: How Smart Revision Helped Me Improve Optional Score in UPSC CSE Mains: IAS #IndiaNEWS #Inspirational Back in 2018, Akshita Gupta had no knowledge of the civil services examination. Nearly three years

How Smart Revision Helped Me Improve Optional Score in UPSC CSE Mains: IAS #IndiaNEWS #Inspirational
Back in 2018, Akshita Gupta had no knowledge of the civil services examination. Nearly three years later, Akshita cleared the Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Exam (UPSC CSE), considered one of the toughest examinations in the country, in her very first attempt! She secured an All India Rank of 69.

“I scored well in my optional because I used to revise daily. Smart revision is the ultimate key,??? says the 24-year-old IAS officer who scored 299 out of 500 in her optional.

Akshita attempted the UPSC CSE exam in 2020 with an optional subject of medical science.

Hailing from Panchkula, Haryana, she was studying MBBS at Government Medical College & Hospital, Chandigarh. “It was in the third year of college that I realised I wanted to look at things from a wider perspective. So, I started preparing for the UPSC CSE examination also; I prepared for my optional all by myself,??? she says.

A doctor by profession, Akshita is currently undergoing training in Patiala as assistant commissioner. The IAS officer shares a few tips from her experience.

Akshita is currently undergoing training in Patiala as assistant commissioner.

Tips to revise the UPSC syllabus efficiently

“Even if there is a book, booklet or current affairs magazine, I used to have a three-way strategy to finish learning it. In your first reading, underline the important points. In the second reading, use a highlighter to highlight important facts. In the third reading, just read the highlighted parts,??? advises Akshita.

She continues, “This way, you will have a visual image of the booklet and you will remember the details. Constant revision helps ease the burden as well. If you take four hours to complete a booklet, by the third reading you will just take 15-20 minutes to revise the content. ???

The revision gap causes a loss of memory. Since the syllabus is vast, one should revise topics frequently so as not to get overwhelmed, she adds.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dr. Akshita Gupta (@14akshita)

While preparing for the mains, Akshita suggests jotting down important facts about every topic in a clean thin register. This helps to revise a day before the exam and retain facts about almost every topic.

“When you start your day, revise what you learnt the previous day. It is not time-consuming and also helps you retain knowledge. Keep your syllabus as per the basic requirements, but revise it multiple times. A student studying five subjects but not revising even once has fewer chances to remember what they learnt. Keep your syllabus minimum, but revision maximum,??? says the IAS officer.