Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPCS) Strategy

    Why the need for Strategy?

• To ensure success in the examination conducted by Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission (MPPSC), Indore, there is a need to make a proper and dynamic strategy according to its nature.
• This is the first process by which half of your success is ensured in the very beginning itself.
• It is to be noted that this exam is generally conducted in three stages :
  
  1. Preliminary Examination (Objective Type & Multiple choice)
  2. Main Examination (Conventional Type, i.e. Written examination).
  3. Interview.
• In order to reach each next stage, it is necessary to succeed in the previous stage.
• The nature of examination of these three stages is different from each other. Hence, there is a need to make a different strategy to ensure success at each stage.

Preliminary Examination Strategy

• To ensure success in this stage of the examination, do a thorough review of the questions asked in the preliminary examination in the last 5 to 10 years and pay more attention to the points and titles from which the tendency to ask questions has been more in the previous years.
• ‘General Studies’ in the syllabus of the first paper includes:
  
  • General Science and Environment, Current Events of National and International Importance, History of India and Independent India, Geography of India and General Geographical Information of the World, Indian Polity and Economy, Sports, Geography of Madhya Pradesh, History and Culture, Politics of Madhya Pradesh and economy, information and communication technology and national and regional constitutional/statutory institutions.
  • Its detailed information is given in the title ‘Syllabus’.
• A micro observation of the syllabus of this exam and the nature of questions asked in previous years shows that deep conceptual and factual knowledge of some sections is essential.
  
  • For example, who founded the ‘Gadar Party?
  • In which part of the computer memory is stored?
  • Which is the highest waterfall of Madhya Pradesh? etc.
• The easiest way to remember and solve these questions is to make short notes related to the factual information of the subject and study them regularly. For example;
  
  • A question was asked from which country the concept of ‘federalism’ in the Indian Constitution was taken?
  • So you should prepare a list of the major concepts taken from different countries in the Indian Constitution.
  • For questions related to various acts and institutions etc. asked in this examination, a brief description of ‘Bharat’ (India Year Book) available in the market published by the Publications Department of the Government of India, and related text material available on the Drishti website and with the help of internet.
  • In this examination, the frequency of questions asked from sports, computers, current events and state-specific is high, so they should be studied seriously regularly.
  • The book ‘Quick Book on General Science and Technology’ by Drishtiias can be helpful for solving science and ‘Computer’ based questions.
  • Also, it will be beneficial for the candidates to study the ‘Science Special Issue’ of the standard monthly magazine ‘Drishti Current Affairs Today’ published by Drishti Publications.
• Keeping in view the nature and number of questions on current events, you can regularly study the current affairs points of any daily newspaper like The Hindu, Dainik Jagran (National Edition), etc. as well as available on the Drishti website.
  
  • Apart from this, it will be beneficial to study the standard monthly magazine ‘Drishti Current Affairs Today’ for the preparation of this section.
• In solving state-specific questions, it will be beneficial to study the book ‘Madhya Pradesh State Special’ published by the Publications Department of the Government of Madhya Pradesh or any standard state-level book available in the market.
• Paper-II General Aptitude Test (CSAT) is qualifying only. The nature of questions in this is of matriculation level. Its detailed information is given in the title ‘Syllabus’.
  
  • Questions related to General Mental Ability can be practiced by categorizing the questions asked earlier into different sections.
  • Do not leave any question unanswered as there is no provision of negative marking in the Preliminary Examination of MPPSC and in the end try to solve the remaining questions on the basis of guesswork.
• It is generally beneficial to try to solve the questions and practice papers asked in the previous years in the preliminary examination within the prescribed time limit (generally two hours) usually 15-20 days before the date of the preliminary examination. While solving these questions develops the understanding of the subject, it becomes easier to solve the repetitive questions in these exams.

Mains Exam Strategy

• The preparation strategy for the main exam is different from that of the preliminary exam as it is written (Descriptive) in nature.
• Due to the descriptive/analytical nature of the MPPSC Mains exam, its preparation strategy is different from that of Prelims.
• While the preliminary examination is qualifying in nature, the marks obtained in the main examination are added to the final merit list. Hence, this stage of the examination is very important and crucial to a great extent.
• The first question paper of General Studies includes topics related to ‘History and Culture’, ‘Geography’, ‘Water Management’, modern techniques of geography and ‘Disaster and Disaster Management, which the candidates need to study with standard books and It is beneficial to make short point-wise notes according to the nature of the questions in the main examination.
  
  • World History has been removed from the new syllabus in this examination under History subject.
  • The material of Disaster Management Special supplement of ‘Drishti Current Affairs Today’ on the topic ‘Disaster and Disaster Management’ is very useful.
• General Studies II paper includes ‘Constitution, Political and Administrative Structure of Governance’, Indian Political Thinkers, Administration and Management and Economics and Sociology.
  
  • The syllabus of this question paper can be prepared with the help of standard books and the internet.
  • For example, standard books on Indian Polity and Administration and Indian Economy and Public Administration can be studied.
  • For another syllabus, the help of the India Year Book (India) and the internet can be taken.
• The General Studies third paper consists of ‘Science and Technology’, ‘Statistics’, ‘Computer’,’ Energy’, ‘Environment and Sustainable Development’ and ‘Geology’.
  
  • The standard study material for this course can be obtained from the Distance Learning Program (DLP) of Drishti The Vision Institute, Delhi, which will ensure the availability of detailed study material of the syllabus related to this paper and other papers.
  • Conceptual aspects of arithmetic, as well as the practice of concepts and questions related to statistics, are essential for ‘Logic and Data Interpretation.
• The fourth paper of General Studies is related to Philosophy, Psychology and Public Administration. Its detailed information is given in the title ‘Syllabus’.
  
  • For the material of the syllabus of this paper, the ‘Ethics Special supplement’ of ‘Drishti Current Affairs Today’ published by Drishti Publications will be very useful for the candidates.
  • Along with this, the answer-writing practice of questions related to all the papers will be helpful in an effective presentation in the examination.
• The fifth question paper is related to ‘General Hindi and Grammar’. The purpose of this paper is to test the language skills of the candidate.
  
  • The detailed information about its syllabus is given in the title ‘syllabus’ under ‘Brief Description of the notification’.
  • The level of this paper will be equivalent to that of the students who have passed the graduation examination.
    
    • For this, it will be beneficial to study the books written by Vasudevnandan, Hardev Bahari in-depth and to do continuous writing work on the above subjects.
• The sixth question paper will be ‘Hindi Essay and Letter Writing’.

Click on this link for essay writing strategy.

Essay Writing Strategy

• 50 marks for the first essay (about 1000 words), for the second essay (about 500 words) for 25 marks and for Letter writing (two questions) (about 250 words) 25 marks have been allotted.
  
  • To make the essay interesting, verses, poems, quotes, sayings of great men, etc. can be used.
  • For the preparation of the essay, it will be beneficial to study the book ‘Essay-Drishti’ published by Drishti Publications.
• It is clear from the above that it will be beneficial to study the entire syllabus of the main examination in the context of the state of Madhya Pradesh.
• Generally, 60-65% marks are required to be scored in this stage of the examination. However, due to the change in the syllabus, this percentage may be slightly less.
• Credit will be given to the organized, subtle and powerful expression in the least number of words in all the subjects of the examination.
• It is known that the answers of the descriptive nature papers have to be written in the answer-book, so while writing the answers to such questions, special attention should be paid to time management along with writing skills and agility.
• The development of writing skills and consistency comes from constant practice, for which a comprehensive understanding of the subject is essential.

Click on this link for the strategy for developing good writing skills in the main exam.

Interview Strategy

• The candidates selected in the main examination (generally 3 times the total number of vacancies mentioned in the notification) have to appear for an interview before the commission after one month ordinarily.
• The interview is the last and important stage of any examination.
• Less in terms of marks but it has a special contribution in the final selection and posts determination.
• The personality of the candidates is tested during the interview, in which oral questions are asked by the members of the commission at the designated place in the commission, to which the candidate has to answer orally.
• In the year 2014, in this exam of MPPSC, a total of 175 marks were fixed for the interview (earlier it was 250 marks).
• Your final selection is done on the basis of a merit list prepared on the basis of the aggregate of marks obtained in the main examination and interview.
• To get good marks in the interview, study the topic ‘Interview preparation’.