Aspirants of the UPSC are very well aware of the fact that the key to success in the most coveted Civil Services Exam is practice, practice and practice! Simply learning all the concepts and memorising all the formulas and topics won’t prove fruitful until a good amount of time is devoted to practising what all is learnt.

With competition for the most sought-after IAS exam getting tougher every year, it is becoming essential for candidates to be a pro when it comes to practising. They should involve themselves in solving practice tests or sample papers on a regular basis. Practice tests are the best resource to put things into perspective. Not only do these tests give a reality check, but they also improve speed and accuracy levels, contributing to better performance. Not just this, it helps you get relieved from the panic situation when your UPSC exam date is just around the corner.

Perhaps, this article will explain to you how and why solving practice papers for the UPSC exam preparation can be a stepping stone to success.

Benefits of Solving Practice Paper for UPSC Examination

1. Simulation of exam environment - Solving practice tests is exactly like sitting for the UPSC exams with the clock ticking continuously and pressure mounting simultaneously. When you are solving the practice tests, they tend to give you an exam-like atmosphere which helps boost your confidence and reduces the chances of panic for the final examination.

2. Exact exam pattern can be analysed- The practice tests for the exams are set based on the latest UPSC exam pattern. So, candidates who are writing the exam for the first time, they can get a better idea of the paper pattern when they solve these practice papers. The practice tests for the Civil Services Exam are available both offline and online for the candidate’s reference.

3. Excel the time management skills - Competitive exams are all about time management. A separate time is dedicated to solving each section, so candidates must work hard on solving more questions within a shorter time span. When you regularly solve practice papers or mock exams that are time bound, you can analyse how to speed up your solving techniques and where shortcuts can be used and a little time can be saved.

4. Get to know the topics important for exam preparation and apprehend important questions - The more a candidate solves practice tests, the more they are likely to understand which topics are important from the examination point of view. Since mock tests and practice papers are based on the previous years’ papers, solving them daily will help candidates understand which questions or the topics are asked frequently; thus, they will be able to face such questions in the examination with full confidence. This will help candidates lead their preparation in the right direction.

5. Know your strong and weak topics or subjects - By solving the mock tests for the Prelims or Mains exam of UPSC on a regular basis, the candidates will be able to understand which sections may act as their strengths, and they can score more and in which sections they are most likely to lose marks and are their weakness. Once this has been analysed, more time can be devoted to the subjects where the candidate is losing more marks.

Down the lane, it is all about practising. The more regular you are with solving practice tests or sample questions, the more you will be able to revise all the topics, and more will be retained in that brain. Hence, as and when you finish one topic, start taking questions based on it. Take a look at the UPSC Previous Year Question paper PDF for assistance. Aspirants do need to put in a lot of hard work and effort to prepare for the exam and ace the examination.