The Civil Services is not only considered as one of the most admired but also it is considered as one of the most imperative positions in Nagaland. There are more than
150 aspirants competing for each position of NPSC this makes Civil
Services Examination (CSE), conducted by the NPSC one of the toughest exams of the state.There are no methods other than strong
determination for an aspirant to clear this coveted exam. To clear the exam one
does not only need hard work, perseverance, determination, but should also
understand the concepts and nitty-gritties of NPSC civil service examination.
However, there are some mistakes that
aspirants generally make which becomes a hurdle in their way to success. Here is a list
of TO DO’s and DON’T’s that will help you in maxing out on your preparation and
avoid the skulking blunders giving you a competitive advantage to do well in the upcoming NPSC Prelims Exams. Best of Luck!!
Preparing for Upcoming Prelims Exam
It happens at
times that we prepare a lot for the whole year but it does not get reflected in
the examination. Thus exam temperament matters a lot. It is important to keep
in mind that while solving the paper we need to be very focused and avoid silly
mistakes. Some key Do’s and Don’ts that one should keep in mind
before writing your NPSC Prelims Paper are:-
1. DON’T Over stress: We often try to overwork out of
tension or try to over stress ourselves with lots of information at the last
moment. With an over stressed mind you will not be able to maintain your
concentration throughout the exam which might result in under performance. So it
is very important to be relaxed and make sure you sleep well before the exam
day.
2. Stuffs to Carry: A black pen, pencil, rubber, ID card, admit card, Don’t forget
to carry a water bottle and something to eat in your bag. We often tend to miss
something or the other and then panic out there. Keep 2–3 Photocopy of your
admit card with you and pack your bag a day before the exam.
3. Know your Exam Center: Know your exam center well. Gather info about address, how to
reach there well in advance as many people panic on the last day. Start well in
advance and ensure you reach the destination at least 30 mins prior to the
scheduled time.
4. Know your limit: How much to attempt: Never enter the examination center with pre-conceptions like the
paper will be tough, cut-offs will be high, I have to attempt 90/100/120
questions. Decide this only after looking at difficulty of the paper. Based on
the difficulty of the paper plan your strategy to solve it.
5. Read questions very properly: One word changes the whole
meaning. So be very careful in reading your questions and ensure you understand
the question properly before answering it. We often have a tendency to read and
interpret what our mind says instead of what truly is given in the question.
Test setters use this trick to create confusion. Avoid this pitfall.
6. Fear from unknown topics: All test takers have a phobia for the unknown topics. However,
sometimes reading the question properly and a right use
of common sense is what required to solve the question. Even if it is from the topic that you have
not read. Sometimes questions are very simple but we omit it because of less time
or because of the feeling that the topic is something that I have not prepared / studied. Truth is! Sometimes only common sense is
required. So read questions properly even if they are out of your comfort zone.
7. Positive Exam Temperament: Avoid evaluating yourself in the examination hall right after
looking at paper. People tend to panic after they start comparing and start feeling
they won’t qualify. This is going to greatly impact your moral and efficiency
of writing the exam. You can’t do anything about the situation you are in but
you can make the most of it with a positive exam temperament and this is the
most important thing that can sail you through.
8. Solving in Cycles and Risk Taking: You have 180 min to solve 200
Questions i.e roughly 54 secs per questions. It will be a herculean task to
solve all 200 questions within the stipulated time frame. However with a proper
solving strategy you can optimize your timing and strength to improve your
score. Solve in cycles. The questions can be segregated into Easy (Less time
consuming i.e. any question that you can solve within 30-40 secs and your are sure to
get it correct), Moderately Tough (More time consuming and you are sure to get it
correct), Tough (Questions you are having doubt or not sure of getting it
correct), Very Tough (Questions you have no clue of and need to take a blind
guess to answer them).
Solving in Cycles strategy :
Solving in Cycles strategy :
Cycle 1: Solve all Easy Questions and mark the Moderately Tough Questions on the Question Paper. Keep a track of
time. Any question that you are sure of but will take more than 40 secs will
fall into the 2nd category. Remember! Practice enough to get acquainted with the sense of time.
Cycle 2: Solve all moderately tough
Questions
Cycle 3: If after 2 cycles you still feel that more questions need to be attempted at least to clear the cutoff go for
Cycle 3 and solve all Tough Questions. Never go by your gut feeling unless and
until it is unavoidable. Take calculated risk in the paper based on logic and not guess work. Before resorting to
guess work go forward with intelligent elimination. If you are able to eliminate 2
options out of 4 and are quite certain towards a particular one then you can
take some calculated risk with those limited number of questions
Cycle 4: Even after Cycle 3 if you feel that
more questions need to be attempted at least to score the minimum cutoff marks. Solve
all Very tough questions. If possible use elimination strategy to eliminate any
options (that you surely know cannot be the correct answer) before taking a
blind guess. Never take a blind guess unless and until it is unavoidable. Remember! Cycle 4 is your last resort; a hit and trial method, targeting to score at least the minimum cur off mark.
Working in cycles makes the difficult problems easier
as you are not attempting them all at once but in intervals. Even though this strategy of solving questions might yield results for many; it is an individuals own strategy that works out the best. It is always advisable for you to analyse your strengths and weaknesses (regarding the various subjects) to form your own strategy of solving questions and practice enough to get yourself thoroughly acquainted with your plan of action.
9. Solving Tactic: Follow two ways to solve
questions. Selection ( you know which one is the answer out of 4) or elimination( you know which of the following can’t be the answers
for sure). Figure out the strategy that works out the best for you.
10. Fill your OMR sheet very
carefully. Be careful while
filling your OMR sheet and avoid any kind of mistake in filling your details.
Darken the bubbles properly as instructed in the instructions given in the OMR Sheet.
An improperly filled OMR sheet can spill water on your genuine efforts.
11. Keep your Calm and Tackle Anxiety: Do not panic at all if something goes wrong. E.g.: If you have
marked 4 questions wrong and felt that you are done, calm down yourself,
resolve the issue and proceed further with the remaining questions. Don’t let
anxiety hamper your momentum during the examination.
12. Never lose Focus: Do not lose focus or concentration during the exam period of 3
hours. Don’t get distracted by surrounding noise or any other factors.
13. Practice, Practice, Practice: Practicing good number of mock examinations under timed condition will help you in streamlining your focus as you are gradually acquainting your mindset to the conditions of the exam. Practice as many test papers /
mock exams to build up your exam temperament. This will not only help you in
your revision, evaluation but also in getting you acquainted with the timing
and helping you figure out how to approach a paper and eliminate options to
solve questions correctly.
14. Reading new books or materials in the last few days: Avoid reading new materials or
books for particular subjects just before the exam. This might lead to
confusion and might hamper your flow of preparation. Rather stick to the
materials/ books that you have and have been following all the time for your
preparation.
15. Revision: Failing to revise =
Planning to fail. Repeated revisions is the biggest asset of scoring
high in NPSC Civil Services Examination.
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