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.
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Round 1 (0 – 50 Mins):
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Scan the entire paper (Q1 to Q100).
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Attempt only the questions you are 100% sure about (The “Ladoo” Questions).
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Target: 35-40 Questions.
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Round 2 (50 – 90 Mins):
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This is the “50-50” Zone. Attempt questions where you have eliminated 2 options.
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Risk: You must take risks here. Statistically, you will gain positive marks.
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Target: 30-35 Questions.
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Round 3 (Last 30 Mins):
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The “Intelligent Guess” Zone. Attempt questions where you eliminated only 1 option if you are lagging in attempts.
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Target: Total attempts should reach 85-90. (Attempting less than 80 is suicide for General Category).
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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.
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Strategy: Maintain a separate notebook called “Mock Mistakes.”
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Write: Only the new fact you learned.
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Example: “I thought President can pardon Death Sentence only in Union Law. Correction: He can do it for State Law too.”
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Result: Revise this notebook 1 hour before the actual Prelims. It is gold.
4. When Should You Start?
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The Date is Now: It is January. You should be solving 1 Full-Length Mock every Sunday.
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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.
