UPSC Mains Preparation- How to Prepare for UPSC Mains?

Best Preparation Strategy for UPSC Mains 

Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the best preparation strategy for UPSC Mains that candidates can take inspiration from. 

Step 1: Be Consistent With Preparation 

• The most significant advantage that early beginners have is extra time. However, when time is sufficient, the challenge is different. Rather than time management, now candidates must work towards maintaining consistency in their preparation over a prolonged period of time. 
• Thus, one must pre-schedule the targets they wish to achieve. For this, it is imperative to know the syllabus extremely well. This will help in staying focused, and not deviating from the relevant topics.

Step 2: Allocate Preparation Time Mindfully

• It is important to adopt the ‘Main First’ strategy, i.e., one should start their UPSC preparation by devising their UPSC Mains Preparation Strategy. After Prelims, a candidate gets no more than three to four months for the preparation of Mains. Take into account the requirement of answer writing and essay writing practice, and there will be even less time left. Thus, it would be advisable to prepare for the Main Part first. 

Step 3: Choose the Optional Subject Wisely 

• The most vital element of the mains syllabus is the optional subject. The choice of optional subject should be based on one’s degree of interest and prior knowledge of the subject.  
• This decision must not be influenced by any sort of false notions of which subject is the most “scoring”. Ultimately, it is your preparation and the way you present your answers that will determine your score. Hence, candidates’ interest in the subject will play a big role in their results. 
• For more details about how to select the best optional subject for UPSC Mains, check the linked article. 

Step 4: Make a Structured Study Plan

• After the candidate has chosen the optional subject, one must start the preparation right away. Make a structured schedule, and set goals for each day, week and month in advance. Ensure that the syllabus for the four General Studies papers and Optional Subject is completed by November or December. Due to the extent of the syllabus, it is only possible to complete the Mains preparation if candidates plan their time well, and stick to the plan. 

Step 5: Follow Daily Current Affairs 

• An essential part of the preparation is to diligently read the newspaper on a daily basis. Candidates should always be updated with all the important national and international events. Select one or two magazines or government sources to get your headlines from- like Yojana, Kurukshetra, PIB, PRS, etc. If time permits, you also can start your initial answer writing practice after you are done with the Main Syllabus once. Try and get it evaluated by some senior or teacher. 

For our UPSC Current Affairs Compilations, check out the linked article. 

It is worth noting that there is a significant overlap between the syllabus of the Prelims and Mains. Thus, while preparing for UPSC Mains, a significant portion of the Prelims syllabus also gets covered, giving candidates a head-start. For the remaining part, candidates can shift their focus to the Prelims Syllabus from January or February onwards. From that point onwards, candidates must focus on revision and assessment in order to optimize their knowledge retention.

3 Months UPSC Mains Strategy

After the Prelims are over, don’t lose focus. Follow these 5 steps to effectively revise the syllabus and start preparing for the Main. 

Step 1: Take a Break After Prelims

It is very important for aspirants to give themselves a break after Prelims. One might have been preparing continuously for over a year, so it’s important to take some time off, away from your studies. Take at least 10 days of physical and mental rest, before resuming preparation. During this break, read newspapers or take a small vacation. Reflect about how the exam was, and based on the conclusion, candidates can select one of three routes to follow. 

1. If they are certain that they will qualify in the Prelims, devise a suitable UPSC Mains Preparation Strategy to ensure success in the Main as well. 
2. If they are unsure about their Prelims result and whether they will qualify, don’t get disheartened by the result. Since, the Prelims score isn’t counted towards the final selection, aspirants can treat the Main as an opportunity to start afresh. 
3. If they are certain that they won’t qualify the Prelims, don’t let this be a discouragement. In such a scenario, candidates must reflect upon their shortcomings, try to learn from them and start working on their strategy for next year. 

During this time, candidates should take time to read about different preparation strategies and select the best suited one for themselves. Take insight from seniors, peers, toppers or mentors who can guide them best in this crucial phase while they prepare for UPSC Main.

Step 2: Make A Detailed Study Plan For UPSC Main

After the break, devise a detailed study plan for your Mains Preparation. Have a clear-cut strategy for how to go about revising each of the papers. Due to the extensive syllabus and the large number of papers in UPSC Main, having a structured study plan for revision and preparation will help one in covering all their bases when it comes to the UPSC syllabus.

Step 3: Schedule the Preparation Time for Each Paper

Most first-time aspirants get confused about how to manage their time in the 2-3 months between the Prelims and Mains. Here’s some tips on what aspirants can do.

1. Have a monthly goal, weekly goal, and daily goal. Set small, achievable targets and stick to them. Aspirants must ensure that they meet their goals. 
2. Even if their preparation gets disturbed for 1-2 days, don’t wreck the whole plan, rather,  cover up the portions they have missed by dividing them across the following days. 
3. Candidates should set aside 2 hours for revising what they’ve studied daily. Also, keep the weekends free for practicing answer writing and revising what they’ve studied in the past week. 
4. Most candidates get confused about time allocation regarding each of the General Studies Papers. Here’s an expert-recommended breakdown.

Step 4: Practice Answer Writing

Since, the Mains paper is descriptive in nature, it is essential to give sufficient time to answer writing practice during the UPSC Mains Preparation. Whatever candidates read, they must summarise in their own words at the end of each day. Dedicate an hour each day to answer writing practice. Get the answers evaluated by your mentors or seniors to get a fair idea of where you stand. Don’t worry about writing bad answers at the beginning. Practice makes perfect, therefore one must practice as much as they can.

Step 5: Give Regular Mock Tests

Mock Tests are a great tool as they allow one to practice answer writing in stressful, exam-like conditions. Hence, harness this resource as much as possible. Think of mock tests as a practice ground, and take them as an opportunity to understand the answer writing process, and write brief, succinct answers considering the demand of the questions. 

This is the 5-step preparation strategy for UPSC Mains that our experts recommend. Candidates can take inspiration from this, and create their own strategy to crack the exam.