How Can UPSC Mains 2020 be Different And How to Ace it?

It’s finally going to happen! This was my initial reaction after the UPSC Prelims was conducted on October 4, 2020. Yes, I took a sigh of relief only after the exam concluded because till then, there were all the chances for it to get postponed again. But it happened and The UPSC Mains 2020 is just around the corner, with only a month remaining for the onset of this weak long answer-writing exam. 

The Mother of All Exams- UPSC CSE is given this tag on a global level specifically because of the Mains exam! And it always lives upto its reputation, you know. Just like Prelims, it comes with its share of unpredictability and toughness, but to ace it, requires a very different skill-set from aspirants. 

Being a past aspirant and now an Educator, I’ve seen a lot of Mains papers, but I am expecting it to be different this time. And I’ve written this article explaining why I think so, and how can the aspirants still ace it and get ever closer to their dream of becoming a bureaucrat! 

So, without further ado, let’s hop in. 

Real Quick- What is UPSC Mains Exam And Why so Much Hype?

For anyone who’s not familiar with IAS, might not know the steps involved to become one. And in that case, I should shed some light on it before proceeding on the topic. 

So, UPSC Mains is the 2nd stage, of the 3 stages of Exam that candidates who’re aspiring to become a Bureaucrat in India, have to clear. The other 2 stages being the Prelims, which is a Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) based exam consisting of 2 papers of 2-2 hours each. And the last stage is the Interview round. 

A candidate needs to clear all the 3 rounds of UPSC CSE, and of this, Mains is considered to be a very tough nut to crack, mainly because it analyses the way a candidate thinks and reacts to a given situation under a time-constraint. Here, a candidate needs to write a 150-200 word answer to the given question, and they have to write 20 such answers in a period of just 3 hours. This extremely high pressure is found in no other exam, which is why there’s always hype and an air of uncertainty about UPSC CSE Mains. 

Now, that you’ve got a gist of how important and challenging this exam is, it’s time to discuss what I want to discuss with this article. 

Mains 2020- How Can it be Different And What Should be Your Strategy For it?

Let’s face it, 2020 has been different for all of us. And I’m expecting the Mains exam to follow the same trend. From what I’ve analyzed, there could be 5 different reasons for it. Let’s go through it one-by-one so you can ace all of it in time for the exam!

1. The Cold of January

Yes, this would have a massive impact on the Mains exam that is scheduled for January 2021. The reason being, your writing speed! During the winter months, the muscles on the surface of our body get stiff, as the core needs more heat. So, naturally, if your hands are out in the open to write something, it would get cold and you would find it difficult to write, which would decrease your speed. And you don’t want that in a high-pressure exam like UPSC Mains. So how can you tackle this? 

By taking care of your body! The point is to get acclimatized, or used to, the cold weather. You should ideally create an environment where there’s cold and then attempt your test papers. This way, you’ll and your body would slowly get accustomed to it. Secondly, keep the blood flow going. And you can achieve this by incorporating 10-20 minutes of stretching and light exercises into your routine. This would allow the blood flow in your muscles to increase, resulting in better oxygen release there and eventually, less stiffness and better functioning. 

The cold would play a major role in this exam, and it’s time you start working to get your body ready for the ultimate test! 

2. The Ongoing Pandemic

UPSC Mains is going to be a week-long exam starting from January 8, unlike the Prelims which required only a day’s effort. Although I have full faith that the safety of candidates would be kept as the top priority, the chances of catching the virus amid all the crowd would still be huge. 

The best way to keep safe is to take care of yourself without depending on the authorities. They would do the best they can, but you have to be absolutely serious about your surroundings, the objects you’re touching, and the people you’re talking to. 

Don’t let this pandemic take away your golden opportunity! 

3. The Questions

2020 witnessed a strict global lockdown and India was no different from it. We had a complete halt of activities from March till May. So there wasn’t much activity in the economy at that time, or was it? The country was on lockdown, but new events kept happening day-in and day-out. 

To give you an example of one such event, there’s been a lot of talk about Modi’s dream of making India a $5 trillion economy even since we recorded a -23.4% GDP in the 2nd Quarter. There are articles getting published every other day on this topic, and Economists, Activists, Business magnates, all are sharing their perspective. But what’s yours? 

Another great example is the worsening condition of Big Private Hospitals. The reason being, people are going there only if there’s a necessity. Otherwise, they’re not going at all. And a Private Hospital, with all its expensive infrastructure, doctors, and equipment cannot survive like that. Now, how would you analyze, or critically evaluate this situation? 

These are just 2 events out of the many that transpired because of the pandemic this year, and you have to read as much as you can about all of them. Form your own opinion on them, write them down, prepare a running-list to go through in the last minutes, use recent stats, and keep your answer extremely focused while cutting down all the fluff. 

4. The Mentality

This is a big point. The mentality required to do great in Mains 2020 would be different from previous years because now, you have to answer in a way that solves the existing problem. Yes, some huge problems have risen in our country because of Covid-19, and you can expect questions where a solution for these would be asked. This is where you have to think like a bureaucrat who’s there to solve the problem and mitigate the crisis. 

Up until last year, there were questions on the ‘What if’ pattern, and a candidate could go a bit creative with his answer. But this time, there are a lot of problems that need a solution. So, your mentality needs to alter accordingly. 

Let me give you an example here. You must have read about the second wave of the pandemic hitting Delhi. So how would you resolve this situation if you’re the head bureaucrat of this region? Could the ‘Bhilwara model’ be replicated here? But how?

 Think long and with the right mentality because there’s a high chance you’ll get more like these in the exam!

5. The Pressure

Last but not least. The pressure would be huge! And although UPSC CSE is called the mother of all exams because of the pressure that Mains brings, this year would be different. All the aforementioned pointers would come into play, making it a very different Mains in terms of the setting and the paper pattern. But there would be immense psychological pressure involved among candidates. Why?

Because the paper is finally going to happen after months of skepticism about it, and it would happen in not the most ideal conditions. There would be candidates whose families are going through financial turmoil due to the pandemic and this could be their last chance. All this brings pressure. Some of it is needed, but you’ll be taking a step back if you let this weight of expectations and uncertain future take the better of you now. 

If you want to be a proud bureaucrat, this is your golden chance. And you don’t want to lose it because of unnecessary pressure. So, while you’re preparing hard this month, don’t forget to take a breather, cherish the presence of your loved ones, and smile! 

Winding Up

I’ve pretty much covered everything I wanted to talk about. So, I’ll keep it short here. 

You’ve waited a lot for your dreams to come true. You’ve studied hard, faced uncertain times, extreme negativity. But you still kept going! You’ve cleared your Prelims, you’re well on track to do great in your Mains exam. And I just want you to improvise your preparation based on these pointers. Because like you, I also want your dream of becoming an IAS to come true! So, take this article on a positive stride, and DM me if you need any suggestions from my side. Your commitment would get you to your dreams. Remember that. 

Keep hustling. All the very best.