There are many among us sharpening their blades for the 2017 season. I am specifically interested in the preparation of those taking up Mechanical Engineering as optional in CSE and are also naturally appearing for ESE(good practice for optional + good backup if you need one).
But, the game has changed quite a bit, with new schedule and structure, syllabus etc.
So, there is ESE prelims on 8 Jan 2017. There will be two papers instead of earlier three.
They have clubbed two engineering papers into a single heavy weight paper of 300 marks(3 hours). GS earlier had bit of quant, apti and english. Now there is also ethics and engineering aptitude. From model questions, it appears to quite vague, so I'd say not a game decider. I suppose everyone would be as confused. But I suppose reading up bit of ethics would help, say like Lexicon(beginner's book for GS4 in CSE). Engg aptitude seems to be much of graduation first year course material(NDT, materials, etc), so one can start by brushing up on that.
GS seems to be diluted in weightage. So, good for engineers, as they get better shot and people like me who bash up GS paper with CSE expertise don't get an edge. On other hand, the stakes are now really high on Engineering objective paper. Furthermore, people who are preparing for ESE and CSE both will now have to study more work to do, as they will have to put in efforts for GS which wont help much in ESE.
Next stop, ESE mains 14 May 2017, same as before 300+300
In a month, there is CSE prelims on 18 June 2017. So, not much breathing space to revise well on GS for CSE. On other hand, at least you will have your optional freshly done and exam ready.
As stage1 is completed in Jan itself, I suppose results of ESE mains will be out a bit earlier, so instead of November, I expect they should be out a bit earlier(say Sept/Oct, pure speculation). So, it becomes bit of a pain for CSE mains preparation. As, interview preparation is the most useless kind of preparation. We tend to cover shallow tidbits of much of the syllabus, so even the subject does not get revised well for CSE mains optional.
In that you have CSE mains, from 28 October 2017. I remember for 2015, I had my interview on 3rd Dec and mains from 18 Dec. I was at ease with GS material for interview thanks to CSE prep, but my engg(interview specific) was weak. But then, if one has reached interview and has a little bit of wide reading in engg subject, the technical part of interview goes well.
So, that is my commentary on the timeline, now if we are to attempt actual planning, then it would be something like this...(assuming I am aspiring for ESE+CSE)
5 months in hand(aug-dec). My priority would be to clear ESE prelims and be ready for CSE prelims, as I wont get much time later.
Now, it is very tricky to lay down an actual plan as it would crumble within a week. There are just too many factors and there is bound to be turbulence as one covers ground. We have to cover GS prelims from CSE perspective, which would naturally help in ESE prelims. In parallel, we have to cover objective part of Engg, which has to be done really well, as in or out comes down to this now.
So, as always, I would start with previous year questions and basic books, then go for some more reference books.
5 months = 20 weeks. Lets just say we have only 18 weeks. 6 subjects in GS for prelims, 12 subjects in mech engg. So, we can have a weekly cycle. Take up 1 GS subject and 2 engg subjects(1 from each paper). Doing this, we comfortably cover whole syllabus in 6 weeks. Not bad!!
Of course will suffer, coz lets face it, it is not enough. But its alright, it is just first cycle!
We have 2 more of such cycles left. THIS is a critical part, where I have seen many candidates going astray. One has to take these deadlines seriously. What happens is we take the 1st cycle too casually and end up covering less than 50% of what we planned. In further cycles, we end re-reading same stuff and suddenly 2 weeks before exam, the crushing realization comes... Bhai nahi ho paega!
So, I advise extreme ambition in 1st cycle. One can use rock music, energy bars, beverages to keep yourself going and cover at least 3/4th of syllabus.
I leave the fine details of sequence of subjects in these weeks and intra-week planning open ended.
If you are going for a test series, see how you can pick up topic so that you can sync your schedule with the test schedule.
Now, assuming one goes through with this 18 week course and revision and mock tests in last 2 weeks and gives prelims. So, for ESE mains one again has 5 months(jan-may).
So, another 18 week plan has to be made. Now, this is a great relief, that one only has to study subjective part and not cram up garbage for objective papers(as required earlier). This is a great luxury and must be used to cover GS for CSE mains in parallel.
It is not possible to cover(to satisfactory level) 2 engg subjects in 1 week, so can't go for 6 week cycle. One will have to go for 12 week cycle in beginning. 1 topic 1 week, complete focus.
Now, in parallel one can take up GS mains.. 4 papers.. one can leave GS4 aside for later.
So, 3 weeks each for GS1,2,3.
In remaining 6 weeks, one can leave GS mains aside, and take up only engg. Since, it is second cycle, one can take 2 subjects in a week.
We have 2 weeks in end for revision. ESE mains goes well, and we are back to brushing up GS prelims. 4 weeks, full on prelims prep. Should be enough considering the serious study done in Aug-Dec period.
After CSE prelims, there is nothing much to worry about. Engg is ready for mains. One can shift more time towards GS mains.
There is lot of juggling going on in this preparation. But, we get the comfort of 2 opportunities every year compared to many who wait the whole year only for CSE. So, to all engineers, I say.. Lets be professional and show all of them how its done!! All the best!
PS. I wont be proof reading the above material, as I tend to select everything and delete after doing so. Kindly bear with the typos and grammatical errors..
But, the game has changed quite a bit, with new schedule and structure, syllabus etc.
So, there is ESE prelims on 8 Jan 2017. There will be two papers instead of earlier three.
They have clubbed two engineering papers into a single heavy weight paper of 300 marks(3 hours). GS earlier had bit of quant, apti and english. Now there is also ethics and engineering aptitude. From model questions, it appears to quite vague, so I'd say not a game decider. I suppose everyone would be as confused. But I suppose reading up bit of ethics would help, say like Lexicon(beginner's book for GS4 in CSE). Engg aptitude seems to be much of graduation first year course material(NDT, materials, etc), so one can start by brushing up on that.
GS seems to be diluted in weightage. So, good for engineers, as they get better shot and people like me who bash up GS paper with CSE expertise don't get an edge. On other hand, the stakes are now really high on Engineering objective paper. Furthermore, people who are preparing for ESE and CSE both will now have to study more work to do, as they will have to put in efforts for GS which wont help much in ESE.
Next stop, ESE mains 14 May 2017, same as before 300+300
In a month, there is CSE prelims on 18 June 2017. So, not much breathing space to revise well on GS for CSE. On other hand, at least you will have your optional freshly done and exam ready.
As stage1 is completed in Jan itself, I suppose results of ESE mains will be out a bit earlier, so instead of November, I expect they should be out a bit earlier(say Sept/Oct, pure speculation). So, it becomes bit of a pain for CSE mains preparation. As, interview preparation is the most useless kind of preparation. We tend to cover shallow tidbits of much of the syllabus, so even the subject does not get revised well for CSE mains optional.
In that you have CSE mains, from 28 October 2017. I remember for 2015, I had my interview on 3rd Dec and mains from 18 Dec. I was at ease with GS material for interview thanks to CSE prep, but my engg(interview specific) was weak. But then, if one has reached interview and has a little bit of wide reading in engg subject, the technical part of interview goes well.
So, that is my commentary on the timeline, now if we are to attempt actual planning, then it would be something like this...(assuming I am aspiring for ESE+CSE)
5 months in hand(aug-dec). My priority would be to clear ESE prelims and be ready for CSE prelims, as I wont get much time later.
Now, it is very tricky to lay down an actual plan as it would crumble within a week. There are just too many factors and there is bound to be turbulence as one covers ground. We have to cover GS prelims from CSE perspective, which would naturally help in ESE prelims. In parallel, we have to cover objective part of Engg, which has to be done really well, as in or out comes down to this now.
So, as always, I would start with previous year questions and basic books, then go for some more reference books.
5 months = 20 weeks. Lets just say we have only 18 weeks. 6 subjects in GS for prelims, 12 subjects in mech engg. So, we can have a weekly cycle. Take up 1 GS subject and 2 engg subjects(1 from each paper). Doing this, we comfortably cover whole syllabus in 6 weeks. Not bad!!
Of course will suffer, coz lets face it, it is not enough. But its alright, it is just first cycle!
We have 2 more of such cycles left. THIS is a critical part, where I have seen many candidates going astray. One has to take these deadlines seriously. What happens is we take the 1st cycle too casually and end up covering less than 50% of what we planned. In further cycles, we end re-reading same stuff and suddenly 2 weeks before exam, the crushing realization comes... Bhai nahi ho paega!
So, I advise extreme ambition in 1st cycle. One can use rock music, energy bars, beverages to keep yourself going and cover at least 3/4th of syllabus.
I leave the fine details of sequence of subjects in these weeks and intra-week planning open ended.
If you are going for a test series, see how you can pick up topic so that you can sync your schedule with the test schedule.
Now, assuming one goes through with this 18 week course and revision and mock tests in last 2 weeks and gives prelims. So, for ESE mains one again has 5 months(jan-may).
So, another 18 week plan has to be made. Now, this is a great relief, that one only has to study subjective part and not cram up garbage for objective papers(as required earlier). This is a great luxury and must be used to cover GS for CSE mains in parallel.
It is not possible to cover(to satisfactory level) 2 engg subjects in 1 week, so can't go for 6 week cycle. One will have to go for 12 week cycle in beginning. 1 topic 1 week, complete focus.
Now, in parallel one can take up GS mains.. 4 papers.. one can leave GS4 aside for later.
So, 3 weeks each for GS1,2,3.
In remaining 6 weeks, one can leave GS mains aside, and take up only engg. Since, it is second cycle, one can take 2 subjects in a week.
We have 2 weeks in end for revision. ESE mains goes well, and we are back to brushing up GS prelims. 4 weeks, full on prelims prep. Should be enough considering the serious study done in Aug-Dec period.
After CSE prelims, there is nothing much to worry about. Engg is ready for mains. One can shift more time towards GS mains.
There is lot of juggling going on in this preparation. But, we get the comfort of 2 opportunities every year compared to many who wait the whole year only for CSE. So, to all engineers, I say.. Lets be professional and show all of them how its done!! All the best!
PS. I wont be proof reading the above material, as I tend to select everything and delete after doing so. Kindly bear with the typos and grammatical errors..
