The answer to this cannot be the same for everyone. If you are comfortable in all the subjects of General Studies and your speed is also satisfactory, then you can succeed by solving questions in any order. In such a situation, it is better to proceed by doing the questions in the order in which they come. But if your situation is not so secure, then you should consider the order of questions. In such a situation, first of all, solve those questions which take the least time.

If you have a good understanding of the specific state of Bihar, then you should first solve it, because they will take less time and the chances of getting the answer correct will be higher. After solving these 15-20 questions, your position will have become much stronger. After this, move quickly to the questions you are comfortable with and skip the ones that are beyond your understanding. Keep marking those questions in respect of which you feel that they can be attempted if sufficient time is available.

One suggestion could also be to avoid attempting the same type of questions continuously. If you feel like this, then solve some questions of mathematics or reasoning in between, and then solve other questions. Since there is now a provision of negative marking (1/3rd) in this exam, hence solve any question only when you know the correct answer, do not try to solve it only on the basis of guesswork.

Pay attention to the suggestions given in the question and follow them religiously (like said dimensions, word limit etc). Apart from that, participate in mock test series before the examination and analyze each question paper to see which category of questions you solved in how much time. If you identify the time-consuming questions in advance, you will not waste time in the exam. Speed can be increased by repeated practice.

In the recently revised BPSC new syllabus for the main examination, the nature of the optional subject question paper has been changed. Now the question paper of optional subject has been made only “qualifying” and “objective” in nature. The marks obtained in this will not be included in the determination of merit list. Therefore, while selecting an optional subject for the mains examination, analyze and consider its advantages in General Studies Paper-1, 2 and Essay paper, so that you can get maximum benefit at the time of examination.

In the third section of General Studies P-1 in the Mains examination, you need to attempt 2 Qs out of 4, each one weighted 36 marks. i.e, 36*2= 72 marks. 72 marks is 24% of total 300 marks, which is huge and can’t be ignored. The nature of these questions is very simple and easy, hence it is advisable to practice the previous years questions (PYQs) first to understand the level and areas that you need to master on. Then understand the basics, and practice regularly. You’ll definitely fetch a good marks in this segment.

Recently the “Essay” paper (of 300 marks) has been included in the BPSC Mains examination. There will be four essays under three sections, out of which it will be mandatory to write one essay from each section. The role of this paper is very crucial not only because it carries 300 marks, but also because if two candidates have equal marks after the interview, then the marks obtained in their essay papers will be used as the basis of preference. For getting good marks in this paper, the in-depth study of contemporary topics and continuous writing is expected from the candidate, as writing an essay is an art which needs diversified knowledge base, deeper understanding of the subject area and the consistent polishing of the expression (the way, you present your ideas).

Total 120 marks have been assigned for this interview section. Since the final merit list is prepared on the basis of the sum of marks obtained in the Mains and interview, hence interview plays an important role in the final selection of a candidate. During the interview, the personality of the candidates is tested. Therefore it is advisable to start preparing for it from the very beginning of your journey, because personality development is a continuous process.