All the best to all those giving prelims tomorrow. Remember that it is not a knowledge test like other objective exams but more a test of common sense and deduction skills. Only a cool head and confidence on whatever you have studied matters.

Also, you clearing the cutoff will not be decided on how many difficult questions you get right, it is about not making mistakes in the easy to moderate level questions.

Mandatory to have print out of this page, as per the instructions on the upsc website. Please do the needful!

UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 Answer Key Group of Selected Rank Holders of UPSC CSE & IFS 2024

THE HINDU -RELEVANT EXAMPLES ( 1 APRIL to 15 APRIL)

Important and can be used by mains giving junta

मुख्य परीक्षा दे रहे अभ्यर्थियों के लिए मददगार साबित हो सकता है

Credit : Eli cohen bhai

The objectivity of Physics Optional is amazing. Predicted my score 13 minutes after the last optional paper.
Final Marks = 273

CSE-Prelims 2025 Results

IFoS Prelims- Results

CSE-Prelims Name List

IFoS Prelims Name List

For those who couldn’t make it to the list, please don’t be harsh on yourself. Your worth is much more than this exam, and better times are definitely ahead.

My testimonial for Physics Optional. I have secured 273 marks (125 + 148) this year, which could have been more with proper time management in paper 1(missed questions worth 30 marks). Nevertheless, I would discuss what worked for me this time. Everyone must be aware about basic things such as :
1. covering every topic in the syllabus and having notes,
2. being thorough with the derivations and formulae and making short notes out of them,
3. solving at least past 10 years PYQs, more the better
4. solving solved problems given in the standard 8-10 books like HC Verma and Aruldhas’ Problems in Quantum Mechanics, Griffiths and some portions of Problems in EM by Ghatak and Thyagarajan for Electrodynamics , some parts of DS Mathur and JC Upadhyay for mechanics, Ajoy Ghatak and Brij Lal & Subrahmanyam for Optics, Garg Bansal Ghosh for Thermo & Statistical Physics, IE Irodov for some selected problems in paper 1, Rajkumar for Atomics & Molecular Physics, etc. and
5. writing tests within the 3 hour framework.

However, the most beneficial thing in this attempt has been the one to one mentorship by Shivam Sir, Quantum IAS. After evaluating every test, sir would get on a zoom call and would discuss each and every answer at length with different approaches which made things much easier and helped retain concepts better. The answer writing strategies given by sir definitely helped me gain edge in physics paper, where most people are doing mathematics and ending the question with the answer. The interpretation, examples, i.e. Physics of the question matters a lot in gaining the extra 0.5-1 mark. Missing topics were also covered making my notes very holistic. The preparation was moulded on the lines of the changing pattern of Physics paper, where more and more numericals are there and accuracy of answers is essential to get 6-7 out of 10, otherwise 1-2 with correct methods but wrong answer.

It was very much unlike the another institute catering to Physics optional where emphasis is given on past year rankers and improving their rank, while other students are in limbo. Even while registering for the foundation course in late 2020, recorded lectures of 2016-17 were provided and even the coverage was merely 60-65%(It might be more now and now live classes are there, but these are the problems I faced). Test series was graded and no comments/feedback were given, with the explanation that marks are the ultimate guide and emphasis on watching the discussion videos. Test series were said to be the true reflection of final marks, which caused demotivation to those not scoring very high. Not to mention that many were humiliated for asking genuine academic doubts in the test series discussion. Regardless, the test series questions are good and solutions compiled out of best answers for the test are also very beneficial.

Another thing that helped a lot was making concise notes of ~120 pages (out of a total of >1500 pages of notes). It contained almost every important derivation, formulae, examples, interpretation, etc. , which I was able to revise before each paper, and hence the problem of forgetting formulae or derivations was largely resolved to an extent, since there are a lot many of them.

More on Physics Optional after mains.

To clear the confusion around DAF, the current scenario is
1) Only OTR can be updated now, before/after final submission till the last date (25 June). It can also be updated after CSE (Main) Written Result.
2) Other DAF details like service and cadre preference cannot be edited at this point in time. It can be updated after Mains results.
3) Login through the old portal only (http://upsconline.gov.in/upsc/OTRP/) and complete part III by submitting fee (if applicable) and then doing final submission after previewing the DAF pdf ( Not much utility of the preview since many entries can be edited only after mains result).
4)This final submission must be done, otherwise the application will be summarily rejected (rejection without hearing your side).

साल दर साल अभ्यर्थी UPSC की परीक्षा देते हैं
कोई इंटरव्यू में रह जाता है , कोई मुख्य परीक्षा में

प्रतिभा विलुप्त हो जाती है और उसे कहीं और अवसर मिल पाना मुश्किल हो जाता है

परंतु अब ऐसा नहीं होगा
बहुत अच्छा प्रयास है ये upsc द्वारा

Hello Students -

I will be there for your Anthropology - entirely.


Register in this FREE course so that you can get all the pdf and attend live sessions - https://hbzxwj.courses.store/courses/689415

For submitting copy for evaluation - https://forms.gle/tMHigyEmsQ9Ykqia9

For any issue , please mail - ask@mentorguru.in

Free Initiative by my friend Bhanu Pratap Singh, IRS (IT). He had scores of 284 and 273 in anthropology in consecutive mains. Please take benefit of this initiative, even if you were unable to qualify 2025 prelims.