How to prepare for WBCS Prelims:
The WBCS
examination is a test to choose suitable administrators in the state of West
Bengal. It tests the candidate right from the stage when one starts the
preparation. One common misconception about the prelims is that it is a test of
facts and figures. This is not so. A candidate should have the right frame of
mind and the will power to succeed in the exam. A proper action plan is needed
for the preparation itself since he /she will be tested for some
essential qualities like power of retention, clarity of concepts, ability to
identify the correct alternatives with efficiency and accuracy. All
this requires a quick decision making power. Since the preliminary exam in
particular is a test of endurance the candidate needs to prepare himself on the
physical as well as mental level. The main
constraint is the time one gets to answer questions. On an average one
gets around 45 seconds for each general Studies question. One sure way of
dealing with this stress is
to count numbers or to take a few deep breaths. Meditation and Yoga
also help in dealing with stress to a great extent.
Now we
come to the actual preparation for the prelims exam. Since it is a multiple
choice question paper, it needs a different preparation and a proper
strategy. The first thing a candidate needs to bear in mind is that the
examination is designed to evaluate certain qualities like a sharp memory
and basic retention power. There are ways to increase one's memory like
preparing charts. One gets confused when faced with mind boggling facts and
figures. Important facts and figures can be simplified and represented on
charts and they can be arranged in the form of tables or graphs. Another thing
to remember is to make short and brief notes on each topic so that the entire
syllabus can be revised a day before the exam. It is better to use diagrams and
link words which make it easier to understand difficult concepts. One more
technique to help in retaining information is the use of abbreviations. Since
the syllabus involves exhaustive information abbreviations help you to remember
it better. It is a good method to remember dates, facts and figures in a
picture format and to break up complex names and places into smaller and
simpler words. The last and the most important technique is doing regular
revision. This helps in retaining the maximum information. A separate time slot
should be given to doing not only regular but multiple revisions like daily,
weekly, monthly etc.
Many
candidates make a mistake of overloading themselves with lots of information
and end up remembering nothing. One should be able to differentiate
between relevant and irrelevant information. Since the
preliminary exam is an elimination round the candidate should also learn to
focus only on the information needed and filter out the rest. It helps to
discuss with friends and teachers but the most reliable way is to past years
question papers for the optional subject whereas for the general studies paper,
one should keep abreast with current events and information related to them.
An
important thing to remember is that for this exam it is just enough to remember
information but to understand the concepts well instead of memorizing facts and
figures. Therefore emphasis has to be on
conceptual clarity. Any concept has to be understood with its
origin, merits and de-merits, then it needs to be analysed with other relevant
topics and lastly it has to be correlated with the events that have taken place
during the year.
The
preliminary exam requires candidates who have the acumen and the ability to
choose the right option of many given options. This needs a proper method
of elimination. It is a good idea to go through previous years and
model question papers and solve as many as possible. Taking a mock test of a certain
number of G.S. questions would be a good practice and help to pick out the most
appropriate option.
Each
prelims paper is for two and half hours but a lot of time is wasted in signing
attendance sheets etc, therefore there is a lot of need for effective Time
Management not only for the exam but in the preparation as well. It is not
enough to know the right answer but it has to be marked correctly on the answer
sheet. Speed and Accuracy are important, so solving model question
papers on a regular basis would be a great help.
A good presence
of mind is needed to eliminate the least appropriate options and arrive
at the right one. Tick out the least correct answer first and go on to the next
option. Even when faced with a question for which you do not have a ready
answer, with basic common sense and a good presence of mind, it is possible to
make your guess a smart and a correct one.
Throughout
the preparation for the prelims exam, it is important to remember that any topic
or concept should not be studied in isolation. It is better to understand and establish
a correlation between related concepts from other subjects and current
events and happenings.
Even with
all this preparation, it is necessary to have a positive attitude
and a great amount of will power to succeed to achieve your goal, that of
getting through the civil services examination with flying colors!
Success Secrets:
Hard work:
Remember
that there is no substitute to hard work. All successful candidates say the
hard work is one of the first pre-requisites for the success. There is no short
cut to success and hard work never goes unrewarded.
Planning and systematic study:
Proper planning right from the stage of selection of
optional subjects and selection of text books is absolutely necessary. Though there is no one way of studying, there are ways to
study more effectively and with less stress and more enjoyment. It is important
to know how to make use of the sources available to you in the best possible way.
It is wise to take a three pronged approach to preparation, reading to learn,
making effective notes and able to write answers to various kinds of questions.
Time management:
Effective
time management is another requirement. If we spend our time in a frenzy of
activity, we can achieve very little because we are not concentrating on the
right things. We keep hearing the word "Busy" a lot. There are two
kinds of ‘busy’(ness): chaotic, disorganized busy and calm, effective busy. It
goes without saying that being the latter helps to pack in more productivity in
your work. Improving our "effectiveness quotient" calls for mastery
of basic time management skills.
Self-confidence:
Your self-confidence can make the difference. Your
self-confidence should be at an all time high - always. You should be in the
company of people, who can increase your motivational levels high and can
inspire you. Form a group of close friends, who are as determined as you are to
make it to the WBCS Examination.
Dedication:
Be
totally dedicated and focused in your studies. You have to sacrifice something
like movies, parties, and entertainments etc at this stage of your life to
achieve bigger things.
Patience:
As the
WBCS Exam preparation spans a minimum of one year, right from the Preliminary
stage to the interview state, it requires a lot of patience to maintain your
tempo. One should not lose patience and the tempo throughout the preparation
period till success.
Tips for answering questions at the Prelims:
Don’t waste time:
Start
answering the questions from the minute you get them. The time allotted is very
limited, so waste no time on reading the entire question paper first. First
answer all the question you are sure you know the answers to. Skip all the
difficult questions in the first round: in this round if you find yourself
stuck in a question for more than 10 seconds, just skip it.
However,
keep making a small mark on the question paper to indicate that you have
skipped that question in the first round. This will enable you to save time in
the next rounds. If you answer a question in the second round, cancel this
mark, so that in third round you know which questions still remain unanswered.
Three rounds should be sufficient, bur you could break the process into a
fourth round too.
Negative marking:
There
will be penalty for wrong answers marked by a candidate in the objective type
question papers. There will be four alternatives for the answer to every
question. For each question for which a wrong answer has been given by the
candidate, one-third (0.33) of the marks assigned to that question will be
deducted as penalty. If a candidate gives more than one answer, it will be
treated as a wrong even if one of the given answers happens to be correct and
there will be same penalty. But if a question is left blank, i.e. no answer is
given by the candidate, there will be no penalty for that question. Hence you
need be very cautious in the second and third rounds when you are attempting
those questions you are fairly, but not absolutely, certain about or those
questions that you know absolutely nothing about.
New Syllabus:
Scheme of the Preliminary Examination :
The Preliminary Examination will consist of only one paper, viz., a
paper on “General Studies”. The paper will be of an objective type consisting
of 200 multiple-choice questions. The paper will carry 200 marks and will be of
2½ hours duration. The standard of the paper will be of the level of knowledge
as expected of a graduate of any faculty of a recognized University. The paper
will include questions covering the following field of knowledge: Indian Polity and Economy (25 Marks)
Questions of Indian Polity and Economy will test the knowledge of the
country’s Political System, Panchayatee Raj, Community Development and Planning
in India.
The Preliminary Examination is meant to serve as a Screening Test only
for the purpose of selection of candidates for the Main Examination. The marks
obtained in this examination by the candidates will not be considered for final
selection. Only those candidates who will be declared qualified at the
Preliminary Examination in a year will be eligible for admission to the
W.B.C.S. (Exe.) etc.(Main) Examination of that year.
