How to Crack UPSC Mains in 3 Months?

Preparing for the UPSC exam is a challenging journey that requires extensive resources and a well-structured study plan. While starting the UPSC journey, the students may have come across several hurdles, including “How to choose IAS Academy”, how to crack the preliminary exams and much more.

After completing the Prelims, the real battle begins for the Mains examination. This is where the aspirants have to demonstrate their learning, writing capabilities and analytical skills.

When it comes to the question ‘How to crack UPSC Mains in 3 months’, if you ask if it is possible, the answer is ‘Yes’, if you effectively prepare with an extensive focus and efficient approaches.

Let’s see a step-by-step guide on how to make the most of the time and crack Mains in 3 months.

  1. Understand the exam structure

The foremost thing while you prepare for the UPSC CSE is to ensure that you are up to date with the comprehensive syllabus of the Mains examination. The Mains comprises nine papers, and they cover Essay, General Studies GS Papers, two optional subjects, and two language papers (English and an Indian language). Except for the language papers, each of these papers has 250 marks.

Realizing the importance of each paper enables the aspirants to create a unique study strategy that covers all the subjects.

The success of UPSC Mains starts when the learners have a clear understanding of the exam structure. It’s all about crafting an effective preparation strategy covering the entire syllabus.

  1. Cover syllabus topics

There are crucial subjects such as Geography, Polity, History, Economy, Science and Technology, Ethics and more in the syllabus. The aspirants should focus on the interconnection of the subjects. This ability helps the students to write exceptional answers in the examination and also saves time.

  • Break down the entire syllabus into easy and manageable parts to study
  • Analyze each paper, understand the syllabus and draft a study plan based on that
  • Find out the most important topics of the syllabus
  • Allocate study time as per the weightage of the topics in the examination.
  1. Prioritize Optional Subject

Choosing the right optional subject is the core element of achieving success in the Mains examination. Typically, optional papers carry an overall of 500 marks. The better the aspirant can score in the optional subject, the more it maximizes the chances for success in the Mains. Before choosing the optional subject, the aspirants should remember that solving the questions in the optional subject requires considerable expertise and is of a graduate-level.

As this part will take notable time in the examination, it’s a wise move to choose an optional subject that the learner has good hands-on knowledge of. Moreover, he/she should make sure that the subject aligns with the interests of the candidate, so that the number of hours spent in the subject is not boring or tiresome.

  1. Focus on writing skills

UPSC Mains is a descriptive exam. Irrespective of the expertise of the aspirant, if it is not present on the paper through the writing skills and within the timeframe, it doesn’t count. Hence comes the importance of strengthening writing skills and mastering the art of writing.

Some of the essential things to remember:

  • Answer the questions in a clear, illustrative and well-defined way
  • Practice regularly on writing answers that express your proficiency in the subject
  • Prepare for presenting arguments in a flawless and logical manner
  • Practice writing answers within the timeline
  • Focus on time management and presentation skills
  • Effectively use flow charts, diagrams, and fitting examples, and structure your answers with perfect introductions and conclusions.
  1. Practise Previous Year’s Questions

Previous Year’s Questions are a precious source for the aspirants. Of course, it is a smart strategy too when you are thinking about cracking the UPSC Mains in 3 months. By analyzing the trends and writing answers to PYQs, the aspirants can effectively prepare within a short term. Moreover, to foster the answer-writing skills, PYQs are the key. Practising Previous Year’s Questions helps candidates to understand the tone and structure of the answer expected by the UPSC.

A detailed look into PYQs will let you know that certain topics are preferred by the UPSC. This understanding helps in realizing the important topics and allotting the time to the crucial topics. However, this doesn’t mean you can leave any topic. But, to give extra attention to the most important topics.

Why Previous Year’s Questions?

  • Knowledge about Previous Year’s Questions
  • Improves your answer writing skills
  • Detailed understanding of the depth of questions
  • Elevates confidence
  1. Take regular mock tests

Mock tests have a crucial part in UPSC Mains preparation. Taking a series of mock tests makes the learner simulate the real exam environment and helps in effective preparation in 3 months. These mock tests also help the aspirants to understand the examination pattern and excel in time management. By taking mock tests, analyzing the performance and working on strengths and weaknesses, you can maximize the chances of successfully cracking Mains.

Mock tests offer the ideal chances to measure your level of preparation for the examination.

  1. Integrating current affairs

Staying updated with current affairs is extremely important for GS Papers. You should focus on trusted and quality newspapers and resources to stay on top of current affairs. Integrating current affairs in the answers makes them much more effective, relevant and gives your rank a boost.

You can link the static knowledge from books with current affairs and thus can show a sense of knowledge in your answers.

  • For Ethics, aspirants can use the latest events as real-life case studies
  • For GS2, they can interweave the answers on polity with the latest court judgment
  • Can highlight an economic survey in GS3
  1. Revise, revise and revise

Revising your learning improves memory and elevates your confidence level. Constant revision is essential, and it makes you regularly review the topics and remember them. Note-making helps students to boost retention and is one of the best ways to have quick revisions.

Students can have the habit of regular revisions of important topics, weekly, monthly and quarterly. Revisions are also helpful for remembering current affairs. Especially, aspirants seeking ways on how to crack UPSC Mains in 3 months should highly prioritize revision. Revision is the essential phase of the IAS preparation journey. Unless you revise, you probably will forget what you have learnt.

  1. Join a good IAS coaching centre in India

To successfully prepare for the UPSC CSE examination in a short timeframe, aspirants should be focused on effective strategies. Learning from experts who have expertise and hands-on experience will help you to crack the exam. The best IAS academy in India will have comprehensive programs designed to support students in their challenging journey. It will offer specialized programmes, unique attention, and provide a range of test series, ensuring the right platform to evaluate your ongoing performance.

  1. Stay active both physically and mentally throughout the journey

A healthy mind and body are important to focus on studying. Since preparing in a limited time can lead to stress, it may impact the learners physically and emotionally. Hence, you should also emphasize an active and well-balanced schedule that includes sound sleep hours, eating healthy food and getting support and care from your loved ones. Keep your mind calm and productive; remember, you are navigating a journey to reach the biggest asset.

Plan of action for UPSC Mains in 3 months

Month: 1

Understand the entire syllabus, focus on optional subjects and strengthen your answer writing.

  • Week 1-4 – pay attention to foundation and core subjects. Cover General Studies Papers I, II, III and IV. Use resources such as newspapers, NCERT books and other reliable sources.
  • Make a regular habit of spending at least 5-6 hours on optional subjects, 3-4 hours on GS and 1-2 hours for answer writing.
  • Spend an hour reading the newspaper for current affairs preparation.

Month: 2

Integrate current affairs and foster your studies

  • Revise the optional papers and the GS Previous Year’s Question Papers.
  • Practice easy writing
  • Increase study hours to 4-5 hours for revising optional subjects
  • 3-4 hours for GS papers and PYQs
  • 2-3 hours for answer writing
  • Practice 1 essay writing in a week

Month: 3

Practice test series, stimulate actual examination scenarios and improve your presentation.

  • Complete the entire syllabus revision, including GS Papers and optional papers.
  • Practice essay writing, take mock tests, and have quick notes.
  • Ensure you have a daily routine of 3-4 hours of revising optional papers, 3 hours of GS papers revision and 3-4 hours of mock tests. Don’t forget to add newspaper reading and prepare yourself with the latest current affairs.

Key takeaways

The mantra to cracking the UPSC Mains exam in 3 months is to have effective preparation strategies, determination and regular revisions. Stay confident about your potential, take support from experts, choose reliable and limited resources and be motivated throughout the IAS preparation journey.

Remember, aspirants don’t get a score for just what they know. Rather, it should be presented in such a way that it demonstrates the skills and knowledge of the learners. Practice effective answer writing and make sure your knowledge is translated into good marks.

All the best to achieve your best in the UPSC Mains examination in 90 days!

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