How To Score More Than 90% In Prelims

and More Than 50% In Mains

By Roman Saini
Approach of an aspirant

● Syllabus
● Previous Year Questions
● Shortlisting books
● Study Approach
● Coaching/Personal Notes
● Revision Strategy
● Practice and Repeat
Static as well as the dynamic knowledge for the subject is needed to score high in the
Prelims as well as the Mains.
 Syllabus for Prelims

General Issues on

● Environment Ecology
● Biodiversity
● Climate Change- that do not require subject specialization

General Science
Syllabus for Mains -Part I

● Science and Technology - developments and their applications and effects in everyday life
● Achievements of Indians in science & technology
● Indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
Syllabus for Mains -Part 2

Awareness in the fields of

IT
Space
Computers
Robotics
Nano-technology
Bio-technology
Issues relating to intellectual property rights.
Syllabus for Mains -Part 3

Conservation
● Environmental pollution and degradation
● Environmental impact assessment.
Scoring more than 90% in
Prelims
Some trends observed in CSE-Prelims during the past few years

● Questions from technology, especially Information-Technology, Biotechnology and Space

Technology have been asked more than the questions from core subject knowledge.
● Environment and Ecology has become prominent.
● Current Affairs on Sci-Tech have gained significance.
There are 3 interconnected pillars of scoring high marks in prelims
1. The First Pillar- Gaining Conceptual Knowledge And Preparing Current Affairs

A. Devising a preparation strategy for Sci-Tech

For the non-science background students, building the base is important, therefore the strategy
must include reading the NCERT Science books first.

B. Covering the basic syllabus through reading materials.

Science NCERTs from 6th to 10th are the building base for gaining conceptual knowledge. Class
XII-Biology is an important book.
Why reading NCERT XII-Biology is important?
● Because every year since 2014, questions related to biotechnology have appeared in Prelims.
● NCERT XII-Biology covers topics related to DNA structure, Genetics, biotechnology and its
applications considerably.
● Thus, candidates from non-science or non-biology background can get a sound conceptual
knowledge about basics of biotechnology and its applications.
Internet is a store-house of information, so take help from internet sources to gain conceptual
clarity.
A general reading list for Sci-Tech can be:
1. General Science- NCERTs from 6th to 10th and 12th Biology.
2. NIOS material for environment and ecology.
C. Newspapers and Journals for dynamic portion

● During the past few years, questions on topics of contemporary relevance or current events
have been asked in prelims.
● Reading newspapers for knowing about technological innovation is a must.
● The Hindu is an important source for preparing current affairs in Sci-tech.
● Articles on environment and ecology and agriculture frequently appear in newspapers.
● These articles contain important concepts or keywords on which questions can be asked.
● Science Reporter is a good read for recent developments in technology and technological
innovation.
D. Going through Press Information Bureau (PIB) Website
PIB website regularly states updates about various government schemes or events related to the
Ministry of Science and Technology or the Environment Ministry.
Second Pillar- Determination

● Aspirants from non-science background should not be afraid of the word “science”.
● Sci and Tech for Prelims and GS Paper 3 do not require study of doctoral level
● The Science MCQs can be solved by reading basic materials, common knowledge, newspaper
articles and taking practice tests.
3. The Third Pillar- Solving MCQs

● Solve as many MCQs as you can.

● A pre-existing knowledge base supports solving MCQs.
● In UPSC Prelims, the questions are not difficult, it is the options which make them seem
difficult.
 Examples of MCQs
Examples of MCQs
Examples of MCQs

● Take past papers and see how it was related to current affairs.
● Analyse how UPSC approaches a particular topic.
Q. Which of the following is/are the example/examples of chemical change? (CSE Prelims 2014)

1. Crystallization of sodium chloride

2. Melting of ice
3. Souring of milk
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
1. 1 and 2 only
2. 1, 2 and 3
3. 3 only
4. None
(Given in NCERT-Class VI- Physical and Chemical Changes)
Which of the following are some important pollutants released by steel industry in India? (CSE Prelims 2014)

1. Oxides of sulphur
2. Oxides of nitrogen
3. Carbon monoxide
4. Carbon dioxide
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
1. 1, 3 and 4 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 4 only
4. 1,2, 3 and 4

(Environmental pollution and pollutants is an important component of CSE syllabus. Therefore, it’s important to
know about the different chemicals/compounds/industries causing pollution. Newspaper articles on pollutants
frequently appear in newspapers)
Q. Which of the following pair is/are correctly matched? ( CSE Prelims 2014)

Spacecraft Purpose

Select1.the
Cassini-Huygens Orbiting
correct answer using the code given below.the Venus and transmitting data to
the Earth
1. 1 only
2. Messenger Mapping and investigating the Mercury
2. 2 and 3 only
3. Voyager 1 and 2 Exploring the outer solar system
3. 1 and 3 only

4. 1, 2 and 3 Space probes are an important part of space technology. This

question was based on common knowledge about the probes.
News about space probes appear in the newspapers whenever
any significant activity is captured
Among the following, which were frequently mentioned in the news for the outbreak of Ebola virus recently?
(CSE Prelims 2015)

(a) Syria and Jordan

(b) Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia

(c) Philippines and Papua New Guinea

(d) Jamaica, Haiti and Surinam

(Outbreak of Ebola virus was reported in the newspapers frequently since 2013 till 2016)
Q. The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee is constituted under the (CSE Prelims 2015)

(a) Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

(b) Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999

(c) Environment (Protection) Act, 1986

(d) Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

(GEAC is mentioned in NCERT- XII Biology. In July 2014, GEAC field trials of GM crops like rice, brinjal,
chickpea,mustard and cotton. This was met with opposition from farmers and activists)
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/dont-allow-field-trials-of-gm-crops-farmers-activists/article6234812.
ece
Q. The term ‘IndARC’, sometimes seen in the news, is the name of

(a) an indigenously developed radar system inducted into Indian Defence

(b) India’s satellite to provide services to the countries of Indian Ocean Rim

(c) a scientific establishment set up by India in Antarctic region

(d) India’s underwater observatory to scientifically study the Arctic region

(In September 2014, news about IndARC appeared in the environment section of The Hindu). Link:
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/indias-arctic-observatory-to-aid-climate-change-st
udies/article6405727.ece
Q. The term ‘Goldilocks Zone’ is often seen in the news in the context of

(a) the limits of habitable zone above the surface of the Earth

(b) regions inside the Earth where shale gas is available

(c) search for the Earth-like planets in outer space

(d) search for meteorites containing precious metals

(In 2015, January news article appeared in The Hindu. 8 new planets were found in the Goldilocks zone.). Link:
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/8-new-planets-found-in-goldilocks-zone/article6762925.ece#!
Q. ‘Project Loon’, sometimes seen in the news, is related to (CSE Prelims 2016)
(a) waste management technology
(b) wireless communication technology
(c) solar power production technology
(d) water conservation technology

(Project Loon, in which google was to partner with Indian Govt. for providing internet connectivity, was in news
since December 2015 )
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/chennai-floods-google-ceo-sundar-pichai-pitches-project-loon-for-co
nnectivity/article7997667.ece
Q. India is an important member of the ‘International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor’. If this experiment
succeeds, what is the immediate advantage for India? (CSE Prelims 2016)
(a) It can use thorium in place of uranium for power generation
(b) It can attain a global role in satellite navigation
(c) It can drastically improve the efficiency of its fission reactors in power generation
(d) It can build fusion reactors for power generation

India became part of the ITER in 2006, however news re-appeared in 2016 where it was stated that after BREXIT
won’t affect and delay the project)

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/india-on-schedule-with-deliveries-for-iter-fusion-react
or-official-2880396/
Q. What is the purpose of ‘evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (eLISA)’ project? (CSE Prelims 2017)
(a) To detect neutrinos
(b) To detect gravitational waves
(c) To detect the effectiveness of missile defence system
(d) To study the effect of solar flares on our communication systems

(The topic was from current affairs. Since 2016, news articles have appeared on gravitational waves)
Link- http://www.thehindu.com/specials/in-depth/Gravitational-waves-explained/article15618312.ece
Tips for scoring high marks in Prelims
1. Already knowing the answer- It’s the best for extremely factual questions. e.g.
questions on government schemes/events or recently launched satellite or space probe,
international organizations etc.

Q. ‘Mission Indradhanush’ launched by the Government of India pertains to

(a) immunization of children and pregnant women
(b) construction of smart cities across the country
(c) India’s own search for the Earth-like planets in outer space
(d) New Educational Policy
2. Elimination Method- Using common sense and pre-existing knowledge base, eliminating
options can help you reach the right answer.
Q. If you want to see gharials in their natural habitat, which one of the following is the best place to visit? (CSE
Prelims 2017)
(a) Bhitarkanika Mangroves
(b) Chambal River
(c) Pulicat Lake
(d) Deepor Beel

If you have studied about gharials, you will know that they are found in fresh water/riverine systems, especially
in North Part of India; Bhitarkarnika Mangroves is a salty water ecosystem. Pulicat Lake is brackish, whereas
Deepor Beel in Assam is fresh water wetland, but is known for fish and migratory birds. So, you can arrive at the
answer- Chambal River (fresh water river found in North India).
3. Educated Guess- From your pre-existing knowledge base, start eliminating options. Look
for outliers-options that seem distant to the answer. The probability of getting the answer
right increases.
Q. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
Viruses can infect
1. bacteria
2. fungi
3. plants
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
By reading NCERTs and educated guess, this answer can be solved. Since viruses infect majority of the living
organisms on Earth including bacteria, it can be guessed that they can infect all bacteria, fungi and plants.
4 Avoid extremes- Sometimes in questions you will find statements that contain words like “never” “only” etc.
In many instances, those statements are incorrect.
Statements that show some moderation by using words like “may”, “may not”, “possible” , “could” etc. have a
higher chance of being true.
Scoring more than 50% in Mains
Trend seen during the past few years in Mains GS Paper-III
Questions appear to be from
● Contemporary issues
● Current Affairs
Questions Asked From Science And Tech In The Recent Years in
CSE- Mains
UPSC- Mains GS Paper 3- Year 2014

● Can overuse and the availability of antibiotics without doctor’s prescription, the
contributors to the emergence of drug-resistant diseases in India? What are the
available mechanisms for monitoring and control? Critically discuss the various
issues involved.
● Scientific research in Indian universities is declining, because a career in science is
not as attractive as our business operations, engineering or administration, and the
universities are becoming consumer oriented. Critically comment.
● In a globalised world, intellectual property rights assume significance and are a
source of litigation. Broadly distinguish between the terms – copyrights, patents and
trade secrets.
UPSC- Mains GS Paper 3- Year 2015

India’s Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) which has a database containing
formatted information on more than 2 million medicinal formulations is proving a
powerful weapon in the country’s fight against erroneous patents. Discuss the pros and
cons making this database publicly available under open-source licensing.
The Namami Gange and National mission for clean Ganga (NMCG) programmes and
causes of mixed results from the previous schemes. What quantum leaps can help
preserve the river Ganga better than incremental inputs?
UPSC- Mains GS Paper 3- Year 2016

Q. Discuss India’s achievements in the field of Space Science and Technology. How the
application of this technology has helped India in its socio-economic development?
Q. Why is nanotechnology one of the key technologies of the 21st century? Describe the
salient features of Indian Government’s Mission on Nanoscience and Technology and the
scope of its application in the development process of the country.
Q. Give an account of the current status and the targets to be achieved pertaining to
renewable energy sources in the country. Discuss in brief the importance of National
Programme on Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs).
Developing Answer Writing Skills For Sci-tech Questions asked
in GS- Paper III
1. As UPSC itself states- Content of the answer is more important than its length.
Therefore, content of your answer is the king!
For the content of the answer, it is necessary to know about the contemporary issues
related to Science and Tech, any important indigenous technology or achievement by
Indian Organisation, issues related to public health, medical technology etc.
2. Reading newspapers and Journals is really necessary for writing answers for Science
and technology.
● The newspapers, esp. the Hindu publishes news about science and technology,
environment and agriculture/ agricultural innovations or contemporary issues. The
science articles provide useful material for writing answer.
● The articles contain important concepts or keywords.
● More information can be recollected by searching more about the concept or
keyword.
3. Developing answer writing skills- Logical structure of an answer
4. Use sub-headings to organize your answer. An organized answer will look neat and
help the examiner to know the points you have covered in the answer.
5. Covering maximum points in an answer i.e approaching the answer in a holistic
manner
Science and Tech answers do not need a thesis to be presented, in fact in a concise
manner you need to cover most of the dimensions related to the topic in question. If
each dimension of the topic is covered under sub-headings and follows the logical
structure, no one can stop you from scoring well!
6. Use of flowchart and diagrams
Diagrams and figures are an important part of the science subject, hence Science and
Tech or Environment concepts can be very well explained by diagrams or flowcharts.
With flowcharts and diagrams, you use less words but maximum expression to get the
message across.
Comparisons or differences can be presented in a tabular form.
7. Taking as many tests for Mains for the Sci-Tech subject as possible
Answers related to variety of topics in Sci-Tech or Environment can be prepared by
taking descriptive tests. This improves speed writing as well.
THANK YOU