Civil Services have really caught on in the State and the craze is increasing every year with lot many candidates looking at it as a bright career. No wonder, the number of applicants from the State has touched 40,000 for the Preliminary Examination to be conducted this Sunday.
About 36,000 candidates from Hyderabad have applied this year while a few thousands more have applied from Tirupati and Vishakhapatnam centres. However, aspirants should never worry about the competition because only about 50 per cent of applicants actually appear.
The preliminary exam comprises of two papers. The Paper-I accounts for 200 marks and comprises 100 questions. Each question fetches one mark and there are penalty marks for wrong answers. Paper-II was introduced last year replacing the optional so that all candidates have level playing field. The number of questions was 80 and each question accounted for two-and-half marks.
Would the number of questions remain the same this year too? “The UPSC normally adheres to a fixed pattern, yet it is better that the aspirant is prepared for some surprises’’, says V. Gopalakrishna of Brain Tree. He says aspirants should understand that the both the papers have equal importance with reference to marks. The combined marks are taken to determine what is called as the cut off mark. However, the number of questions in both the papers is different. Also, the aspirant has to understand that there is a negative marking of 0.33 per cent marks for every incorrect answer.
“The first paper would be the proverbial Black Swan”, feel the trainers. It will comprise questions which are totally unexpected and the alternatives are generally very close to each other. Candidates will have no choice but to guess, but unless they are educated guesses it could lead to loss of precious marks. Mr. Gopalakrishna feels that there would be a dominant emphasis on social and economic development and environmental ecology. The Economic Survey Report 2012 is a must read.
The Paper- II would be the area where one can score. This is bound to be easy for students who have appeared at similar exams either for management entrances or the banking sector. “However, last year there was a lopsided emphasis on Comprehension. This year the number of questions in this area could come down and there could be more questions from Decision making and Interpersonal skills. Also, the number of questions could increase.”
What would be the winning strategy? “Aim for a very high score in Paper-II scoring at least 130 and maintain marks in Paper-I at a reasonably high level of around 100. Also, do not let your performance in Paper-I influence your attitude while answering Paper-II. Remember if the exam is tough it will be tough for everyone.”
Anything unique about this year’s exam? “This is the first year where the UPSC has directed all the students to mark the answers with a black ball- point pen instead of a HB pencil. So be careful while answering as they cannot be changed. “I would advise all students to follow the dictum - think before you ink” says Mr. Gopalakrishna.
There are no separate cut-off marks for each paper and only the combined cut-off is taken. This was made clear by the UPSC in an answer to a question filed by a student under the Right to Information Act. Therefore, do not fall a victim to any rumours that there is an individual cut-off for each paper. However, remember that the UPSC has every right to change the norms.
Source: The Hindu
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