Stop studying to post stories. Stop revising to tell others.
The real game is silent; played alone, with yourself.

Nobody needs to know your hours, your schedule, your sacrifices.
Let your results make the noise.

Compete with who you were yesterday not with who's watching today.

@UPSCneil

Hello everyone!
Took a closed group session today and addressed some of the doubts for the upcoming prelims exam. Sharing them here for the larger benefit of all. And will plan to take an open session soon!


1. What should be my minimum safe attempt range considering negative marking?

Imo, minimum should be 80. My score used to be maximum when I attempted upwards of 90. So my range was 90+-3. In 2021, I attempted 93 questions.


2. How many mock tests are ideal before Prelims, and how should I analyse them properly?

Number of mocks - addressed in the sheet above. For analysis part, identify patterns in your mistakes, identify strengths and weaknesses (in which areas/subjects, your guesswork largely fails/succeeds) and the final attempting strategy (no. of rounds and no. of questions).

3. In the final month after 2 revision, should I focus more on revision again or test-solvin and in what ratio?

Final month should be more about revision. Can give 1/2 mocks per week just to maintain the MCQ solving acumen and mindset.

4. What kind of questions should I leave completely in the exam hall?

The ones which you have no idea about. If you can’t do 50-50, no point of solving that question as probability of getting it wrong (75%) is more than probability of getting it right (25%).

5. How should I revise current affairs in the last without information overload?

Using yearly compilation and skimming through. Without focusing too much on specific details. Ultimately, in the exam hall, you have to ‘identify’ and not ‘reproduce’ the answer.

6. On exam day, is paper given early to read like 10 mins or as soon as paper is distributed time starts?

Different experience in different centres. It is given 10mins in advance but that time is mostly for filling OMR sheet.

7. Can I skip defence current affairs? It is very difficult to retain them or suggest any strategy to learn them.

Do not skip any class of current affairs. Instead, do only the most important ones. Ones that were always in news (say S400 during Op Sindoor). The only strategy to retain is make 1 pager notes, stick them in front of your study desk and read it twice everyday. Goes for all things that are very factual and hence, difficult to remember.

8. While filling omr sheets, if the ink goes out of circle or remains little uncoloured, do they go unchecked?

No. Unless it is only half filled or it is filled way beyond the circle. Minor deviations here and there are not an issue. The OMR sheet also indicates what constitutes a rightly/wrongly filled bubble. Just be mindful of that.

9. Focus should be more on static or current affairs

Balance is the key. But static lies at the heart of even current affairs. The best strategy is to link them and study. But still, static is finite (is it?🥲) and current affairs is infinite. Contemporary affairs is what they now call them. So, one word answer is static. But can you ignore the current affairs? To your own peril. So you have to do it all (😭😭).

10. What works better going sequential or rounds based on elimination

Sequential first. Mark the sure ones. Identify the 50-50 questions. Then go in rounds.

11. How do I understand that I am prelim ready a month ago?

I wish I knew🫠
I think one can never know. The only confidence you can derive is from your hold over standard books and static content. And understand that, readiness and the consequent result constitutes hard work and luck/god’s grace in equal parts in an examination like UPSC. So, do your best and leave the rest (to the almighty).


Wishing you all, truck loads of good luck! May you preserve your sanity and sense of self in the process.

Happy Prelims-prepping! 🫡

Life becomes peaceful when you switch from Expect to Accept.

Expect praise, you'll get hurt.
Expect results, you'll get anxious.
Expect people to understand your journey, you'll feel alone.

But when you accept the process, accept the uncertainty, accept yourself;
peace finds you.

Do your best. Release the rest.

@UPSCneil

In UPSC and in life, this applies to wrong strategies, wrong people, wrong habits.
The ego says "I've come this far, let me continue."
But wisdom says "Stop. Redirect. Save your time."

Letting go isn't failure, it's course correction.
The sooner you accept, the sooner you grow.

@UPSCneil

Your dark phase doesn't define you, it prepares you.
The same you who feels stuck today will bloom tomorrow.

Bad mocks, failed attempts, low phases; they're just winters.
Stay rooted. Keep showing up. Your season will change.

@UPSCneil

Relevant Videos for HCS Preparation:

DKT Videos
https://t.me/Neil_You/1855

Interview at RajBhavan
https://youtu.be/LY423KeNQPs?si=K783sPGvA6bQoZBf

HCS prelims 2021 Discussion
https://youtu.be/Vbzn1pRGPr8

HCS Prelims 2023 Discussion
https://youtu.be/ye4oL0gqHkI

HCS Discussion
https://youtu.be/dS5RPj896Us

Don't underestimate patience.

The bamboo tree shows no growth for 5 years but underground, roots are spreading deep.
Then suddenly, it rises 90 feet in just 6 weeks.

Your preparation works the same way.
Months of reading, revising, writing; feels invisible.
But one day, it all clicks. Results explode.

Trust the process. Growth is happening, even when you can't see it.

@UPSCneil

Throat not well so next meet will hopefully be next week or next to next week based on Doc’s recommendation.

Take this one last break to gain momentum.

Post that we’ll increase the frequency to get you further in the groove.

Feel free to route your queries on @UPSCneil meanwhile.

You'll exhaust yourself trying to meet everyone's expectations.
Parents want stability, society wants status, friends want your time.

But this journey is yours- your sacrifice, your sleepless nights, your dreams.
Stop explaining yourself to people who aren't walking your path.

Improve because you deserve growth.
Succeed because you owe it to yourself.

@UPSCneil

National Youth Day
12th January – Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda

On this day, we honour the vision of a man who saw in youth the power to transform not just themselves, but an entire nation.

Swamiji reminded us that true strength begins within; a sound body, a disciplined mind, and a heart full of courage. Health is not vanity; it is the foundation upon which all achievement rests.

But self-development is not the end. It is the beginning.

Our responsibility extends beyond personal success, beyond marks on a scorecard. It reaches into our homes, our communities, our country. When we build ourselves, we build the nation. When we serve others, we serve something larger than ourselves.

Let this day be a reminder:
To stay curious, not just for exams, but for life.
To stay healthy, not just in body, but in thought.
To stay responsible- to ourselves, to our families, to India.

And let us pledge to pass this spirit forward,  to the generations who will inherit what we build today.

@UPSCneil

https://upsc.gov.in/content/postponement-notification-civil-services-examination-2026-and-indian-forest-service

“You be ready on time else I’ll leave you. If I’m not ready on time, we’ll go later.”

Seems like that one friend who has a car in college.

@UPSCneil

That dream of yours, the one people call "too difficult" or "unrealistic", it's waiting for you on the other side of this grind.

Every revision, every sleepless night, every time you chose your books over comfort... you're writing your own story.

The world will see your name someday and call it luck. Only you'll know the truth.

Keep going. Your chapter is still being written.

@UPSCneil

Yes, it's uncertain. Yes, it might take years. Yes, people are questioning you.

But imagine 60-year-old you, looking back.

Would they thank you for trying or regret that you didn't?

You already know the answer.

@UPSCneil

"Kab tak padhai karoge?" "Iss baar bhi nahi hua toh?"

Let it pass. Not every comment deserves your energy.

Your focus is your shield. Guard it fiercely.

Breathe. Return to your books. That's your only answer.

@UPSCneil

You don't need to know everything today.

One topic at a time. One subject at a time. One day at a time.

The syllabus feels endless, but so is your capacity to grow.

Just keep adding. Keep building. Quietly, steadily.

@UPSCneil

Every time you say no to distractions. Every time you wake up early despite exhaustion. Every time you sit with your books when the world is partying.

You're choosing yourself.

And that choice? It compounds.

@UPSCneil

This journey can feel lonely. We isolate ourselves. We stop reaching out.

But somewhere, another aspirant is fighting the same battle tonight.

Share notes. Ask for help. Lift someone when you can.

We rise faster when we rise together.

@UPSCneil

Bad mock score? Syllabus backlog? Family pressure?

The chaos won't stop. But you can choose how you meet it.

Not panic. Not despair. Just a calm, steady return to the desk.

That's the real preparation; for the exam, and for life.

@UPSCneil