Taking on CSAT

so finally the long wait is over and we are in possession of the tentative syllabus for CSAT. A number of aspirants are troubled by this change- a break from the past,a variation from the usual and known.The result has been to view this change as another imposed obstacle to clear the exam instead of a scintillating opportunity to make hay while the sun shines.I am sure many will be confused as regards my previous statement,but the answers reasonably simple.
No one wins or loses a race before it starts.each has just the same probability to win.The course is changed things are unsettled and no one is absolutely sure of the result-including the Self professed Pundits of Rajendra and Mukherjee nagar.some say calamity-i say the best of opportunity.What happens when a foreign invader plunders and retreats??
Bands of robbers swoop in and finish off the job!this has always been the case in India.A glance in history will prove me right.What do you do when a change in syllabus leaves conditions unsettled in  CSE preparations?Whosoever you are,whatever your level of preparation-the stage is set for you to ride in and plunder away
glory,once and for all!!no one to stop you,no one at an advantage,all at the same spot the same time,the same paper and no one with a added advantage-however minuscule!!!what are you waiting for then?

as you think that over,here is the syllabus


From Civil Service Examination 2011, Preliminary Examination would consist of two papers- Paper I and Paper II. The syllabus and pattern of the Preliminary Examination would be as under :



(Paper 1) (200 marks) - Duration : Two hrs. 



· Current events of national and international importance

· History of India and Indian national movement

· Indian and World Geography- physical, social, economic geography of India and the world

· Indian Polity and governance – constitution, political system, panchayati raj, public policy, Rights issues, etc.

· Economic and social development – sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics, social sector initiatives etc.

· General issues on environmental ecology, bio-diversity and climate change-that donot require subject specialization

· General science. 



(Paper II) (200 marks) – Duration : Two hrs



· Comprehension

· Interpersonal skills including communication skills

· Logical reasoning and analytical ability

· Decision making and problem solving

· General mental ability

· Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude etc. (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. –Class X level)

· English language comprehension skills (Class X level)



******


i will come up with a strategy for each segment of the syllabus in due time,busy for now with my mains that begin in a weeks time,Till then dont lose heart,dont listen to doomsday predictions of how this is engineer friendly,how this will be swept away by MBA aspirants etc.Dont read those special adds by dubious coaching classes waiting to rip you off.Just get mentally ready to clear the exam no matter what syllabus and achieve your dreams.

what to do for GS preliminary3

The importance of previous years papers cannot be underestimated.I have seen a general inertia-people hesitate to do them thinking whats the use they are unlikely to repeat in any case!Flawed thinking friends.you cant plan without knowing,you cant know without seeing and solving!
by their nature MCQ has four options.I got 70 right in Political science by merely going through the last years papers and following up on all four options completely.
Repeated perusal of previous years papers makes you reasonably clear as far as relative importance of various sub topics is concerned.That will help plan when you sit down to planning.
Take as many mock tests as you can,I dont necessarily mean those conducted by coaching classes,there are other options too.JTS institute conducted an all India free mock test last year online,and there are more such tests freely available online.In this case if you do prefer a coaching class like Vajiram there should be no harm done (if you dont let poor results affect your confidence)
solving repeated MCQs makes you more comfortable with the pattern of questions,gives a better idea of how much you  can guess safely in the mains exam.So this gives you both familiarity and a sense of confidence in the exam.

now,for the tricky part
1.for those with lots of time,there is a fat book by TMH on general studies for civil services,an alternative is available if you buy Pearson publication.This one book covers everything,and mastering this will see you safely through,but its not easy to master.
2.NCERT books are a safe bet if you can spare the time and read them from middle to high school.
3.TMH also comes out with section wise books-in history,geography and so on.If buying multiple books is all right,then these too are detailed and informative and well integrated with GS mains.
an alternative is similar books by spectrum or even wizard publications.

i must caution you,all books are good,provided you study.There is no magic pill and no magic book.UPSC will not use a single source to derive questions and if one is sufficiently well read any book they derive questions from,you will still answer.

lastly and most importantly-
Mental ability should be stressed on.Changes in pattern will be reflected increasingly in GS paper too.Mental ability,logic and reasoning are smallish in number of questions,but if you dont prepare for them and they are asked for more,bid your chances of passing bye bye.

personally,i will devote more time to Polity,Constitution, and the like,where the overlap with CSAT is more likely.
all the best!

what to do for GS preliminary

This post will find its use only for the unique set of circumstances seen this year.
The title of this post is really the most sought after query on most websites on civil service exams.Next year we will face a new CSAT.Until now,most aspirants including me,saw optionals as our friend and GS as our enemy,partly due to more weight-age for optionals and broader scope for GS.
but like they often say-'a known enemy is better than an unknown friend'!And so this year we must all learn to sleep with our enemy knowing well that the new exam,being unpredictable can both make or break the result.In such a case it a stellar performance in GS will hopefully neutralize a not so good show in CSAT and still give you a fighting chance to clear.
Your attitude is the key.Hope for the best but prepare for the worst.The announcement in December for CSAT may see varying reactions,but it is important to presume you might find it difficult and prepare accordingly rather than assuming it is to your strength and relaxing a little.the same is called to err on the side of caution.
first,all aspirants need a self valuation.You have seen the previous years papers and you have seen the portions both.I guess a fair estimate of time you will need to prepare for prelimns should be easy to ascertain.
come to this figure(i decided on three months,so planned to start from february 2010 but actually could only start from march 15), and add a month extra to it for unforeseen circumstances.
The date you arrive at will be the point where you will begin your countdown fro CSE 2011.After that you will not waste time planning and utilize time only executing plans already in place.So when do you plan then?
Now is as good a time as any to plan!
cont