Why Mathematics is a very good Optional for UPSC ?

1) Take you directly to TOP SLOT RANK. It may take you to RANK 1 .

2) FIXED, WELL DEFINED Syllabus.

3) High Scope of Improvement. Easy to Test yourself.

4) Mathematics can be a Savior, if GS Exam goes BAD.

5) Best Suited for B.Sc and Engineering Students.

6) All Optional Paper takes roughly same amount of time, to finish syllabus. But Mathematics will have edge in Scoring.

7) You Don't NEED FLOWERY language to express your views.

8) Not connected to Current Affairs .

I want to take Humanities Optional, because it will help in GS ?

It is a misconception that taking Humanities optional will help in GS.

It will help you in 10% (May be 50 Marks ) for GS. But you have to PAY HIGH PENALTY. You are risking 500- Marks Optional Paper.

Sometimes Optional Paper becomes the Savior to get into Civil Services.

Choose Optional Paper wisely.

Don't choose Optional based on trend and what others are taking.

If I Take Maths Optional, Will it be useful for GATE, UGC NET, etc

NO : The Syllabus is SAME for ALL Exams, but the Preparation approach , books, exam pattern is different for different exams. So choose any ONE EXAM, and prepare accordingly.

If I Take Maths Optional, Will it be useful for UPPCS,BPPCS,WBPCS etc

YES : The Syllabus is SAME for ALL Exams. UPSC asks tough questions, where as State PCS ask easy questions. So always AIM for UPSC exam. This preparation will be useful for State PCS.

How to Start Preparation ?

Step 1: KNOW SYLLABUS FIRST . Take Printout of the Syllabus. Read syllabus carefully and underline the topics which you know.

Step 2: CKECKOUT PREVIOUS YEAR PAPER . Take Each Unit ( Example Linear Algebra ) and go through all 20 years Previous year Paper . You will understand the pattern. The PATTERN of Questions asked is SAME from 2000. You will know the Pattern of questions asked by UPSC.

Step 3: PREPARE SCHEDULE : Take a Note book and make a Schedule to finish the Syllabus. Checkout our 22 Weeks Schedule Plan. ( Click for 22 Weeks Schedule Plan ) It tells you the MAXIMUM TIME to be allotted for a UNIT. If you are taking MORE TIME to finish a Unit, then it means you are wasting your Time. For Example: You should spend Maximum 2 weeks to finish Linear Algebra, 1 Week for Numerical Analysis Problems .

How to Study ?

List out Easy , Medium and Hard Units.

Do Easy Units First. Finish it as fast as possible. Just Finish it.

Do Hard Units at last . Don't waste time in doing these Topics.

Easy Topics are Linear Algebra, Numerical Analysis, Vector Analysis, ODE, PDE, LPP ,

Medium Units are Calculus, Real Analysis, Complex Analysis, Mechanics, Fluid Dynamics, Analytic Geometry

Hard Units are Modern Algebra, Statics and Dynamics

Preparation Strategy

Stage 1 : Learning and Finishing the Syllabus . It takes 6 months or 12 months or 6 years depends on you , how fast you finish. Many students feel that finishing the syllabus is final stage of preparation. But it is totally wrong, It is just beginning.

Stage 2 : Practice and More Practice. This is Important Stage, where ALMOST everyone skips . Most of the students don't understand its importance. They finish syllabus and directly go to exam and could not get good marks. You must spend the next 50% time for Practice.

You must explore new questions. UPSC picks questions from Standard Indian Books. Checkout SuccessClap Question Bank which has ready made collection of Problems and Solutions at one place.

You must solve the same question again and again, because the same question is repeated in the exam.

Stage 3: Solve Previous Year Questions. Solve ALL questions from 1992 Upsc paper. Questions are repeated in Mathematics optional paper, either Direct or Indirect Form. So it is compulsory to solve previous year questions.

Topics like Abstract Algebra, Statics and Dynamics, Questions are NOT REPEATED from previous year paper. So you can checkout only useful questions.

Stage 4: Taking MOCK TESTS . Evaluate Yourself, before Upsc Evaluate you. In Real exam, you have to Solve around 25 questions in 3 hours . It needs Speed , Accuracy and more important is Choosing the Right question . It comes by practice and learning from your mistakes. It gains Confidence before exam.

What is scaling in UPSC maths optional? Is there scaling in UPSC ?

The answer is straight forward and clear . NO ONE KNOWS . Everyone puts his OWN THEORY. So what is our theory ?

SuccessClap Theory : There is NO SCALING. By observation you see that only Maths optional can get up to 380 Marks. Have you ever seen 380 marks in Political Science, Literature, Geography or Anthropology optional.

Scaling means PLOTTING A GRAPH and distrubuting marks to ALL optionals on SAME SCALE. Iy means putting highest marks of ALL optional subjects at same level and then NORMALISE the marks of every student. If this is TRUE, then ALL Optional Toppers should get Same marks. If Mr Kanishak Kataria gets highest 361 Marks in 2017 Exam, then history optional topper, english literature topper or history topper should also get 361 Marks. But there is ONLY ONE 361 marks in UPSC 2017 Exam. So there is No Scaling concept. HENCE PROVED.

Generally Paper 1 is Easy and Paper 2 is Tough. So examiner is tough in evaluating Paper 1 and very liberal in evaluating Paper 2. So the students gets less marks in Paper 1, in spite of good attempt , but get more marks in Paper 2, in spite of bad attempt. It has nothing to do with scaling.

Always remember that the examiner is a human being. He will not give marks as a programmed robot. He has his own mood swings while evaluating your paper. If he is disturbed, then your marks will also be disturbed. If he is in Happy mood, then you are lucky.So there will be variation in marks distribution. Choosing Mathematics is a very good decision, so make use of this golden opportunity to score highest marks.

Should I learn Proof of Theorem ?

Don't waste your time on Proof of theorem, during initial Preparation. You just note down all theorems at one place. You learn proof of the theorems only after finishing your syllabus. Learn proofs of ONLY IMPORTANT THEOREMS only. There are hundreds of theorems. It is very difficult to study and remember all of them. It is difficult to make 100% preparation. But it is possible to study 80% of syllabus thoroughly and get 80% marks.

What should be the Preparation Approach and Strategy ?

It should always be Problem oriented approach . Always concentrate on problem Solving .

Example: Students waste days/Months on Theorems related to Linear Algebra. But Cannot do SImple finding Basis and dimensions of a Linear Transformation or a Matrix. There are only limited proofs in Linear Algebra, which you can do it before exam.

Once your Syllabus is Complete , then go through previous paper and do theorems as per pattern

Books for Exam - Readymade Notes?

I always suggest : learn from Standard Text Books only . You get First Hand information, directly from the author . Author is directly telling you the concept .

Read from Standard Book PDFs or from Standard Books.

No Study material or Book is Complete. You must Refer to different books for different topics.

Is ONE Study material / Book is ENOUGH for the Exam

Answer: No book is Complete. You must study and practice from different books. Upsc asks questions from Indian Books like Krishna series, S.Chand, Dr.M.D. Raisinghania, Golden Series Books, State level Graduation Books.During Exam, you have to solve 25 questions in 3 hours. You don't have time to think. You have to be fast to solve problems. You will be FAST, only if you have solved it earlier or you know the procedure. All UPSC toppers have worked very very hard, and they have solved more problems, so they became Topper.

If you want more marks, you must read more books and practice more books

Internet Resources , NPTEL videos, YouTube Channels ---- TIME etc?

Internet is full of Study Material and it is a OCEAN. The more you search, the more information you get and FINALLY the more TIME you WASTE. RESULT Is ZERO.

Everything for the exam is available in Text Book.

NPTEL , College Videos are meant for THEM.... Not for your Exam.

DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME on INTERNET . TAKE YOUR STANDARD TEXT BOOK and START PREPARING.

Study Groups - Whatsapp Groups, Facebook Groups, Telegram Groups ?

Form Study Group of 2-3 serious students ONLY . Always Form a group who are BETTER than you.

If you don't have serious friends , then It is better to Study Alone . Otherwise they will SINK you down.

Don't form a group with Unknown people. You will waste your Time.

ASK and Share your difficulties only with Experts. Only they can guide you.

Don't waste your time in Telegram, What's-App DISCUSSION. Its TIME WASTE.

You have to Solve 1000+ problems . Don't waste your time in discussing one problem with MANY PEOPLE.

Making Notes Strategy for Upsc mathematics ?

Everyone should maintain their Own Handwritten Notes.

Maintain 2 types of Books. Book-1 contains ONLY Formulae. Write down All known and unknown formulae at one place. Sometimes it becomes difficult to recollect even the basic formula which we have studied during board exams. Example 1 .What is the equation of a circle, which lies on Origin and X-axis pass through centre. It is r=a.COS(t). Such formula is regulary used in Dynamics, ODE and vector Analysis. Example 2. Use of Walli's theorem in Definite Integrals.

Book 2 is Unit wise Book. This book contains a) The theorems which is used to solve problem b) One Problem and its Solution of each Model . c) Questions and its Substitution and formulae used. Example : There are few questions on ODE-Claurit Method . Write down question and substitution used in your note book. You can NEVER solve Claurit problems , unless you start with correct substitution.

Don't read someone else handwritten notes.

Your notes will help you in Quick Revision.

DONOT have TIME. I want to Prepare in Less Time?

There is NO SHORTCUT to Success.

Never Say: You don't have TIME. You have to manage TIME. Everone has same time.

If you want to Prepare in Less Time, then Double your Hardwork and Plan Properly.

What is the difference between Toppers and Losers ?

Topper Practice and Revise Topics several times. They do Same thing again and again. They work hard and very very hard.

Losers study only once. They donot Revise and they donot Practice .

UPSC Mathematics- Phd in Mathematics ?

Always remember that you are appearing for UPSC Exam. You don't have to do PhD in Mathematics. Your aim should be CLEAR , ie ... In Exam you have to Solve problems and get Maximum Marks.

There are many topics where it becomes difficult to understand the CONCEPT and LOGIC. Then ---You try to find out the Formula used, Substitution made and the Process used to arrive at the Answer.

Don't waste time in learning in Depth.Just know: How to Solve Problems.

Don't ask for LOGIC. Show it as MAGIC, by producing the Answer.

Are the Toppers Extra Ordinary People ?

My view is that 5% Toppers are extraordinary. They have High IQ. They are Super and their thinking level is Very High. They can understand the concept in just one reading .They developed these qualities through practice . What ever they do, they excel.

What about rest 95 %. They are ordinary people, who became toppers by learning and hard working.

So whoever works hard in right direction will become Topper

Toppers Interview Vs Losers Interview ?

Watch Genuine Toppers Interview, it will Motivate you .They will tell you the Right Strategy and Right Direction.

Watch Genuine Losers Interview: They will tell you, why they Failed. So you can avoid their mistakes.

Always use your own commonsense and wisdom to identify the Genuine interview. Don't follow blindly. You will see some fake toppers , who say that they just studied for 4 Months and cleared UPSC, which is impossible. Everything takes Time. Upsc Preparation also takes Time.

How some candidates crack Upsc in 1st attempt, immediately after graduation

Some candidates crack UPSC in 1st attempt , It is because they started preparation at very early stage. They take guidance and start preparing from first year of graduation or even early , which means they have already spent 3/4 years for Upsc during graduation.

But this is NOT possible for everyone. Everyone walks on different paths, based on their background and circumstances. Many choose UPSC as career at later stage

Role of Solving Previous Year Paper ?

Practice 20 Years Previous Year Paper.

Ever year some Questions are Repeated. It will feel you happy and confident in exam hall, when you see such questions and when you know the solutions.

Many Solutions are available in the market. Don't follow them blindly. Try to solve the problems using your knowledge. Most of the Solutions are available in the Standard Text Books.

SuccessClap provides previous year solutions from 1992-2019

How to Solve Problems in Actual Exam?

In Exam, you have to solve 20-25 Questions in 3 hours.

Your aim should be : Solve Maximum questions in Less Time .

Your aim should be : Get Correct Answer.

Your aim should be : Attempt as many questions as you can.

Donot Explain each and every step : You are not writing Class 6 Mathematics Exam, where your teacher checks all the steps.

You have to carefully Skips the explanation part

Example 1: ODE- Homogeneous eqns : Don't derive the equations with substitution X=log x ... Directly write down it is D(D-1)(D-2) and solve it

Example 2: PDE- Boundary Problems; Don't explain in details when c= 0 or c > 0 or c< 0. It kills Time. Write in one step and Start Integrating the terms. JUST SAY ITS PERIODIC FUNCTION and MOVE ON.

Just write down formula and Start getting Answer.

in Exam , you have no time to explain in flowery language.

Imagine, you are a Examiner: How will you check papers : Examiner easily catch your knowledge by seeing the solution .

When you take Mock tests, try to follow these things . Also don't waste time in Making Margins, Space Restriction Ideas, taking printouts etc. Take a piece of paper and start taking Mock Tests.

DONOT waste time on THIS TOPIC during your preparation. It comes automatically on Exam Day.

Put a GUN on your head, and you start running . This is what happens during exam hour. If your preparation is GOOD, then you run in right direction.

IIT , NITs and Mathematics Optional ?

Facts: You must KNOW and ACCEPT.

1) Not All IITians take Mathematics as Optional.

2) Many IITians take Humanities Optional and Literature Optional

3) There are MANY Non-IITians and B.Sc graduates , who cracked UPSC with Mathematics.

4) Very Few IITians take Mathematics. But they study sooo hard that they get top rank.

5) Exam Pattern of IIT-JEE is different from UPSC Mathematics . IIT-JEE needs In-Depth Application of knowledge, where as UPSC expects you to have Over-All understanding of the Subject.

ANYONE who prepares seriously with Mathematics optional CAN CRACK the exam

Blame Game - Hard work- Luck ?

You decide your Future. Your Future depends on what you do Today.

What ever happened yesterday , nothing can be changed, but you can change your Future

Give you maximum effort for the preparation. Hard work is 80% and Luck is 20% . Luck comes only to those who have worked hard.

There are few things which are beyond our control. So one must give our BEST.

How to Study Abstract Algebra ?

Abstract Algebra is Ocean which is very vast and tough.

The questions in Abstract Algebra can be divided into TWO TYPES.

TYPE 1: EASY QUESTIONS : These are the questions which are available in ANY Textbook. I said it is EASY, because the questions are VISIBLE to you . When a question is visible in textbook , then you are suppose to solve the question in Upsc exam, either by understanding the solution OR by mugging up the solution. UPSC doesn't care about your intelligence or hardwork . Upsc wants you to show your answer. For Example - Questions on Group order, Homomorphism, Ideals, ED, PID, Polynomial rings are available in all textbooks and UPSC directly ask those theorems and you are suppose to produce solution.

TYPE 2: TOUGH QUESTIONS: These questions are application of the theorems. You will NOT SEE such questions in any textbooks. It is very difficult to solve such questions in Exam.

Abstract Algebra is OCEAN. The more you dive, the more depth you see. Do this topic in the end of preparation. The Output Ratio is Very low, so give less time on this unit. Donot try to master this Unit.

Read 1) Any B.Sc Text Book of your state university 2) Algebra by Gopalkrishnan ( Small and Excellent Book ) . Almost ALL State Graduation textbooks on Abstract Algebra contains same Basic things, which is sufficient for the exam.

How to Study Statics and Dynamics ?

Read Krishna Series Books on Statics and Dynamics.

Practice the starting 15 Questions from each Topic. Afterwards the steps become very difficult to remember, so practice well only few questions.

Do this topics in Last

How SuccessClap helps you for your Upsc Maths preparation ?

SuccessClap provides FREE Exam Oriented Study Material .

SuccessClap provides Videos covering entire Syllabus, which saves time in understanding the concept. Learn Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics in less time by watch videos of ALL Important Questions.

SuccessClap provides Question Bank and its solutions. Question Bank is a collection of problems from various sources. We tried to include ALL Important questions from different books.

SuccessClap provides Very Important questions to practice before MAINS Exam

Successclap provides Exam oriented FULL LENGTH TESTS.

SuccessClap provides True Guidance .