Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Where I went wrong in 2013

The 2013 civil service main exams, though relatively easy, didn't turn out well for me. Here's why:

1. I didn't believe in myself enough.
Talking to peers over the phone right before the exam really affected my confidence level. Every single time I talked to some friends, I got a feeling that I hadn't prepared enough, and it's gonna be difficult to pass the exam.
WHICH WAS WRONG.
DON'T DO THAT.

2. I didn't sleep well enough on the day before the exam.
I felt sleepy at 10pm, but didn't go to sleep as I thought I'd read more. Peer pressure also had an influence on me. My closest study mate wasn't going to sleep any soon. This led to a disaster. I couldn't sleep at all. Sleep came only at 9 am, when I was about to write the exam. DISASTER.

3. I felt lonely.
Should have stayed with a friend/brought my family. If you are a very emotional person who doesn't have control over your own internal demons, bring your family or stay with a close friend.

4. I failed at assessing the question paper properly and allocating time accordingly.
There were 25 questions, at least 300-400 words each to be written. Which means around 80 pages to be written in 3 hours- IMPOSSIBLE!! best way is to write 50-100 words for all answers instead of writing a few good answers and leaving all the rest.

Bottomline: No matter how hard you study, how well you are oriented for the civil services, it is your performance on the examination day that counts. No compromise on that. Do whatever it takes to ensure a comfortable and relaxed time during the exam days.

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