Choice of newspaper can be different, time of the day when one want to read it can be different, time one want to devote to it can also vary but one should not ignore it. To give an example the explained section in Indian express last week about the recent black hole image is amazing. So lucid and so easy to comprehend which we cannot expect from current affair magazines. It pays back by helping you eliminate options in a few questions.

I used to read monthly current affair magazine, and then re-read it a few times once we switch to prelims mode(mostly 3 month before exam) so that the information get settled easily in brain and any possibility of confusion in examination hall can be minimized. However, considering the growing expand of the paper and lesser margin for error, supplement it with prelims revision module from some other source, which will help one revise the known information as well as add some more in the repository

I can proudly call myself one of the biggest fan of IASBaba 60 days prelims programme. The way it covers the entire course exhaustively and the huge database of question it provides alongwith the detailed explanations and related information is a bliss in itself. To add to it, daily cut-offs, full tests, words of praise from babaji, a sense of competition with your peers and yourself and healthy discussions provides an ideal mix of knowledge and comfort.

Along with it, one can solve 1-2 test series available in the market especially as a mean to revise the static portions.

Current affairs are limitless. One can reach a comfortable position but cannot rely on it totally. Based on the level of difficulty, current affair can even be surprising. And herein static part can act a saviour. Portions like modern history, polity and economy are relatively easy to command over. There are limited resources for them and barring a few,questions are mostly straightforward and from these standard sources. The more one is comfortable with static portions, the more one can be sure about their chances. And as an added benefit, it will also help in mains and interview.

For me, the best way to achieve confidence in these was through solving test series papers. Once done with any part of syllabus try to solve the Prelims test series papers and IASBABA 60 day test for that portion. Learn from the mistakes, comprehend the explanation thoroughly and re read the book/chapter if one find that they are making several mistakes in any part or it was difficult to recall while giving test

To be honest,its not possible to know all the questions and all the right options every single time. At a time when even 0.67 marks can be detrimental, one cannot afford to leave a question which they know partially, neither can one afford to loose marks due to negative answers. And herein the art of smart guessing can help. One has to learn it. Different people can have different style of elimination and picking options, and that develop only when we solve lots of test series and try to practice this art in mocks and exam like situation. Open tests can be a good way to experiment with it. Smart guessing though require knowledge and understanding which we gain by adopting the earlier discussed steps.

Coming from an engineering background, Paper 2 of prelims did not pose much difficulty to me but still I used to solve a few practice paper before the exam to avoid catastrophic damage.I will suggest the same to everyone.

Trust me, I have done nothing special except these. But I have done it very sincerely and religiously. Revision is the key in prelims and sooner or later,we will all realise that!