 Hello friends, my name is Dilip Pratap Singh Shakavath. I have secured all India ranked 72 in this year civil services examination 2018. My optional subject was public administration and this was my third attempt. Since a very few days are left for the prelim examination. So I will tell I will share some tips from my side and also I will share some dos and dos before the prelim examination because it is very important because because this is an examination in which in a matter of two hours your entire year is decided. And the last week before the prelims is very very important to get the final strategy right. So the first and foremost thing is the revision. I think multiple revisions have been done earlier also but the last revisions has to be made very very quick. So in one day you can revise one subject and accordingly you can divide it into 7 days a week. Secondly the most important thing is to revise the test papers also. As you have already known that the test papers play a very important role in prelim examination because many of the questions are directly carried away from the mock test papers to the actual examination. So in that sense mock test papers must be revised very thoroughly and it must be ensured that all the sectional tests are also revised according to the subjects of the UPSE. Third most important thing about the mock test papers is that you must get your strategy right at this moment. The number of questions are attempted at your accuracy level, how you are attempting to attend to the paper this becomes very very important. And another very important thing about the prelim examination about the last week before the prelims is to maintain your stress level because some kind of stress is required before the examination. But you also have to ensure that you use tools like yoga and meditation. So that you can stay confident and you can stay positive before the examination. Another very important thing about the prelim examination is to go through the previous year UPSE papers. It is a immense important because UPSE has its history of repeating itself. Many of the questions are directly derived from the previous year questions and in this way you can know what UPSE expects from you. So this is another very important tip from my side. Another important area of focus of the aspirant should be in the last time to not go for many things. Do not read new things always focus on what preparation you have done always focus on revising the same old thing. Do not go for any new subjects at this moment. Another important area about the prelim examination is the current affairs. I think current affairs play a very important role because around 40 to 50 questions in prelims are directly come from current affairs or are some applied parts of current affairs. So in that sense also current affairs must be revised very thoroughly. You can ensure that every current affairs for example economy, polity, etc is revised every day in the 7 days left before the prelim examination. Then another very important aspect of the prelim examination is that you must ensure that what strategy you have adopted in the mock test that strategy you must take it to the main prelim examination also. This is very important because at the main examination and the examination hall many of the candidates change their strategy and they it goes wrong in that area because that is not a time to experiment. It is a time to replicate what you have done earlier what worked for you what worked for you not. So that thing you have to carry to the prelim examination also. Now some of the don'ts before the prelim examination are that first of all you must not meet some negative people around you because this is a time when many people will give up and if you meet those people you will always feel negative over the examination you will always be in self doubt. So that should not happen. Another very important thing is that now it is not the time for calculating the marks of the mock test papers. If you are giving mock test just focus on the strategy the number of questions you are attempting but do not calculate the marks because if you get the low marks then you may lose confidence before the examination. So this is another very important area. Then another area where many candidates lose focus is the CSAT examination that is the paper 2 in the prelim examination. I think CSAT holds very much important though it is qualifying only 33% of marks is required to qualify the CSAT paper 2 but it is very important that you must ensure that you practice before the examination. You can go through the previous year question papers from 2013 onwards and you can solve at least 1 to 2 mock tests in a limited time format of 2 hours. So this is another very important area. Now we will discuss some aspects about the prelim examination that what how to conduct yourself on the D day. First and foremost you must ensure that your admit card is downloaded you must take a print out of the admit card and keep it safe. This is very important many of the candidates in the last stress go for printing out the admit cards and it is too early the examination starts at 9.30. So please ensure that you download the admit cards and get a print out ready for yourself. Then another very important thing is to carry the identity card with yourself. This is another very important thing because if you do not carry the identity card you may not be able to sit in the examination. Third thing is that you must visit the centre well before the examination. I would advise that if your centre is far away please ensure that you make a visit to the centre at least a week before the examination. So that on the actual day you are not misled in any way. Third another very important area about the prelims examination is to carry some of the energy drinks or chocolates to keep yourself energised throughout the process. Because it will be very hot in June and also you must be needing some of the energy drinks which will keep you hydrated which will keep you strong. This is another very important tip from my side. Also ensure that you take lunch with yourself if a restaurant is there nearby please ensure that you take your lunch with yourself because if you eat some contaminated food it may affect your performance in paper too. Another important area about in the prelim examination about the actual examination is that never judge the question paper difficulty in the initial questions. It is very important because it may be a possible that in your set some of the difficult questions are early and some of the easier questions are in the back end of the paper. So always go through the entire paper very neutrally and attempt the paper like a mock paper and get your strategy right that is the most important thing which you must consider in your mind. Because the paper may be tough or simple it depends on the year to year but you have to ensure that your strategy which have adapted in the mock test papers you apply it as it is in the actual examination do not change the strategy at the last moment. Then another area is that well attempting the paper you must ensure that in the first round you solve around 40 to 50 questions which you are very much sure in which you are 100 percent or around 100 percent sure that your answer will be correct. Then in the second round go for those questions in which you are eliminated two options. So that becomes another very important strategy and in the third round you must take some of the risk because nowadays prelims has become very very competitive there is very cut throat competition. So I think you must take calculated risks with a positive attitude. So that your guesses also go right and this makes a difference between selection and rejection also. Another important area about the prelim examination is that when you are going through the paper always ensure the time because many of the candidates fall short of time in the actual examination because they are too cautious when they are attempting the paper. So time limit must be taken care of I will suggest that you must ensure that you complete your paper in 1 hour 45 minutes and keep 15 minutes for those questions in which you are very very unsure about and you can take some calculated risk and make through the cutoff. Then another very important area about the prelim examination is that while you are attempting the paper always ensure that you have this thing in mind that you always go by the first instinct. If you are getting any insight that the answer is this do not over think about that question and do it wrong. This is a very important mistake which people do that they critically analyze anything do not go for very much critical analysis go through the first instinct what your what your mind is saying and go through it and also mark the bubbles simultaneously when you are doing the paper do not leave it for the end because many of the candidates fail to fill the bubbles at the last moment and hence they spoil the examination also. So in this way candidate can very well do in the paper 1 about paper 2 I will suggest that do not take too much break in the paper 2 revise the formulas practice some of the comprehension. So that paper 2 is very very smooth for you because many of the candidates face difficulty they are not able to qualify the CSAT paper despite being very very good in general studies paper 1. So always ensure that in between those 3 hours you devote at least 2 hours for the preparation of the next paper because that paper is ignored by many students and many of the candidates fail to make it despite clearing the cutoff of paper 1. So for CSAT examination also have some practice of half an hour or one hour about of maths and aptitude and also practice some of the comprehension before the examination so that it goes very smooth. And in this way a candidate can very well go through the problems always remember that problems is a game of confidence. If you are confident enough and if you have practiced very well and if you have revised the subjects I think you will be easily able to clear this examination always ensure that you have a positive orientation towards problem examination and if you have those qualities in yourself. If you have worked really hard always believe that this is a screening test and it will screen you in into the main examination if you are a sincere student the only thing which matters is the confidence level you must ensure that in any stage of the examination you must not lose confidence. Always think if a hard paper comes it is hard for everyone if a simple paper comes it is simple for everyone. So do not go into the difficulty level of the paper at the time of the examination just focus on your strategy just focus on the questions you need to attempt just focus on your strong areas and if there are any weak areas just try to brush it up. And in this way in a comprehensive strategy problems can be cleared very very easily and if you are confident and if you are positive in that day I think you will come out with flying colors. I wish you all the very best the candidates who are appearing for this year's problem examination thank you very much.