With the UPSC CSE 2025 Prelims exam scheduled for Sunday, May 25, 2025, and today being Friday, May 23, 2025, at 04:32 PM IST, you’re in the final stretch of preparation. At this stage, the focus should be on fine-tuning your strategy, managing stress, and ensuring you’re in peak condition for exam day. Below are some serious hacks and tips to maximize your performance in the last 48 hours and on the exam day itself

Last-Minute Preparation Hacks (May 23–24, 2025)

1. Prioritize Revision Over New Topics

• Why: With less than 48 hours left, starting new topics can overwhelm you and dent your confidence. Focus on consolidating what you’ve already studied.
• What to Revise:
  • High-Yield Static Topics: Polity (e.g., key articles, amendments, schedules), Economy (e.g., basic concepts like GDP, inflation, fiscal policy), Geography (e.g., maps, physical features), Environment (e.g., national parks, international agreements).
  • Current Affairs: Focus on the last 12 months (May 2024–April 2025). Revise major events, government schemes, and international summits.
  • CSAT Basics: Brush up on comprehension strategies, basic math formulas (e.g., percentages, ratios), and logical reasoning patterns.
• Hack: Use concise notes or mind maps for quick revision. For example, for Polity, list key articles (e.g., Article 21, 356) and their significance in 2–3 words each.

2. Focus on High-Return Areas

• Economy: Revise conceptual topics like RBI’s monetary policy, fiscal policy, and financial markets. These are often straightforward and can fetch 15–18 marks if prepared well.
• Geography: Memorize key map locations (e.g., straits, rivers, mountain ranges). Use a blank map to test yourself quickly.
• Science & Tech: Focus on application-based topics (e.g., recent space missions, AI developments, biotech advancements).
• Hack: For Economy, memorize 2–3 key definitions (e.g., fiscal deficit = government expenditure - revenue) and 1–2 recent data points (e.g., India’s GDP growth rate for 2024–25, if available in your notes).

3. Solve 1–2 Previous Year Papers (PYQs)

• Why: PYQs help you understand question patterns and boost confidence. They also highlight your weak areas.
• How: Solve papers from 2023 and 2024 under timed conditions (2 hours for GS Paper 1, 2 hours for CSAT). Don’t solve more than 1 paper per day to avoid burnout.
• Focus: Analyze the options in PYQs. UPSC often repeats themes (e.g., fundamental rights, biodiversity hotspots). Note down any recurring concepts you’re weak in and revise them immediately.
• Hack: For CSAT, prioritize comprehension passages (they carry significant weight). For math/logic questions, practice 5–10 questions on speed, percentage, and syllogisms to stay sharp.

4. Perfect Your CSAT Strategy

• Why: CSAT (Paper 2) is qualifying (33% or 66/200 marks), but it can be tricky if you’re not prepared. Many candidates fail here despite doing well in GS Paper 1.
• What to Do:
  • Revise basic formulas: Speed = Distance/Time, Profit/Loss, Simple Interest.
  • Practice 2–3 comprehension passages to improve speed and accuracy.
  • For logical reasoning, focus on syllogisms and seating arrangements (common question types).
• Hack: If you’re weak in CSAT, aim to solve easier questions first (e.g., comprehension, basic math) to secure the qualifying marks quickly. Don’t waste time on complex puzzles.

5. Optimize Your Sleep Cycle

• Why: The exam has two shifts: GS Paper 1 (9:30 AM–11:30 AM) and CSAT (2:30 PM–4:30 PM). You need to be at peak focus during these times.
• How:
  • Tonight (May 23) and tomorrow (May 24), sleep by 10:00 PM and wake up by 6:00 AM. This aligns your body clock with the exam schedule.
  • Avoid late-night study sessions; they’ll make you groggy on exam day.
• Hack: On May 24, take a 30-minute power nap between 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM to simulate the gap between the two papers and train your body to stay alert.

6. Prepare Exam-Day Materials

• Admit Card: The UPSC Prelims Admit Card 2025 was released on May 13, 2025. Ensure you’ve downloaded and printed it from upsc.gov.in or upsconline.gov.in.
• ID Proof: Carry a government-issued photo ID (e.g., Aadhaar, voter ID) matching the name on your admit card. If you’ve changed your name, bring proof (e.g., gazette notification) as per UPSC guidelines.
• Other Items: Black ballpoint pen, pencil, eraser, watch (without smart features). Avoid carrying banned items like mobile phones or smartwatches.
• Hack: Double-check your admit card for details like exam center address, reporting time, and QR code. Visit the exam center on May 24 if possible to estimate travel time.

Exam Day Tips (May 25, 2025)

1. Morning Routine

• Wake Up Early: Get up by 6:00 AM. Do light stretching or a 10-minute meditation session to calm your nerves.
• Breakfast: Eat a light, home-cooked meal (e.g., oats, fruits, eggs). Avoid heavy or oily food to prevent sluggishness.
• Reach Early: Entry gates close 30 minutes before the exam (9:00 AM for GS, 2:00 PM for CSAT). Aim to reach by 8:30 AM for the morning session.

2. GS Paper 1 Strategy (9:30 AM–11:30 AM)

• Time Management: 100 questions, 120 minutes → ~1.2 minutes per question. Aim to finish in 100–110 minutes to have time for review.
• Question Selection:
  • First Pass (60–70 minutes): Solve questions you’re 100% sure of. Skip tricky ones.
  • Second Pass (30–40 minutes): Revisit skipped questions. Use elimination to narrow down options.
• Negative Marking: Each wrong answer deducts 0.66 marks (1/3rd of 2 marks per question). If unsure, guess only if you can eliminate 2 options.
• Hack: Start with your strongest subject (e.g., Polity, History) to build confidence. For example, if a question asks about Article 368 (amendment procedure), recall key points like "special majority" and "federal provisions requiring state consent" to answer quickly.

3. Break Between Papers

• Time: 11:30 AM–2:30 PM (3 hours).
• What to Do:
  • Eat a light lunch (e.g., roti, sabzi, yogurt). Avoid overeating.
  • Take a 15–20 minute power nap to recharge.
  • Revise CSAT formulas or a few quick facts (e.g., Ramsar sites, recent space missions).
• What to Avoid: Don’t discuss the GS paper with others; it can create unnecessary stress.

4. CSAT Paper Strategy (2:30 PM–4:30 PM)

• Time Management: 80 questions, 120 minutes → ~1.5 minutes per question. Aim to secure 66/200 marks early.
• Question Selection:
  • Start with comprehension passages (usually 20–25 questions). Read the questions first, then scan the passage for answers.
  • Move to basic math (e.g., percentages, averages) and logical reasoning (e.g., syllogisms).
  • Skip time-consuming puzzles if you’re already close to 66 marks.
• Hack: For comprehension, focus on the main idea of the passage. If a question asks, “What is the author’s tone?” look for keywords like “critical,” “optimistic,” or “neutral” in the passage.

5. Stay Calm Under Pressure

• Why: Anxiety can lead to silly mistakes, especially in CSAT.
• How:
  • Take deep breaths if you feel overwhelmed.
  • Remind yourself: “I’ve prepared well, and I can do this.”
  • If a question stumps you, move on and return later.
• Hack: For tricky questions, use the “elimination method.” For example, in a GS question about a wildlife sanctuary, eliminate options with incorrect states (e.g., Gir in Rajasthan is wrong; it’s in Gujarat).