On that note, given below are some tips that might help candidates looking forward to cracking the UPSC EPFO exam.
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Have a Complete Knowledge of Exam Pattern and Syllabus
A candidate before starting his/her preparation for UPSC EPFO must go through some necessary information regarding it such as Job Profile, Eligibility Criteria, Exam pattern, Syllabus and more. Out of these, having a thorough knowledge of exam pattern and prescribed syllabus is very important, as this helps a candidate in designing his/her preparation strategy or study plan. By going through the exam pattern, a candidate would get the knowledge of the various stages of the selection process and their weightage in the final selection. Also, a proper look at the syllabus set by the Union Public Service Commission for the EPFO exam would give the candidate answers to some necessary questions like what subject he/she should study, and what all topics he/she needs to cover in each subject to perform well in the exam. This would help the candidate in avoiding wastage of time and effort on topics that are not relevant or even mentioned in the syllabus.
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Design a Preparation Strategy
Performing any task requires planning. Similarly, preparation for any exam requires setting up a proper study plan or preparation strategy to ensure success in the examination. So before you start with your exam preparation, you must design a strategy after careful analysis of the exam pattern, syllabus, weightage of different topics, exam date, previous year cut off and more. This would help you in determining how much time there is left for preparation, the time you need to allot to different subjects and the minimum performance bar you should set to crack the written test.
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Solve Previous Year UPSC EPFO question Papers
Solving previous year papers gives a candidate an insight of the trend in number and pattern of questions asked from different topics in a section. With this knowledge he/she could ascertain the topics that carry greater weightage and should focus on and give more time to these topics to score well in the written test. Candidates are also able to develop a familiarity with the type of questions that a candidate should expect in the exam, as previous year papers provide a blueprint of the exam.
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Attempt Regular Mock Tests and Make Amends in Study Plan
You can find a number of mock tests and practice tests online on different exam preparation websites or portals. Giving regular mock tests is very imperative because it lets you track your progress. Proper analysis of your performance summary gives you the idea of your speed and accuracy, mistakes, as well as the topics or areas you need to work on to improve your performance. This will help you to make necessary changes in your study plan to prepare in a more effective manner. Furthermore, attempting mock tests gives you a little taste of the examination hall environment where the clock is down, and you must attempt a number of questions before the end of the time limit. Regular attempts at mock tests will keep you in a habit of dealing with examination fear or pressure and will help you to develop a calm and composed mindset for the examination.
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Maintain Proper Notes and Revise Regularly
Make sure to prepare short notes of various concepts and facts in each theoretical subject separately for quick revision. Also, jotting down important formulas and short tricks in quantitative aptitude could be fruitful for a candidate in last moment revision before the exam. Making notes is not enough, regular revision of these notes is necessary to revisit and recall the concepts and information that you have studied in order to retain them. Revision also helps in updating information or correcting any error in them. Another thing to keep in mind is that revision should be carried throughout the exam preparation, and not just during the few days before the exam. This helps in consolidating previously learnt facts and information.
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Minimize Distractions
It is necessary to cut off all the major distractions around you, so that you could focus and concentrate on your studies properly. Some tips that might help reduce distractions is switching off all kinds of notifications on your devices or keeping them far away when you are studying. At times what happens is that we end up wasting a lot of time of our day going through notifications, replying to messages and scrolling down social media feeds and more. Also, make sure to move to a room or place where there is less noise, and an uncommon yet effective tip that students can apply is by using a noise cancellation headphones or simply even putting on an ordinary headphone could cut off the surrounding noise to some extent. And this will help you concentrate more on your studies.
Chetan Sharma is a blogger and digital marketer by profession. He handles a network of multiple websites like teacher text & various others. He helps clients all over the world to achieve digital success.
