BPSC MAINS EXAM AND MOST COMMON DOUBTS

BPSC MAINS EXAM AND MOST COMMON DOUBTS

1. INTRODUCTION

Hello friends i am Dy SP Shahid Eqwal BPSC 60-62 Batch and BPSC 63 Batch qualified candidate. I secured Rank 39 in BPSC 63 Batch. In this article i will discuss with you about BPSC MAINS EXAM AND MOST COMMON DOUBTS about that. First of all i would like to inform you that nature of BPSC Mains exam is descriptive.

2. COMMON MYTH ABOUT BPSC MAINS EXAM

Let's see the very common doubts among BPSC aspirants in respect of BPSC Mains Exam. These doubts (Myth) can be enumerated below.

• Role of Coaching for GS Paper, Essay paper and Optional Paper.
• Hand writing in Mains Exam.
• Answer writing Parawise/Pointwise.
• Number of words per question.
• Pen Ink Colour Blue/Black.
• Underlining important facts in answer.
• Time Management
• Number of page in answer booklet; answer booklet lined/blank.
• Use of map and diagram in answer.
• Use of English terminology for Hindi medium students.
• Use of Calculator.
• Changing medium and Optional Subject of Mains Exam.

In the succeeding paragraphs i will explain to you about all doubts with appropriate examples.

2.1 ROLE OF COACHING FOR MAINS GS PAPER AND OPTIONAL PAPER

It is very common myth among BPSC aspirants that mains examination can't be qualified without coaching. In my opinion this is not true at all. I, myself know many aspirants, who not only qualified Mains Examination without coaching but also secured good rank and got SDM and Dy SP post. During course of my preparation even i didn't take any help of any coaching but still manage to qualify BPSC exam twice and also secured good rank. Considering optional paper qualifying in nature from 68th BPSC onwards, you need not to join coaching center even for optional paper. I still have a firm belief that coaching is not required for General Studies as well as for essay paper at all.

COACHING FOR BPSC EXAM

2.2 HAND WRITING IN MAINS EXAM

It is content of the answer that matters a lot and not the handwriting. One thing you must understand that BPSC in conducting mains exam not to check your hand writing but to check your skill, knowledge and thought. The only point which is pertinent to mention is, your hand writing should be legible enough to be understood by the examiner. Even if u have good hand writing then also if you write all answers with fast speed then quality of hand writing will go down. So don't think much about your hand writing and just strive for good content.

2.3 ANSWER WRITING POINT WISE/PARA WISE

Some BPSC aspirants have a firm view that writing answer in point wise format, will fetch them good marks although some aspirants have an opposite view. It is clarified with personal experience that there is no (R) no hard and fast rule which suggest writing format of an answer. The format of point wise/para wise answer writing depends on nature of question. Some question can be well answered in point wise format and some other can be in para wise format. Even in a single question one can write answer point wise and para wise simultaneously. Lets understand this with appropriate example.

                      

Question number 2 above can be well described in para wise. You can write your answer in small-small paragraphs. In one paragraph u can describe about development of modern colleges and universities. Further in next paragraph you can describe development of technical college and medical college, and so on.

Question number 4 above can be well described in point wise as well as in para wise format. First of all you can briefly describe about Santhal Revolt in para wise format. After that the causes and results of the revolt can be described in point wise format.

2.4 NUMBER OF WORDS PER QUESTION

Each paper of General Studies and Essay paper in BPSC Mains exam consist of 300 Marks and time allotted for each paper is 3 hours. The idea is that, you must write down your complete answer for 300 marks in 3 hours time duration and that should be in between 3000 to 3500 words. It means that each question must be answered in 400 to 450 words. This is all about common practice. If you meticulously read the syllabus of BPSC,  then you observed that BPSC expect small and compact answers and such answers will be given priority. In my personal view your answer for each question must be in between 400 to 450 words. I followed the same strategy in answer writing. If u start writing your answers in more words than prescribed above i.e 450 words, then at last you wont be able to manage time and leave some questions unanswered.

NOTE:

• Compulsory question of GS Paper-1 i.e question no 1 & 4 of GS Paper-1 may have 5-6 sub-questions. The answer of each sub-question must be completed in maximum 100 words.
• Compulsory question of GS Paper-2 i.e question no 1, 4 & 7 of GS Paper-2 may have 5-6 sub-questions. The answer of each sub-question must be completed in maximum 100 words.
• Essay paper will have three sections and each section will be having 4 questions. Word limit for each essay must be in between 1000-1200 words.

2.5 PEN INK COLOUR BLUE/BLACK

Many aspirants have a point regarding use of pen for writing mains examination. You can use blue ink/black ink ball pen/fountain pen for writing your answer. I will advise you to write down your answer with blue ball pen. You should not use red/green ink for writing your answer in any circumstances. Earlier Pencil was permitted to use for drawing map and diagram but in 65th mains notification the same was Forbidden to use by BPSC. So it is advisable to use pen for drawing map/diagram also. If you are underlining some key term in answer sheet then use the same pen for that purpose. 

                                   

2.6 UNDERLINING IMPORTANT FACTS IN THE ANSWER

To emphasize examiner on certain points in your answer, you can underline important fact, date, name etc. If you are writing your answer with blue/black ink then underline important facts with the same color pen.

2.7 TIME MANAGEMENT

This is one of the most important point you should keep in mind while writing mains exam. Most of the aspirants miss prescribed time limit and in turn leave some questions unanswered. Hence it is advised to divide 3 hours as per 8 questions. If you calculate this, then you get 22 min for each question. Try to adhere with this time limit of 22 min per question else you are going to leave some question unanswered. 

Lets understand this with an appropriate example. Suppose you are writing each answer in 25 minutes which is only 3 min more than per question distributed time. In that case you will be able to write only 7 questions in 3 hours time duration and hence will leave one question of 38 marks unanswered.

NOTE:

Each Compulsory question of GS Paper-1 i.e question no 1 & 4 and each Compulsory question of GS Paper-2 i.e question no 1, 4 & 7 must be completed in 25 minutes only.

2.8 NUMBER OF PAGE IN ANSWER BOOKLET,PAGE BLANK/LINED.

A total number of 38 pages are available in your answer booklet and all pages will be Serially numbered. You have to only mention question number in the answer booklet margin area and continue to start writing your answer. Here it is also pertinent to mention that, you will be provided blank page without any ruling. Hence it is advised to practice answer writing in blank page before appearing in mains examination. Please note that you will not be provided with any extra answer sheet other than your 38 pages answer booklet.

2.9 USE OF MAP AND DIAGRAM IN ANSWER

Don't draw unnecessary map and diagram which is irrelevant to answer. Use map and diagram with prudence and where necessary. Most of the candidates have fear that to fetch good marks they must draw map and diagram in each answer. Please note that unnecessary and irrelevant map and diagram will simply waste your time without any benefit.

Lets understand this with an example.

                          

In above question number 8 we can very well draw a map on countries associated with Indian Ocean and then can show BIMSTEC countries in that map. We can also make some diagram to show important ports in Indian Ocean along with international maritime trade routes passing through India.

2.10 USE OF ENGLISH TERMINOLOGY FOR HINDI MEDIUM STUDENTS

BPSC Mains examination can be written in English, Hindi and Urdu. Many aspirant have a common doubt regarding use of English terminology if they write their answer in Hindi/ Urdu. It is pertinent to mention that if you are writing your mains exam in a language other than English then also you can use scientific terminology in English without any problem. 

Lets understand this with an example; suppose you have to write down something like UNO, WHO, IMF in your answer, then you can write down the same as mentioned above even if you writing mains answer in Hindi medium. Such writing is not going to affect your marks in any way.

2.11 USE OF CALCULATOR

Statistics is a part of general studies Paper 1. In general studies paper 1 you are permitted to carry simple calculator (R) simple calculator inside exam hall. Please note that scientific calculator is not allowed and  hence should not be carried. Without calculator you will not be able to solve statistics questions fastly, thus loosing important time. Hence it is advised to carry simple calculator in exam hall for appearing in general studies paper 1.

Simple Calculator

2.12 CHANGING MEDIUM AND OPTIONAL SUBJECT OF MAINS EXAM

When you apply for BPSC Pre exam then at that time only, you are required to select optional subject and also language in which you wish to write mains exam. After qualifying pre exam you are supposed to fill up form for mains exam once again. Upto 64th bpsc exam, option to change optional paper at the time of mains exam form fill up was not available but this facility was made available to the candidates at the time of 65th bpsc mains form fill up. The same provision is expected to be continued in 68th BPSC Mains exam also. It is also pertinent to mention that change of medium will not be allowed at later stage of examination. Here it is important to inform you that all the three papers viz gs paper-1, gs paper-2 and optional is required to be written in same preferred language as you choose. As of now It is not permitted to write gs paper in hindi and optional paper in English and vice versa. So it is advised to ponder well in advance about medium of exam before filling pre form.

3. CONCLUSION

I hope i have clarified every aspect of mains exam in above paragraphs. This blog is a myth buster and going to be helpful if you writing mains exam. Please comment on this post to make blog better and user friendly.