How to Master UPSC Prelims MCQs with Smart Hacks?

One needs a very specific and rigorous study plan to ensure you cover the entire UPSC Prelims syllabus for the UPSC exam. In preparation for the UPSC Prelims, you first need to understand the physiological cutoff – where you stand in comparison to the bare minimum required to pass. Building an effective MCQ technique requires working with the right study materials.

Considered one of the hardest examinations in India, the UPSC Prelims is taken by everyone wishing to take on a civil service position, enrolling them into the ranks of IAS or IPS.

We have compiled various study methods that must be kept handy to help beat the fierce competition. The sharp duel posed by the exam is just one of the many difficulties the candidates have to face. In light of all that stress, Vajirao and Reddy IAS Institute is providing you with some last-minute hacks to ace UPSC Prelims MCQs.

Tips to ace UPSC Prelims MCQs

Successfully answering the UPSC prelims MCQs brings you closer to becoming an IAS officer to serve the nation. Below are some tips and tricks you can use while preparing for the UPSC prelims:

While self-evaluating your position, consider aiming to be in the top 100. Self assessment has the potential to prove useful while preparing towards your ideal position.
Based on the last two years' cutoff trends, scoring 100 marks is acceptable. If you have attempted 60-65 questions with 55-57 correct answers, then you are bound to clear the paper.
If the exam feels too challenging for you, then everyone is equally likely to face the same problem. Of course, this is true only if you have prepared well enough.
Do not limit yourself to answering only 60-65 of 90-95 questions, as attempting too many would reduce your chances of passing. Instead, in this situation, we recommend a 50/50 approach, which allows you to attempt 80-85 questions. This will allow you to answer 50-55 questions correctly and 20-25 incorrectly, thus giving you a net score between 107 and 108, which comfortably surpasses the pass mark.

How do you classify the questions?

There are mainly four categories of questions.

The first one is a sure-shot question. If you answer this type of question, make sure you do it with certainty. In this case, if you try answering 50 questions, then you should get 45 to 47 correct.
The second category is those questions that have a percentage mark of 50/50 chance. They are partially right. A guess is a guess until attempted, so if you answer 30, it is likely you would get 15 correct answers.
Thirdly, where we are out of thoughts and think of how probability will work in our favour. There will be 10 such questions. If you do get certainty, let's say 3, and you score 6 and end up getting 4.5 negative marks . Nonetheless you still have 1.5 surplus marks which is much safer.
The last option is the 4th option, where it seems like the only option left is to guess.

In your self-assessment, if you feel that you fall somewhere in the middle of the bell curve and are not a superlative candidate, the optimal distribution of questions for you would be

Group 1 – 50 questions

Group 2 – 25-30 questions

Group 3 – 10 questions

This allows you to answer a total of 85 questions and receive sufficient marks to clear the UPSC prelims MCQs.

If collectively the three groups add up to 70 questions, we encourage you to make a guess and select an answer. However, try your best not to be in such a situation and prepare properly.
If the paper is easy, aim to answer a minimum of 90 questions. In contrast, if the paper is difficult, target answering 80-82 while still following the strategy discussed above.

Elimination will work

If any of the questions make you feel uncomfortable in any way, feel free to start by eliminating the choices that you think are not the answer.
You still have a chance even if you eliminate just one choice. Most likely, you will only gain marks without any attribution. Do not take it in case of attempts, but if you are at the pleasant number of 80-85 questions answered, Group 2 and Group 3 are categories you should attempt.
Always keep in mind there are about 5-7 questions in the UPSC Prelims that have answers embedded within the question. All that is required is to apply a little bit of knowledge, and you have the correct answer.

Let’s understand this with an example-

Consider the following statements.

1. In the first Lok Sabha, the single largest party in the opposition was the Swantara Party.

2. In the Lok Sabha, a leader of the opposition party was recognised for the first time in 1969.

3. In the Lok Sabha, if a party does not have a minimum of 75 members, its leader cannot be recognised as the LOP.

The options are:

a) 1 & 3 only

b) 2 & 3 only

c) Only 2

d) 1, 2 & 3

The third statement is incorrect, implying that if a party has less than 75 members in the Lok Sabha, its leader cannot be considered as the Leader of Opposition (LOP). The correct figure is 55 members.
Statement two appears in almost every option. Hence, the answer must be option C.
So it is important to note that sometimes instead of reading through the questions, try checking the options first. Some suggestions are of a more global nature.
In affairs dealing with extreme terms such as always, never, or similar, the chances of these being false are high.
Terms such as maybe, most likely, or more often increase the probability of these options being correct.
Situations of precise numerical values being presented tend to be inaccurate.

Conclusion

This brings us to the conclusion of the discussion on hacks and tricks for ‘UPSC Prelims- MCQs’. In this blog, we discussed helpful tactics that every UPSC Prelims exam taker must incorporate to achieve a high score. Additionally, the selection of appropriate materials and adherence to the devised strategy until the very end can make a significant difference in your UPSC Prelims score.