Before taking the prelims exam, it’s always better to try the mock tests of various institutes to evaluate your level of understanding and knowledge. Once you know the weak spots, you can spend the rest of the 90 days in revising them

What Must a Quality Prelims Test Have?

A quality mock test wiill highlight your shortcomings in all the areas.

We at Civilsdaily understand the nuances of setting a paper. Through five cases explaining five questions, we’ll try to give you an idea about the varied difficulty level of prelims questions.

These questions have been taken from the first test of Nikaalo Prelims All India Open Mock Test 2020 about Government Schemes and Policies.   

(First test to go live on 4th March 2022 @ 9:30 a.m.)

CASE 1 – The oldest trick in the book. 

Deliberately changing names to confuse you. Be it schemes or concepts. UPSC is well known to flip names of similar-sounding schemes and concepts. Look at this question. 

Ques. Which of the following are the result areas of  STRIVE

1. Improved performance of ITI.
2. Improved and Broadened Apprenticeship Training.
3. India International Skill Centers 

Select the  correct answer from the  codes given below:

a. 1 and 2 only

b. 2 and 3 only

c. 1 and 3 only

d. 1 only

Correct answer- 1 and 2 only

In the above question, STRIVE has been used for SANKALP.  Both of them were announced at the same time for boosting Skill India Mission. It is very easy to get confused mark a wrong answer.

CASE 2: Misleading names

A lot of times especially in match the following type of questions misleading names are used.

Ques. Consider the following pairs:

   Schemes                          Objectives

1. NIDHI: nurturing ideas and innovations into successful startups.
2. SATYAM: rejuvenate research in yoga and meditation.
3. MANAK: to help build a critical human resource pool for strengthening and increasing the research & development base.

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

a. 1 and 2 only

b. 2 and 3 only

c. 1 and 2 only

d. 1, 2 and 3

Correct answer: 1, 2 and 3

Misleading yet important names of initiatives under Ministry of Science and Technology have been used here. All pairs are correctly matched but it is very easy to get confused. 

CASE 3: Are you rooted in society?

UPSC has been playing with the expenditure figures and other such facts. It is done not only for the sole reason of checking your rote memory, but the ability to think in-depth about the issues faced by various sections. 

Ques. With reference to ‘Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM) Scheme’, consider the following statements:

1. The scheme provides for the installation of grid-connected solar power plants each of capacity up to 2 MW in the rural areas.
2. The farmers will have to spend 50% of the total expenditure to acquire and install solar pumps.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a. 1 only

b. 2 only

c. Both 1 and 2

d. Neither 1 nor 2

Correct answer: 1 only

A very important scheme. The farmers have to tolerate only 10% of the total expenditure to acquire and install solar pumps. The Central Govt. will provide 60% cost while the remaining 30% will be taken care of by bank as credit. One must understand the inability of Indian farmers to spend 50% on solar pumps. This would have helped in eliminating options also.

CASE 4: Going international.

International collaboration and aid in our schemes and policies are relevant. If you ever read about them, know that the issue is of critical importance for the government and society.

Ques. With reference to Atal Bhujal Yojana, consider the following statements:

1. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with funding pattern of 50:50 between Government of India and states.
2. This scheme is approved by the World Bank.

Which of the following statements given above is/are correct?

a. 1 only

b. 2 only

c. Both 1 and 2

d. Neither 1 nor 2

Correct answer: 2 only

Here the Government of India’s collaboration with World Bank makes it important. Half of the financial contribution is from the World Bank in this initiative.

Students must not ignore the contribution of international institutions especially if it is of such overwhelming nature.

CASE 5: Core of the core

You should be able to remember the bare minimum. There is no other way in such questions. You either know them or you don’t.

Ques. Which of the following are the components of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)?

1. National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) 
2. Annapurna.
3. Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS)

Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

a. 1 and 3

b. 2 and 3

c. 3 only

d. 1, 2, and 3

Correct answer: 1, 2 and 3

The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) which came into effect from 15th August 1995, represents a significant step towards the fulfilment of the Directive Principles in Article 41 of the Constitution.

It is a very important scheme under Ministry of Rural Development. Students are supposed to do flagship schemes of various ministries.

Get ready to challenge yourself on 4th March 2022. Register for the second edition of Nikaalo Prelims Open Mock Test now.

After the exam, CD Mentors will discuss the solutions of the questions on the Nikaalo Prelims telegram group(click to join)

Before taking the prelims exam, it’s always better to try the mock tests of various institutes to evaluate your level of understanding and knowledge. Once you know the weak spots, you can spend the rest of the 90 days in revising them

What Must a Quality Prelims Test Have?

A quality mock test wiill highlight your shortcomings in all the areas.

We at Civilsdaily understand the nuances of setting a paper. Through five cases explaining five questions, we’ll try to give you an idea about the varied difficulty level of prelims questions.

These questions have been taken from the first test of Nikaalo Prelims All India Open Mock Test 2020 about Government Schemes and Policies.   

(First test to go live on 4th March 2022 @ 9:30 a.m.)

CASE 1 – The oldest trick in the book. 

Deliberately changing names to confuse you. Be it schemes or concepts. UPSC is well known to flip names of similar-sounding schemes and concepts. Look at this question. 

Ques. Which of the following are the result areas of  STRIVE

1. Improved performance of ITI.
2. Improved and Broadened Apprenticeship Training.
3. India International Skill Centers 

Select the  correct answer from the  codes given below:

a. 1 and 2 only

b. 2 and 3 only

c. 1 and 3 only

d. 1 only

Correct answer- 1 and 2 only

In the above question, STRIVE has been used for SANKALP.  Both of them were announced at the same time for boosting Skill India Mission. It is very easy to get confused mark a wrong answer.

CASE 2: Misleading names

A lot of times especially in match the following type of questions misleading names are used.

Ques. Consider the following pairs:

   Schemes                          Objectives

1. NIDHI: nurturing ideas and innovations into successful startups.
2. SATYAM: rejuvenate research in yoga and meditation.
3. MANAK: to help build a critical human resource pool for strengthening and increasing the research & development base.

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

a. 1 and 2 only

b. 2 and 3 only

c. 1 and 2 only

d. 1, 2 and 3

Correct answer: 1, 2 and 3

Misleading yet important names of initiatives under Ministry of Science and Technology have been used here. All pairs are correctly matched but it is very easy to get confused. 

CASE 3: Are you rooted in society?

UPSC has been playing with the expenditure figures and other such facts. It is done not only for the sole reason of checking your rote memory, but the ability to think in-depth about the issues faced by various sections. 

Ques. With reference to ‘Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM) Scheme’, consider the following statements:

1. The scheme provides for the installation of grid-connected solar power plants each of capacity up to 2 MW in the rural areas.
2. The farmers will have to spend 50% of the total expenditure to acquire and install solar pumps.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a. 1 only

b. 2 only

c. Both 1 and 2

d. Neither 1 nor 2

Correct answer: 1 only

A very important scheme. The farmers have to tolerate only 10% of the total expenditure to acquire and install solar pumps. The Central Govt. will provide 60% cost while the remaining 30% will be taken care of by bank as credit. One must understand the inability of Indian farmers to spend 50% on solar pumps. This would have helped in eliminating options also.

CASE 4: Going international.

International collaboration and aid in our schemes and policies are relevant. If you ever read about them, know that the issue is of critical importance for the government and society.

Ques. With reference to Atal Bhujal Yojana, consider the following statements:

1. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with funding pattern of 50:50 between Government of India and states.
2. This scheme is approved by the World Bank.

Which of the following statements given above is/are correct?

a. 1 only

b. 2 only

c. Both 1 and 2

d. Neither 1 nor 2

Correct answer: 2 only

Here the Government of India’s collaboration with World Bank makes it important. Half of the financial contribution is from the World Bank in this initiative.

Students must not ignore the contribution of international institutions especially if it is of such overwhelming nature.

CASE 5: Core of the core

You should be able to remember the bare minimum. There is no other way in such questions. You either know them or you don’t.

Ques. Which of the following are the components of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)?

1. National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) 
2. Annapurna.
3. Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS)

Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

a. 1 and 3

b. 2 and 3

c. 3 only

d. 1, 2, and 3

Correct answer: 1, 2 and 3

The National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) which came into effect from 15th August 1995, represents a significant step towards the fulfilment of the Directive Principles in Article 41 of the Constitution.

It is a very important scheme under Ministry of Rural Development. Students are supposed to do flagship schemes of various ministries.

Get ready to challenge yourself on 4th March 2022. Register for the second edition of Nikaalo Prelims Open Mock Test now.

After the exam, CD Mentors will discuss the solutions of the questions on the Nikaalo Prelims telegram group(click to join)

Smash Prelims Super-25 Program is back after a thumping success in Prelims 2021. Out of 25 students Santosh sir has mentored, 15 have cleared prelims this time. Our students were kind enough to take time out of their hectic Mains preparation and let us know how Santosh sir’s mentorship benefitted them in the exams. We wish them all the very best for the upcoming Mains exam from 7th January onwards!

Why Your Focus for Next 3 Months Must be About Scoring Above Cut-Off Marks in UPSC-CSE Prelims? Isn’t the last 1 Month Enough for This?

Every year, the competition for UPSC-CSE is increasing while vacancies are decreasing drastically. This year there are only 712 vacancies as against 2019 which had 927 vacancies. However, atleast 10 lakh students will attempt the prelims exam. This is why right now, it’s important to start having an Olympic Athlete mindset. You need to daily focus on scoring above the cut-off marks in your test series.

Civilsdaily Student and 2019 UPSC-CSE AIR 8 Topper Abhishek Saraf had practiced nearly 6000+ MCQs under us to clear prelims!

What makes prelims tough? It’s because the paper is unpredictable. If this year, science questions are a breeze then the next year you will have to answer advanced concept-based questions. Unlike Mains, Prelims has negative markings.

Toppers like Pranav Vijayvergiya (AIR 65) and Swati Sharma (AIR 17) have found Prelims to be tougher than Mains. In fact, Pranav failed to clear Prelims thrice. But, in his fourth attempt he took Civilsdaily mentorship and cleared Prelims, Mains and Interview in one shot!

Are you feeling low that you are unable to get the required cut-off marks in your test series. Worry not, for about 65% of the UPSC toppers have said that they scored below cut-off marks till December. But by June, they were able to boost their marks to get through the prelims hurdle. It’s time to be like them now.

One has to be good at elimination methods to choose the right option amongst two similar ones. Our Smash Prelims Super-25 Program started as a pilot project last year with an aim to introduce step-wise improvement in our chosen 25 aspirants. Over a period of 2 months, Santhosh sir inculcated confidence in aspirants who were either newbies or gave too many attempts. This year, we achieved a remarkable 60% success ratio. Next year, we have set our eyes on 100%. Yes, we are ambitious and aspirational just like any other UPSC aspirant.

How will Super-25 Program be structured?

We have neither diluted the criteria for selecting aspirants nor the core strategy. Infact, this year Super-25 will be a more effective version of last year. 

Four Pillars of Super- 25 Program

1. It is mentorship led test series and value addition program over 90 days. 

2. Two-Tier Mentorship: You will have one dedicated mentor during the entire journey, while Santosh Gupta sir will be strategic mentor. Santosh sir will take strategic mentoring calls twice in a week. It would ensure that you do not fall back at any cost and benefit from the experience of two mentors who have cleared the exam 6 times. We will ensure that you achieve not your weekly targets but the target of clearing prelims. 

3. Number of tests: 60 practice tests (50 questions) + 40 Full length tests ( 12 Basic + 6 advanced + 10 Current affairs test + 8 FLTs+ 4 CSATs) . It means everyday you can give a test. With this, we will ensure that you revise your syllabus 3 times in three months at least. 

4. Current affairs: Entire Current affairs of 1.5 years ( Jan 2021 – April 2022) will be covered by Core faculty, comprising of Santosh sir, Sajal sir, Sudhanshu sir, Birendra sir and Sukanya Ma’am. You will learn how to link current affairs with static topics on the go.

5. Strategic Value Addition Sessions: They say that a woodcutter sharpens his axe for 8 hours to cut 1 tree. This is the most popular session aroun taken by Santosh Gupta sir to enrich your knowledge base and analytical ability. 

Approach of Super-25

1. Keyword approach to revise syllabus of 1 subject in 2-3 hours.

2. Focus on FCE approach ( Factual, Conceptual and Elimination ) to enhance your score.

3. Critical gap filling sessions and notes, learning to link static with current affairs and vice versa.

4. Evidence based questions to ensure 360 degree testing.

5. Weekly monitoring of targets by dedicated mentor and your strategic mentor Santosh Gupta.  

How Super- 25 will help you

1. Setting a clear strategy for the next 90 days to get 120+ score in Prelims.

2. Revising the whole syllabus in an effective manner.

2. Filling critical gaps in preparation.

4. Practice tests to enhance your chances of qualifying prelims.

5. Covering the entire current affairs from a prelims perspective.

Who can be part of Super-25?

1. Only those who are struck in the range of 80-90 marks in last 2-3 attempts and are desperate to write mains.

2. Those who have given prelims at least once.

3. Those willing to give 100% or nothing less. 

There are no secrets to success, it is a result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure. Are you willing to learn from failures? Let’s start together. 

Self Preparation with Mentorship: What do Civilsdaily Students think of Santosh Sir’s Mentorship for UPSC-CSE Prelims?

We asked Santosh sir’s students about their opinion on mentorship — if it was something that saved their time or wasted their time in studies and this is what they had to say:

Kamini: “If I can say in one word, then Santosh sir’s mentorship is unique. Before I joined his program, I used to score 90 marks in Full Length Test Series. Santhosh sir had done in depth analysis of my test papers and suggested ways to reduce the negatives. Right now I am able to score 100+ in advanced test series of not only Civilsdaily but other institutes. He is always available to clear my doubts and solve my issues on call or phone. No issue is too big enough for Santosh sir. He has always told me after you finish a test series, read the same topics again and take another test series the same day to see if your marks improve. From Santosh sir’s polity and economic survey notes, we got questions in 2021 Prelims. I always feel its better to do self studies with mentorship than join coaching institutes and get spoon fed with information.”

Sweetie Raj: “I am a banking professional, living with a joint family. Attending coaching classes is out of question because I won’t have time to read the books myself. Santosh sir helps me self-study by providing me mentorship daily. I study daily from 9PM to 3AM. Santosh sir has been available for 1 hour strategy calls even during this time. No other teacher would have wanted me to succeed as much as he wants me to. I can understand concepts by myself and don’t need help in that. I want someone who pushes me to complete the target modules, checks if I did my mains answer writing for the day and analyses the previous year question papers with me. Because of Santosh sir, I understood that its just not enough reading one book but at the same time I dont have to waste time reading many books. He tells me the topic-wise sources to refer. Also he has designed a study plan for me that I can follow every week. Once, I told Santhosh sir I was missing test series discussion classes as it was conducted at 7PM. Immediately, he provided me recorded videos and kept the session at 8.30PM.”

Samples From Smash Super-25 Program

Sample 1-on-1 Mentorship for Smash Prelims

Sample 1-on-1 Test Discussion on Google Meet

Sample Notes

Sample Test Series

Sample classes on CSAT & Topic Wise Analysis

https://youtu.be/OcGSeXe31ek

Sample Notes & Handout Material

Toppers’ Speak: How Civilsdaily Mentorship Helped Me Clear UPSC?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSwO38weHAA

About Santosh Gupta Sir

Santosh sir has scored above 140 twice in UPSC prelims and 120 plus in all 6 attempts. He has written all 6 mains and has appeared for Interviews 3 times. He has qualified UPSC EPFO and BPSC 56-59th also. As the Prelims coordinator at Civilsdaily, he has helped 15 out of 25 students clear the prelims examination this year.

Half-way through your preparation for UPSC-CSE 2022 and feel stressed? After attending UPSC CSE 2021, do you feel the exam is highly unpredictable ? Of course, not! If you want to know what UPSC expects from its candidates every year, then continue reading. 

In 2020 alone, Civilsdaily helped 80+ students secure ranks in the exam. Over 25 Civilsdaily students secured ranks in the top 100. Many of these aspirants were also struggling to clear the exam in one attempt. With our guidance, they became more confident and focused to see their LSBNAA dream come true.

Listen to all their stories and strategies on our toppers talk series, Unherd.

Do you want to know how we planned their daily timetable till the interview stage? Fill up our mentorship form now to get a detailed 1-on-1 counselling session within the next 24 hours! We combine your hard-work with our guidance to derive the right formula for success!

Dear Students,

Many say that the Prelims 2021 paper was harder than Prelims 2020, a close analysis however reveals that there are more similarities than differences. Though one did not expect questions from sports this year, we all can agree that both the papers tested the application of current affairs knowledge to all the subjects.

Trends from the last five years tell us that UPSC is keener on testing conceptual clarity of topics from the syllabus. So, it’s no longer about reading GS, Optionals and Current Affairs in isolation. If you are reading a plethora of books or watching random videos, it’s time to reconsider your way of preparation. 

Avoid Common Preparation Mistakes Early On

Unlike other exams, UPSC decides your fate based on what you have studied for the last 12-15 months over 1 month before the exam. Hence, rectifying preparation mistakes at the eleventh hour will not help you.

AIR 148 UPSC 2020 topper and our Civilsdaily student Ponmani explains why answer writing with mentorship for Mains is necessary.

Last month we mentored around 3500 IAS aspirants, some of whom were beginners and others who had an experience of few attempts.

We resolved common doubts related to right sources for various topics, answer writing for mains and how to crack the personality round. We found out that almost all of these aspirants struggled in one area or the other.

If someone was excellent in scoring at prelims test series, they were not confident about mains. If someone was good at history, they were not sure about science and technology. If someone had time to revise their GS portions, they did not have time for Optionals.

But is it wise to neglect your weak areas? Toppers manage to maintain slightly above average scores in all the subjects. 

How Do Our Mentors Guide You

This is where you require a mentor. A mentor helps you understand where your preparation stands as of now and what more needs to be done to fulfill the expectations of UPSC. A mentor will help you maintain your focus even when the pressure is high, instead of succumbing to it.

This is how Civilsdaily mentorship helped Pranav Vijayvergiya clear the exam after 2 failed prelims attempts.

https://youtu.be/DSwO38weHAA

Samanvaya is a mentoring program with 3 phases

Watch what our Civilsdaily student and UPSC 2020 topper (AIR 42) Shreya feels about our mentoring program.

1. 30 minute counselling session: Once you fill the form, our senior mentors get on a 30-40 minute call with you to understand your preparation level, study constraints, your strategy for the last 6 months, and create measurable targets for next week, next month and so on.

2. Access to our invite-only chat platform, Habitat:  This is where you can post your daily doubts, discuss your test questions and have real-time, live discussions on news and op-eds, and connect with other aspirants in your optional groups.

.3. 1 on 1 mentor allotment: The mentor will be available on scheduled calls with you throughout all the stages of your UPSC preparation and will daily assess, evaluate, and plan the next module according to the available time.

Who are you?

Working Professional? Working and studying for UPSC though is not impossible, it certainly gets hectic. Your mentors will go through the entire syllabus of UPSC with you and plan a workable timetable. 

Full time preparation? If you are allocating a year to prepare for IAS 2022, we will help you pick the right books and design practical & personal strategies that you can follow everyday

Once you have filled the form, we will call you within 24 hours.

Smash Prelims Super-25 Program is back after a thumping success in Prelims 2021. Out of 25 students Santosh sir has mentored, 15 have cleared prelims this time. Our students were kind enough to take time out of their hectic Mains preparation and let us know how Santosh sir’s mentorship benefitted them in the exams. We wish them all the very best for the upcoming Mains exam from 7th January onwards!

Why Your Focus for Next 3 Months Must be About Scoring Above Cut-Off Marks in UPSC-CSE Prelims? Isn’t the last 1 Month Enough for This?

Every year, the competition for UPSC-CSE is increasing while vacancies are decreasing drastically. This year there are only 712 vacancies as against 2019 which had 927 vacancies. However, atleast 10 lakh students will attempt the prelims exam. This is why right now, it’s important to start having an Olympic Athlete mindset. You need to daily focus on scoring above the cut-off marks in your test series.

Civilsdaily Student and 2019 UPSC-CSE AIR 8 Topper Abhishek Saraf had practiced nearly 6000+ MCQs under us to clear prelims!

What makes prelims tough? It’s because the paper is unpredictable. If this year, science questions are a breeze then the next year you will have to answer advanced concept-based questions. Unlike Mains, Prelims has negative markings.

Toppers like Pranav Vijayvergiya (AIR 65) and Swati Sharma (AIR 17) have found Prelims to be tougher than Mains. In fact, Pranav failed to clear Prelims thrice. But, in his fourth attempt he took Civilsdaily mentorship and cleared Prelims, Mains and Interview in one shot!

Are you feeling low that you are unable to get the required cut-off marks in your test series. Worry not, for about 65% of the UPSC toppers have said that they scored below cut-off marks till December. But by June, they were able to boost their marks to get through the prelims hurdle. It’s time to be like them now.

One has to be good at elimination methods to choose the right option amongst two similar ones. Our Smash Prelims Super-25 Program started as a pilot project last year with an aim to introduce step-wise improvement in our chosen 25 aspirants. Over a period of 2 months, Santhosh sir inculcated confidence in aspirants who were either newbies or gave too many attempts. This year, we achieved a remarkable 60% success ratio. Next year, we have set our eyes on 100%. Yes, we are ambitious and aspirational just like any other UPSC aspirant.

How will Super-25 Program be structured?

We have neither diluted the criteria for selecting aspirants nor the core strategy. Infact, this year Super-25 will be a more effective version of last year. 

Four Pillars of Super- 25 Program

1. It is mentorship led test series and value addition program over 90 days. 

2. Two-Tier Mentorship: You will have one dedicated mentor during the entire journey, while Santosh Gupta sir will be strategic mentor. Santosh sir will take strategic mentoring calls twice in a week. It would ensure that you do not fall back at any cost and benefit from the experience of two mentors who have cleared the exam 6 times. We will ensure that you achieve not your weekly targets but the target of clearing prelims. 

3. Number of tests: 60 practice tests (50 questions) + 40 Full length tests ( 12 Basic + 6 advanced + 10 Current affairs test + 8 FLTs+ 4 CSATs) . It means everyday you can give a test. With this, we will ensure that you revise your syllabus 3 times in three months at least. 

4. Current affairs: Entire Current affairs of 1.5 years ( Jan 2021 – April 2022) will be covered by Core faculty, comprising of Santosh sir, Sajal sir, Sudhanshu sir, Birendra sir and Sukanya Ma’am. You will learn how to link current affairs with static topics on the go.

5. Strategic Value Addition Sessions: They say that a woodcutter sharpens his axe for 8 hours to cut 1 tree. This is the most popular session aroun taken by Santosh Gupta sir to enrich your knowledge base and analytical ability. 

Approach of Super-25

1. Keyword approach to revise syllabus of 1 subject in 2-3 hours.

2. Focus on FCE approach ( Factual, Conceptual and Elimination ) to enhance your score.

3. Critical gap filling sessions and notes, learning to link static with current affairs and vice versa.

4. Evidence based questions to ensure 360 degree testing.

5. Weekly monitoring of targets by dedicated mentor and your strategic mentor Santosh Gupta.  

How Super- 25 will help you

1. Setting a clear strategy for the next 90 days to get 120+ score in Prelims.

2. Revising the whole syllabus in an effective manner.

2. Filling critical gaps in preparation.

4. Practice tests to enhance your chances of qualifying prelims.

5. Covering the entire current affairs from a prelims perspective.

Who can be part of Super-25?

1. Only those who are struck in the range of 80-90 marks in last 2-3 attempts and are desperate to write mains.

2. Those who have given prelims at least once.

3. Those willing to give 100% or nothing less. 

There are no secrets to success, it is a result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure. Are you willing to learn from failures? Let’s start together. 

Self Preparation with Mentorship: What do Civilsdaily Students think of Santosh Sir’s Mentorship for UPSC-CSE Prelims?

We asked Santosh sir’s students about their opinion on mentorship — if it was something that saved their time or wasted their time in studies and this is what they had to say:

Kamini: “If I can say in one word, then Santosh sir’s mentorship is unique. Before I joined his program, I used to score 90 marks in Full Length Test Series. Santhosh sir had done in depth analysis of my test papers and suggested ways to reduce the negatives. Right now I am able to score 100+ in advanced test series of not only Civilsdaily but other institutes. He is always available to clear my doubts and solve my issues on call or phone. No issue is too big enough for Santosh sir. He has always told me after you finish a test series, read the same topics again and take another test series the same day to see if your marks improve. From Santosh sir’s polity and economic survey notes, we got questions in 2021 Prelims. I always feel its better to do self studies with mentorship than join coaching institutes and get spoon fed with information.”

Sweetie Raj: “I am a banking professional, living with a joint family. Attending coaching classes is out of question because I won’t have time to read the books myself. Santosh sir helps me self-study by providing me mentorship daily. I study daily from 9PM to 3AM. Santosh sir has been available for 1 hour strategy calls even during this time. No other teacher would have wanted me to succeed as much as he wants me to. I can understand concepts by myself and don’t need help in that. I want someone who pushes me to complete the target modules, checks if I did my mains answer writing for the day and analyses the previous year question papers with me. Because of Santosh sir, I understood that its just not enough reading one book but at the same time I dont have to waste time reading many books. He tells me the topic-wise sources to refer. Also he has designed a study plan for me that I can follow every week. Once, I told Santhosh sir I was missing test series discussion classes as it was conducted at 7PM. Immediately, he provided me recorded videos and kept the session at 8.30PM.”

Samples From Smash Super-25 Program

Sample 1-on-1 Mentorship for Smash Prelims

Sample 1-on-1 Test Discussion on Google Meet

Sample Notes

Sample Test Series

Sample classes on CSAT & Topic Wise Analysis

https://youtu.be/OcGSeXe31ek

Sample Notes & Handout Material

Toppers’ Speak: How Civilsdaily Mentorship Helped Me Clear UPSC?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSwO38weHAA

About Santosh Gupta Sir

Santosh sir has scored above 140 twice in UPSC prelims and 120 plus in all 6 attempts. He has written all 6 mains and has appeared for Interviews 3 times. He has qualified UPSC EPFO and BPSC 56-59th also. As the Prelims coordinator at Civilsdaily, he has helped 15 out of 25 students clear the prelims examination this year.

Smash Prelims Super-25 Program is back after a thumping success in Prelims 2021. Out of 25 students Santosh sir has mentored, 15 have cleared prelims this time. Our students were kind enough to take time out of their hectic Mains preparation and let us know how Santosh sir’s mentorship benefitted them in the exams. We wish them all the very best for the upcoming Mains exam from 7th January onwards!

Why Your Focus for Next 3 Months Must be About Scoring Above Cut-Off Marks in UPSC-CSE Prelims? Isn’t the last 1 Month Enough for This?

Every year, the competition for UPSC-CSE is increasing while vacancies are decreasing drastically. This year there are only 712 vacancies as against 2019 which had 927 vacancies. However, atleast 10 lakh students will attempt the prelims exam. This is why right now, it’s important to start having an Olympic Athlete mindset. You need to daily focus on scoring above the cut-off marks in your test series.

Civilsdaily Student and 2019 UPSC-CSE AIR 8 Topper Abhishek Saraf had practiced nearly 6000+ MCQs under us to clear prelims!

What makes prelims tough? It’s because the paper is unpredictable. If this year, science questions are a breeze then the next year you will have to answer advanced concept-based questions. Unlike Mains, Prelims has negative markings.

Toppers like Pranav Vijayvergiya (AIR 65) and Swati Sharma (AIR 17) have found Prelims to be tougher than Mains. In fact, Pranav failed to clear Prelims thrice. But, in his fourth attempt he took Civilsdaily mentorship and cleared Prelims, Mains and Interview in one shot!

Are you feeling low that you are unable to get the required cut-off marks in your test series. Worry not, for about 65% of the UPSC toppers have said that they scored below cut-off marks till December. But by June, they were able to boost their marks to get through the prelims hurdle. It’s time to be like them now.

One has to be good at elimination methods to choose the right option amongst two similar ones. Our Smash Prelims Super-25 Program started as a pilot project last year with an aim to introduce step-wise improvement in our chosen 25 aspirants. Over a period of 2 months, Santhosh sir inculcated confidence in aspirants who were either newbies or gave too many attempts. This year, we achieved a remarkable 60% success ratio. Next year, we have set our eyes on 100%. Yes, we are ambitious and aspirational just like any other UPSC aspirant.

How will Super-25 Program be structured?

We have neither diluted the criteria for selecting aspirants nor the core strategy. Infact, this year Super-25 will be a more effective version of last year. 

Four Pillars of Super- 25 Program

1. It is mentorship led test series and value addition program over 90 days. 

2. Two-Tier Mentorship: You will have one dedicated mentor during the entire journey, while Santosh Gupta sir will be strategic mentor. Santosh sir will take strategic mentoring calls twice in a week. It would ensure that you do not fall back at any cost and benefit from the experience of two mentors who have cleared the exam 6 times. We will ensure that you achieve not your weekly targets but the target of clearing prelims. 

3. Number of tests: 60 practice tests (50 questions) + 40 Full length tests ( 12 Basic + 6 advanced + 10 Current affairs test + 8 FLTs+ 4 CSATs) . It means everyday you can give a test. With this, we will ensure that you revise your syllabus 3 times in three months at least. 

4. Current affairs: Entire Current affairs of 1.5 years ( Jan 2021 – April 2022) will be covered by Core faculty, comprising of Santosh sir, Sajal sir, Sudhanshu sir, Birendra sir and Sukanya Ma’am. You will learn how to link current affairs with static topics on the go.

5. Strategic Value Addition Sessions: They say that a woodcutter sharpens his axe for 8 hours to cut 1 tree. This is the most popular session aroun taken by Santosh Gupta sir to enrich your knowledge base and analytical ability. 

Approach of Super-25

1. Keyword approach to revise syllabus of 1 subject in 2-3 hours.

2. Focus on FCE approach ( Factual, Conceptual and Elimination ) to enhance your score.

3. Critical gap filling sessions and notes, learning to link static with current affairs and vice versa.

4. Evidence based questions to ensure 360 degree testing.

5. Weekly monitoring of targets by dedicated mentor and your strategic mentor Santosh Gupta.  

How Super- 25 will help you

1. Setting a clear strategy for the next 90 days to get 120+ score in Prelims.

2. Revising the whole syllabus in an effective manner.

2. Filling critical gaps in preparation.

4. Practice tests to enhance your chances of qualifying prelims.

5. Covering the entire current affairs from a prelims perspective.

Who can be part of Super-25?

1. Only those who are struck in the range of 80-90 marks in last 2-3 attempts and are desperate to write mains.

2. Those who have given prelims at least once.

3. Those willing to give 100% or nothing less. 

There are no secrets to success, it is a result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure. Are you willing to learn from failures? Let’s start together. 

Self Preparation with Mentorship: What do Civilsdaily Students think of Santosh Sir’s Mentorship for UPSC-CSE Prelims?

We asked Santosh sir’s students about their opinion on mentorship — if it was something that saved their time or wasted their time in studies and this is what they had to say:

Kamini: “If I can say in one word, then Santosh sir’s mentorship is unique. Before I joined his program, I used to score 90 marks in Full Length Test Series. Santhosh sir had done in depth analysis of my test papers and suggested ways to reduce the negatives. Right now I am able to score 100+ in advanced test series of not only Civilsdaily but other institutes. He is always available to clear my doubts and solve my issues on call or phone. No issue is too big enough for Santosh sir. He has always told me after you finish a test series, read the same topics again and take another test series the same day to see if your marks improve. From Santosh sir’s polity and economic survey notes, we got questions in 2021 Prelims. I always feel its better to do self studies with mentorship than join coaching institutes and get spoon fed with information.”

Sweetie Raj: “I am a banking professional, living with a joint family. Attending coaching classes is out of question because I won’t have time to read the books myself. Santosh sir helps me self-study by providing me mentorship daily. I study daily from 9PM to 3AM. Santosh sir has been available for 1 hour strategy calls even during this time. No other teacher would have wanted me to succeed as much as he wants me to. I can understand concepts by myself and don’t need help in that. I want someone who pushes me to complete the target modules, checks if I did my mains answer writing for the day and analyses the previous year question papers with me. Because of Santosh sir, I understood that its just not enough reading one book but at the same time I dont have to waste time reading many books. He tells me the topic-wise sources to refer. Also he has designed a study plan for me that I can follow every week. Once, I told Santhosh sir I was missing test series discussion classes as it was conducted at 7PM. Immediately, he provided me recorded videos and kept the session at 8.30PM.”

Samples From Smash Super-25 Program

Sample 1-on-1 Mentorship for Smash Prelims

Sample 1-on-1 Test Discussion on Google Meet

Sample Notes

Sample Test Series

Sample classes on CSAT & Topic Wise Analysis

https://youtu.be/OcGSeXe31ek

Sample Notes & Handout Material

Toppers’ Speak: How Civilsdaily Mentorship Helped Me Clear UPSC?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSwO38weHAA

About Santosh Gupta Sir

Santosh sir has scored above 140 twice in UPSC prelims and 120 plus in all 6 attempts. He has written all 6 mains and has appeared for Interviews 3 times. He has qualified UPSC EPFO and BPSC 56-59th also. As the Prelims coordinator at Civilsdaily, he has helped 15 out of 25 students clear the prelims examination this year.

Did you know that the success rate for UPSC Exams is just 0.1%? Out of 10 lakh students who appear for the exam annually, only 700 make it to the final list. Hence, don’t make the mistake of delaying your UPSC 2023 preparation any further!

Write down the syllabus, open your books, stay updated to current affairs and create a timetable that can help you sail through Prelims & Mains! Sajal sir will lay out the whole process for you based on his experience of 6 UPSC interviews and successful mentorship of 400 UPSC Toppers!

Also, even after watching the entire video you are unsure of how to streamline your preparation, you can book your slot for Samanvaya free 1-on-1 mentorship program over here. Anyone who registers in 24 hours will get Free Tikdam (Art of Elimination Technique) Handbook from AIR 20, 2015 Topper Vipin Garg.