UPSC is one of the most prestigious and prominent competitive exams in the country. This exam is a great opportunity for aspirants to join the civil services and serve the nation. The UPSC Prelims exam was conducted on May 25, 2025, and the Mains exam will be conducted on August 22, 2025.
With only a few days left for the Mains exam, the heartbeat of every aspirant is rushing rapidly. If you are also going to appear for the upcoming UPSC Mains exam, then you have landed on the apt page. This blog will help you understand how you can utilise the last 20 days to maximum potential to make your mark in the civil service examination. So, without any further delays, let's deep dive and see how you can make your chance count.
Why is the UPSC Exam Important?
Before diving into how you can utilise your time effectively for the UPSC exam, it is important to understand why this exam is important. This section will give you a brief idea of why this exam is important.
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Integral governance pillar
The UPSC exam is the backbone of Indian governance and helps the aspirants to implement the governance policies. When the changes are applied in the governance, civil services help to tackle them with great ease.
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Crisis management
Whenever any crisis like a natural disaster or public health emergency takes place, the civil servants are the first ones to act upon it and take charge.
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An abundance of career opportunities
Cracking the UPSC exam gives an opportunity to the aspirants to choose from a wide range of career options in the government department.
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Merit-based selection
In the UPSC exam, candidates are selected based on their merit and competency. When the candidates are selected on their merit, it gives a more professional and impartial approach towards their work.
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Promote social welfare
Civil service examination is a great gateway for candidates to give them an opportunity to be an instrumental aspect in implementing welfare schemes and addressing social inequalities.
Read More: Is NCERT Necessary for UPSC Polity?
How to Utilise the Last 20 Days Before the Exam?
This section will focus on how you can utilise the last 20 days before the Mains exam to the maximum potential to get the best results out. Let's have a look!
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Take focused revision sessions
In the last 20 days before the exam, you must stay focused towards revising the concepts rather than starting from scratch. Focus on high-weightage questions that have a great probability of coming in the examination. You can give more time to the areas where you feel less confident.
You can refer NCERT all-in-one book to have a great revision session that can help you on the day of the examination. Moreover, you can also employ various revision techniques that can assist you in better revision for the examination.
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Practice answer writing
The UPSC PYQ book is the best way to practice your answer writing skills. With the previous year's papers, you will get an opportunity to analyse the trends and work accordingly. Moreover, this acts as a great help to better understand the topics that need to be prioritised for the revision sessions.
In addition to that, while practising for answer writing focus on a time-based approach. This will help you understand whether you are wholly prepared for the day of examination or not. It will also help you understand whether you are on the right track with your preparation journey or not.
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Take mock test papers
Mock tests are the best way to practice for the upcoming examination. The more you practice, the more confident you become in the exam preparation journey. You will find an abundance of the best books for UPSC that will help you stay on the right track with your preparation.
Only giving the mock test is not sufficient. After every mock test, analyse your performance with every progress you make. This will help you understand the areas where you need to put more attention so you can conquer the exam with flying colours.
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Maintain overall well-being
While you are in the last leg of your Mains exam preparation journey, you must pay proper focus to your overall health. No doubt the last few days of the exam will give you a lot of anxiety, but you must stay calm.
You can practice deep breathing exercises and meditation that can help you overcome your exam pressure and stay confident for exam writing.
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Focus on conceptual clarity
In the last few days before the Mains examination, you must focus on conceptual clarity. You can focus on an essay book for UPSC to gain a better understanding of the topics. Just before the examination, make your concepts crystal clear so you can tackle any type of question asked in the examination.
This will also help you become more confident for answer handling answers that are required at the utmost level for cracking the examination.
Mistakes to Avoid During the Last 20 Days of UPSC Mains
There are some common mistakes that students commit during the last 20 days of the examination. This section will focus on those mistakes that you need to avoid to get the best results.
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Don't start with new topics
Most of the students commit the mistake of starting new topics just before the examination. If you start with any new topic, you have a high chance of creating confusion between the topics. So, try to avoid any new topic from scratch during the last few days before the examination.
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Forgetting the importance of revision
Most of the students don't give enough importance to the revision sessions during the last few days before the examination. If you want to achieve a good score in the exam, you need to have a top-notch revision strategy in place.
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Not giving mock tests
A large number of aspirants feel that taking the mock test is not essential during the last few days before the examination. But if you commit this mistake, you will lose your ability to tackle a vast variety of questions in the examination.
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Neglecting current affairs
A large number of students feel that staying acquainted with current affairs is not important for the UPSC exam. But this is not the case. If you stay acquainted with the current affairs, you can attempt a good chunk of questions in the examination.
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By overthinking
Overthinking is one of your greatest foes during the last few days before the examination. You should remain confident in your preparation so you can make your mark and score exceptionally well in the Mains examination.
For UPSC Online Mock Test Sample Papers and Latest Courses for Latest Exam
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Final Thoughts
UPSC Mains exam can be conquered with a great rank if you stay dedicated to your goal. You can leverage the last 20 days to make preparation water-tight. So practice as much as you can. This will help you tackle any type of question asked on the day of the examination. So, have faith in your preparation and make your chance count to excel in the examination.
All the Best!
