Prelims

PRELIMS - Enough can't be said about this stage of the exam. For some it is a cakewalk and for others it turns into the bane of their lives. I myself faced a hiccup here that was deeply demotivating. But post that, I did spend an insane amount of time making sure prelims wouldn't be a hindrance.

Also, a huge disclaimer before I share my approach - you don't need to do all of this. In fact, I know people who have cleared prelims without having done a fraction of this. But if you are not a 100% sure that you can get past prelims easily, then I suggest you work on it till you feel confident enough. Because a year wasted due to failure in prelims is just the worst thing that can happen to you in this exam (majorly because of the psychological effect that it can have).

My exhaustive approach:

• Reading list: First off, finish up the must read standard books such as Laxmikant, NCERTs, Spectrum, Shankar IAS. Make notes wherever necessary.
• Test series: I gave close to 80 tests! (Insights IAS, Vision IAS and few open tests by other institutes). I did go overboard with tests, which was what I intended to do. I began with Insights part tests and followed their schedule to cover syllabus. Later I gave Vision part tests while revising and finally gave full tests together.
• Previous Year Papers: I can't stress enough on the importance of this for clearing prelims. If there is one thing (apart from the reading list) that you want to add to your preparation, it has be this. Analysing past papers will improve your deduction ability and immensely boost your confidence for the D-day. You can find an analysis I did to understand the pattern of questions asked here.
• Exclusive prelims notes: I compiled points from test series and current affairs that I wanted to revise or remember. All thanks to Veda and her generous friends, whose note-making approach I blindly adopted. MY PRELIMS NOTES. 
• Lists: such as National Parks, Species lists, Reports etc. are good to remember. Good for your confidence and also help in eliminating options. You can find my compilation here.

Examination Day:
Controlling nerves on the final day is as important as the year's preparation. People who have not even attempted a mock test sail through prelims solely because they channel their best during the exam (and some others factors too may be?). Nevertheless, plan each minute of those 2 hours. Ideally attempt the paper in iterations of decreasing factual certainty. I'd say attempt as many as you can, at least 90+. It at least ensures that you don't cruise too close to the margins of cutoff which can make the next couple months miserable, with all the guessing whether or not you are going to write mains.

I understand prelims can seem insurmountable for some. I have friends who'd definitely do well at the mains stage, but unfortunately fail to get past prelims due to varied reasons. That said, prelims is still the most objective of all three stages and can be cracked with certainty if we give it the respect and time that it deserves.