Uncategorized

You have read Laxmikanth three times. You know the Spectrum by heart. Yet, when you take a Mock Test, your score is stuck at 75-85. UPSC Mock Test Strategy

Does this sound familiar?

The difference between a student who scores 85 and one who scores 110 is not knowledge; it is strategy. At Trademark IAS, we see thousands of students make the same mistake: they treat Mock Tests as “Practice” instead of “Simulation.”

Here is the proven UPSC Mock Test Strategy to jump 30 marks in 30 days.

1. The “3-Round” Attempt Strategy UPSC Mock Test Strategy

Never attempt the paper in one go. Your brain gets tired. Divide the 2 hours into 3 rounds.

• Round 1 (0 – 50 Mins):

  • Scan the entire paper (Q1 to Q100).

  • Attempt only the questions you are 100% sure about (The “Ladoo” Questions).

  • Target: 35-40 Questions.

• Round 2 (50 – 90 Mins):

  • This is the “50-50” Zone. Attempt questions where you have eliminated 2 options.

  • Risk: You must take risks here. Statistically, you will gain positive marks.

  • Target: 30-35 Questions.

• Round 3 (Last 30 Mins):

  • The “Intelligent Guess” Zone. Attempt questions where you eliminated only 1 option if you are lagging in attempts.

  • Target: Total attempts should reach 85-90. (Attempting less than 80 is suicide for General Category).

2. The “Post-Mortem” Analysis (Crucial Step) UPSC Mock Test Strategy

Taking the test is only 50% of the work. The real growth happens in the analysis.

After the test, spend 3 hours analyzing it. Categorize your mistakes into three buckets:

Type of Mistake	What it Means	How to Fix
Blunder	You knew the answer but marked it wrong (silly mistake/misread).	Dangerous. Slow down while reading. Underline “NOT” in the question.
Knowledge Gap	You had no clue about the topic.	Actionable. Open your book and read that topic today.
Conceptual Error	You thought you knew it, but your logic was wrong.	Critical. Your concept is flawed. Re-learn it from a mentor.

3. The “Notebook of Errors” UPSC Mock Test Strategy

Don’t just read the solution PDF and close it.

• Strategy: Maintain a separate notebook called “Mock Mistakes.”

• Write: Only the new fact you learned.

  • Example: “I thought President can pardon Death Sentence only in Union Law. Correction: He can do it for State Law too.”

• Result: Revise this notebook 1 hour before the actual Prelims. It is gold.

4. When Should You Start?

• The Date is Now: It is January. You should be solving 1 Full-Length Mock every Sunday.

• Frequency: Increase to 2 tests/week in March, and daily tests in April.

Conclusion

Don’t fear low scores in January. A score of 60 today is better than a score of 60 in May.

Use the mocks to break your ego, find your weak spots, and fix them.

Ready to Test Yourself?

Join the Trademark IAS All-India Test Series (AITS). Our questions are designed to mimic the “Vagueness” of the real UPSC paper.

[Download Free Mock Test PDF] | [Enroll in Test Series]