No failure is final: Take the Challenge in 2012

The result of the last IAS Prelims must have been disheartening for those who failed to clear it. However, the important fact is that in IAS this is not something new or unexpected and all candidates must utilise their time till the next Prelims in a fruitful way. The following tips should be helpful if you haven’t recovered from your loss.

Time wasted won’t come again
Whatever the result of your last Preliminary Test (PT), if you don’t start preparing for your next Main exam or PT after a short break (remember some candidates don’t take breaks between the two stages and you have to compete with the best to succeed in this exam), you will end up wasting precious time which won’t come back. Relax when you have to, but keep preparing for the next PT or Main exam. Remember every step counts if it’s in the right direction.

You don’t want to fail again
It’s not important how much time you take in getting up after falling down. Important is: do you get up after falling down or not. So, even if you felt bad and wasted some time, now get up and get going. Take small steps initially and then start preparing in the same way as you used to do earlier. Considering IAS exam a mission, defeat in small battles should not discourage you for the final war.

Step-by-step approach
First of all, make a group if you didn’t make earlier. It should be a small group of 3 to 4 people. If you already have a group, start studying together again.

•    Analyse what went wrong and revise your strategy if you find your errors.
•    Take expert advice of your teachers wherever you feel the need.
•    Next, solve a lot of objective-type questions in your subject and for CSAT and GS.
•    You must have some base already if you have taken the exam once or more.
•    Keep doing answer-writing practice for your Main exam also.

Failure should be thought of as success from the back door. It comes creeping in, but proves to be a very effective stepping stone for those who learn to respect it. Always remember that you never make a mistake, you always learn. If your last strategy didn’t work, don’t lose faith in yourself. Trust yourself and your capabilities even more and make another try. You will definitely succeed next time.