST” TAKE ONE?

Mock test series is the single most crucial aspect of your preparation and through this blog we explain what you need to keep in mind while opting for one.

“A monumental management failure”,

Well, this is a reference that entire India would have found familiarity with in the last couple of months. Dr. Manmohan Singh’s analysis of demonetisation – “a monumental management failure”–  not only sends a red signal to the Modi government, but also has clear repercussions to a Civil services aspirant.

Most of the aspirants question about the number of hours they need to study, the books they need to refer and the coaching institutes they need to attend, often ignoring the most important aspect of their UPSC preparation – test series/mock tests.

As an aspirant, you strive to ensure that you have covered all the bases of your preparation, but, unless and until you test your knowledge, you wouldn’t be able to develop a perfect picture of your skill sets and harnessing it better. This is the “monumental management failure”, that I was  referring to; not putting your knowledge and level of understanding to a test to fine tune your UPSC preparation.

Several toppers have spoken about the relevance of attempting mock test series and taking them seriously as a part of your UPSC preparation strategy.

Siddharth Jain (Rank-13/CSE-2015) remarks, “I think mock tests are very essential. It helps developing your intuitive skills, so that you can make intelligent guesses. Further if you attempt tests, you learn various points that you might find difficulty in memorising. (For example if I have a question on the location of a national park in a mock test, there is a good chance that it gets memorised)”.

Pulkit Garg (Rank-27 /CSE-2015) also notes that “Giving mock tests is imp as you notice the fine points which you miss sometimes while studying – especially in polity, geography and history. Hence, it is necessary to do mock tests.”

Similarly, Amit Suresh Tolani (AIR 151, 2015) too shares the same opinion “Very important part of preparation for both Prelims & Mains because it shows us the mirror of our preparation level. It happens many times with students that they complete the book but still do not score in exam. Here the test series are of special relevance because these help students to assess how well he/she has understood and learnt the subject not just completed the books. It helps us to NOT be overconfident.”

Irrespective of whether you studied on your own or through a coaching institute, we would always suggest you to undertake mock test series and fine-tune your Civil Services preparation. Regular, real-time, feedback based testing and evaluation is a must for any aspirant. With the level of competition associated with the UPSC examination, time and effort invested into the preparation, you cannot afford to take a chance here.

Making a choice amongst the huge number of test series available in the market can be a tricky affair if you are a beginner. Following are the things you should keep in mind while choosing a mock test series:

1. Cost
2. Quality
3. Response
4. Support and Feedback mechanism

These days you have the option of choosing individual subject tests and various packages in addition to a whole test series (this would help you test the waters before making the plunge as well). This would also prove highly beneficial in strengthening those weak areas and tackling difficult subjects you have as an aspirant.

Advantages of taking a Mock Test Series of Civil Services Exam

1) Developing a schedule of study: Most aspirants tend to spend a huge amount of time in preparing a study timetable. Most often than not, unrealistic deadlines and heavy burden of work leading to stress and breakdown is the end result.

A test series would help you in giving a sense of direction to your preparation, enabling you to meet realistic deadlines in a time bound manner.

2) Testing your level of preparedness: The most basic objective of a test series is testing your knowledge and skills. This would help in understanding the progress you make in your preparation through the year.

3) Real time exam environment: Attempting a test series in a time bound manner would help an aspirant in developing a feel of real exam like scenario. One can learn to imbibe tension, stress and doubts in such an atmosphere through mock tests. This would also help you in developing various strategies that you could adopt and adapt to on the “D” day of UPSC examination.

4) Feedback and ranking: An ideal test series would provide you with a feedback mechanism that would enable you to improve upon your preparation. A robust feedback system proves to be beneficial in taking leaps and bounds over the course of a year of preparation.

Further, test series ranks candidates and aspirants across the country based on performance and this would help you in gauging the level of competition and identify where you stand in the crowd.

5) Analysis: An aspirant must try to analyze the performance of a test based on the feedback and attempt the paper again after a brief period of time. This would help in better perception of concepts and clarity of understanding. The detailed answer keys also ensure that a chunk of your syllabus is covered as well.

It’s not just enough that you attempt the test papers and leave them aside after that. The crucial part comes after the test, wherein you analyse your attempt strategy, identify your strengths and weakness, evaluate the answer key and revise the test again. So, every aspirant must make sure that you attempt mock test series with utmost sincerity and seriousness.

A toddler falls several times before standing up on their feet. An aspirant too may fall, slip and tumble on numerous occasions in the journey to attain those coveted administrative posts under UPSC and a test series provides you that cushion to fall upon and practice before you give your actual attempt.

We know the hardships you faced, the effort you undertook and many a prayer behind the journey you have undertaken and this is why we recommend that every Civil services aspirant “must” take a mock test series, be prepared and not let your attempt be another monumental management failure.