r/UPSCPrelims2026

I will most likely be on my period during the exam, and while I am quite angry about how they always align with the most important events of my life, there is nothing I can do about it. If there are girls who are in the same boat as me, can you please share what all things you are keeping in mind for the exam? Any special tips or advice? Anything would be super helpful at this point!

Centre dekhne gyi thi . Ab exam se zyada Darr us centre ko dekh ke lag rha h🫠

This is my final attempt at UPSC. I’ve not been able to study in the last 3-4 days, nor do I feel like studying. Last year I cleared Forest cutoff by a narrow margin.

Why am I sleeping too much and don’t feel like studying when the exam is literally here!!

Edit: it’s not like I have not studied anything. I’ve covered PYQs, tricks everything but don’t feel like studying anymore. Want to study for mains now.

Seeing so many folks being super anxious, but strangely I feel so calm and having ‘one paper can’t decide my worth’ attitude. I have done revisions. Been through PYQs, scored in 70s in the mocks. Not enough, I know. Bas ab jo boya hai wahi paungi.

A moment I think that I will clear prelims quite comfortably. The next hour I am freaking about a topic that is uncovered. Then, I am worrying about CSAT. Sleep has gone for a toss and so has my diet. Eating anything and everything that comes my way due to the anxiety.

Sunday feels so so far. I am barely able to focus either

I no longer care about the result. Just want to be done with prelims and breathe easy

I’ve literally never been someone who naps in the daytime unless I’m sick or mentally exhausted.

But this past week, I’ve been crashing around 2 PM every single day. Night sleep is also messed up because of the heat, so it keeps getting interrupted.

I’m surviving on caffeine, washing my face, and forcing myself to stay awake because this sudden sleepiness is lowkey scaring me. Anyone else gone through this? What helped?

(I sleep around 11pm)

What they are calling mathematics is anything but mathematics. The paper is filled with questions that involves "tricks" and speed maths. How are you checking someone's "aptitude" by asking them a unit digit of some exponent. That is just a plain trick.

Similarly, for questions that involve permutations and combinations, surely you are not recruiting statisticians. The level of questions make it look like that

For reasoning, why do you expect somebody to know what day will be on which date in what year..How does that check your aptitude.

Imho, the paper should consist of basic arithmetic and reasoning if they really want to check the "aptitude" of a candidate. Otherwise it is just plain mockery. Imagine someone clearing the forest cutoff and losing out by a few marks due to CSAT. The joke is on you UPSC.

Hopefully they make a rational paper for CSAT this time around

I got 70.66 in gs last year without much preparation and extreme mental load...This year I had a good coverage of topics and gave some tests as well..and mentally in a better position...But there is part of me which is under-confident and kind of accepting the failure even before the exam...can someone please say that I could clear and I am not that far.

Hey All,

The exam center is around 150kms away and obviously I have to carry bag and phone etc., I'll be staying in a hotel the night before but 11 A.M is the maximum I can stay there so can't collect in the evening.

So, can we keep the bag with phone anywhere in the exam center ?

I know strictly electronics are not allowed but what's the choice here?

Thank you very much.

Guys, exams are in few days. How are you feeling?

.

Since the day the admit card dropped I have been a bit lazy idk why I just want this to over. That feeling of being drained the moment you see only 30 min left for csat omr to submit, that moment is like "ah I just want to go back to my room and just sleep or do whatever I want" -

It's one of the most bittersweet moments.

Not exactly a rant, but something going on in my mind.

I am very close to someone - a friend, though perhaps something a little more. She has been incredibly supportive throughout this journey. We used to talk a lot during college, but ever since I started preparing for the UPSC, our conversations have become less frequent.

Even so, she has always been there for me: checking in on me, wishing me luck, encouraging me to study, and never judging me for any result or setback. Over time, I’ve drifted away from almost all of my friends, except for one or two who are busy with their own lives. Yet she remains one of the few people I still speak to a few times every month.

She has always meant a great deal to me, though we’ve long stayed within the comfort of the “just friends” space. A part of me wants to tell her how I feel after the prelims. I’m not sure what her feelings are, but I do know that she cares deeply and understands me in a way very few people do.

Still, I’m conflicted. Is it a bad idea to be with someone during preparation? Could I risk losing a valuable friendship? At the same time, I’m afraid that if I never say anything, she may eventually think I’m not interested at all and move on with someone else. And the thought of losing her completely is honestly frightening.

Of course I would be thinking and figuring this out more post prelims, but still a words of advice would be good.

Heyy

Im planning to prepare for UPSC CSE 2029 attempt

Im still completing my college from Jaipur

Im confused should I go for online batches from the delhi center or offline batches of these centers based in Jaipur

I can not isolate or remain focus but i have a interactive personality and need peer to be motivated and structural guidance to be focus and to push myself

So, in these last 2-3 days just revise POLITY, ECONOMY, GEOGRAPHY….that’s it…if you cannot do it in one go , just divide your day into 3 slots for each subject and PLEASE!!! do PYQs …if you are not able to study just pickup your PYQ book and just start reading it will automatically bring back your mood , concentration and confidence…..i have done it and it gives returns ….and last - Just remember this on the day of exam ….i stumbled upon a quote which i believe the most :

“IT’S NOT THE SIZE OF THE DOG IN THE FIGHT,
***IT’S THE SIZE OF THE FIGHT IN THE DOG.”