Importance of Previous Year Questions in your Preparation

For an aspirant preparing for Government Exams like APPSC, TSPSC, and UPSC, time is the most important resource. To better manage it and design the right strategy begin with the following steps:

1. Read the Syllabus thoroughly and understand the topics in the syllabus.
2. Go through the Previous Year Question Papers and understand the pattern.
3. Choose the Standard Sources.
4. Make your own Notes according to the syllabus.
5. Revise the Notes regularly and update it.
6. Attempt Mock Tests or solve Previous Papers.
7. Track your weak and strong points and strategize accordingly.

Sounds simple right! But most of the aspirants can’t stick to this process, so they lack the direction and the course correction during their preparation. You my friend can clear these prestigious examinations and make your dreams come true if you follow the right approach and strategy.

Does PYQs get repeated?

APPSC & UPSC does repeat questions in the Prelims/Mains, but not for all the topics and syllabus. There are some recurrent themes that catch the attention of the examiner. They won’t repeat in exact words but the question will be in the same theme/context.

Importance of solving PYQs

The most authentic source of information for the pattern & standard of questions asked in the exam are the previous year's question papers. They enable the aspirants to understand the nature of the questions being asked in the exam.

When you solve them, you get the idea about : 

• What kind of questions are asked from different topics
• Which areas are more important (Weightage) and need your focus.
• Whether questions are more from static part or dynamic part.
• Which areas to focus on in the Current affairs.
• You can evaluate your own performance and work on your shortcomings.

The most significant benefit is that when the questions are repeated in Prelims or Mains Exams ( which happens always) you can assure yourselves that you don’t lose that mark. This will be a huge advantage in a competitive exam where 1 mark has the ability to push or pull your Rank in the final selection list.

Practice is the key to success in the examination. Solving and practicing the Previous Year questions will enable you to comprehend the pattern of the questions and in turn will prepare you for the actual exam.

Self-evaluation is a very important part of the preparation and solving the previous year papers will help you to track your weak and strong points and strategize accordingly.

It gives you an idea of your level of preparation. When you do mistakes, you learn from them. This helps you in determining the right strategy you should follow in your preparation. It also helps in identifying strengths and weaknesses in your preparation.

In this Series, I will be publishing articles about the strategies and common mistakes to avoid on your way to SUCCESS!