Dear Aspirant,

How are you doing? What are the thoughts running through your mind?

As the Mains results got released yesterday, I had a mixed bag of emotions running through my head. I was delighted to hear the good news from some friends who cleared Mains and also shocked at the results of others who didn't clear.

This is going to be a long post. In case you are a morning person and sleep early, you can save this article and read it in the morning.

In a long journey, at times we fail to appreciate the magnitude of a particular milestone.

To put the Mains result into perspective, we need to go back to how many people actually applied for this exam. The below tweet by CseWhy gives you that perspective.

But only half the people who apply write the Prelims exam right?!

That is true. And still, it is indeed a major achievement to be able to compete amongst 5.5 lakh aspirants and give the UPSC Mains exam.

So if you were one amongst the 13,090 who wrote the mains exam, it is not by mere luck. It is indeed a milestone in your life that you can be proud of.

The Uncertainty is Certain

You might have come across this tweet. What was your first reaction?

I began to wonder if it is even possible to be sure of what really works in clearing the mains exam. It does feel like a black box. The current process is such that the only feedback you would get is the marks that finally appear four months later.

The students who couldn't clear the exam have to figure out for themselves what they might have done right or wrong. Even after a lot of introspection, at best you are taking a calculated guess.

In such a game filled with uncertainty, what is the best way out?

Focus on what you can control

You have no control over who will correct your paper or what the mood of the evaluator will be. Yet you can prepare on the below aspects:

• Simple language

• Addressing the demand of the question

• Legibility in your presentation

• Completing all the answers

• Relevant examples

• Diagrams/charts where applicable

Even as you prepare your notes or attempt your mocks, ask yourself if your answers cover the above points.

(Above list was shared by a friend who had analysed a number of topper's answers)

Lastly, if you had given Mains 2022 and did not clear it and feel like just speaking about it, do hit a reply and I will connect with you. I might not be able to offer solutions, but can definitely offer support.

Daily Quiz Scores

Cartoon in the Context

If you managed to reach the end of this post, a big shout out to you and your patience. In the current age people have extremely limited attention spans. You are probably a reader who is reading with a specific purpose to learn.

Wish you luck with your preparation!

If you liked this post, do share it with your friend who might have missed clearing Mains.

See you next week!

Regards,

Satya