Are you aspiring for UPSC CSE? We have a compilation of tips and tricks from Nikhil Agrawal who cleared the exam thrice in 2016, 2017 and 2018. He took to Quora to share some of the tools that worked exceptionally well for him.

1. Make charts Charts help you to write a huge amount of data in one single page and are useful for repeated revision. “Another benefit of chart making is that you can paste that chart anywhere such as your cupboard, near your bed, or even in your bathroom,” he says.

2. Learn, revise and repeat Nikhil considers revision as the most crucial part of the preparation for a UPSC aspirant. Instead of reading the same book over and over again, he says, “You can revise properly if you have made charts and notes of your own.”

3. Connecting the dots “This technique helps in remembering a lot of what you have studied. By interlinking the topics with each other, you can remember many points for your answer,” he says. Connecting the dots also helps in developing your thought process, which is very useful in prelims.

4. Taking notes Nikhil shares, “Making notes, especially from newspaper content, is of utmost importance because you cannot revise a newspaper but you can revise from your notes. You cannot keep one year’s worth of newspapers either!”

5. Mnemonics This technique has been used by successful aspirants over the years to remember important information like dates, years, details about countries, etc. “Remember that mnemonic acts as a supplement to your core preparation which should include extensive reading and hard work.”

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