1

Hello everyone, I am Pratik Mantri and I secured rank 252 in CSE 2021. To give a brief
background I am a Polymer Engg. graduate from ICT Mumbai, 2018. This was my 3rd attempt
and 3rd mains with the same optional - Sociology. I scored 280 in my optional, up from 195
the previous year.. jump of 85 marks and due to this I have been getting some requests to share
my strategy.

Sociology is an interesting optional and I liked it ever since I started reading the subject. But
especially after my 2nd mains I did question my decision of choosing it. It will be clear from
following marksheets -

1st attempt -

Mains cutoff was 751. Socio score was poor but that year all optional scores were scaled down.

2nd Attempt -

Pratik Mantri (AIR 252)

 2

Mains cutoff - 734. Major reason for not qualifying was optional… in GS I had an above average
score of 400, compared to the toppers of that year. But I still don’t know what major blunder I did
due to which my socio score declined from 233 to 195.

3rd Attempt -

This year, the major reason for selection was my Optional as I scored 280. I will try to explain
this jump .. though I feel last year my score should have been ~ 250 at least. I had the following
target (1st column is my Mains 2020 marks and 2nd column contains my target for 2021 mains)
in my excel for this year’s mains (which I had made in Oct, 2021) -

I was able to achieve exactly what I planned in Optional and my essay scores (129) are also
good according to this year’s marking. But, I scored below average in GS - 376 (I might have
given more attention to socio, so I would recommend a better balance).

First some basic information -

1. Coaching - Mahapatra Sir (Vajiram and Ravi) - 2018 batch
○ Other options - Upendra Sir (Shubhra Ranjan IAS); Triumph; Shankar
2. Test series -
○ 1st Mains - Triumph IAS (Vikas Ranjan Sir) - wrote about 7 tests
○ 2nd Mains - Vision IAS (8 tests)
○ 3rd Mains - Triumph IAS (10 tests) and Vision IAS (4 tests - there was a module
with just 4 full length test last year)
○ You can also try the Shankar IAS test series (Rajitha Mam)
3. Books -

Pratik Mantri (AIR 252)

 3

○Paper 1 - Haralambos (Both blue and orange selectively.. But felt orange was
comprehensive enough), Essential Sociology, Vajiram Class notes
○ Paper 2 - Essential sociology, Tusharanshu sir’s notes, Class notes
○ Internet sources - Sleepy classes, Crash course (Youtube channel) - sociology
course, Thoughtco.com, Yourarticlelibrary - these sources were used selectively
when I felt content was less.. Or when I was bored by reading GS.
○ Vision test series model answers also helped in content development.
4. Note making strategy -
○ I made notes according to the syllabus points .. i.e. 1 (a), 1 (b).. and so on.
○ They were made in Evernote like Dhatri Reddy mam, from the start, and I kept on
adding to it as and when I came across a good eg. or thinker.
○ Reason for using evernote is that it is easily editable .. but ensure that you don’t
add too much information which makes revision tough.

Disclaimer - No radical changes were made for this improvement in marks… so you might find
some suggestions as trite, but that is what this exam is I guess, just do the basics properly -
read less, inter-link more, revise more, write more and apply the knowledge. And luck also plays
an imp. role, so it might have been my day on the final paper.

So coming to the main part, what things I did differently in this attempt -
1. Answer writing -
○ Mains 2020 result was announced on 23rd March, 2021 and after missing Mains
2019 by 1 mark I was expecting a call that year. But when the result was negative
and the marksheet was going to be out after the final result (6 months for that in
Sept.. considering COVID break) I started working on ethics, essay and optional,
because I felt I might have performed poorly in these sectors.
○ I joined Triumph IAS, 10 tests module, as only they were coming out with a
course that time. I wrote about 4 tests before prelims 2021 but I had revised and
condensed my notes before prelims.
○ After prelims I gave 6 tests of Triumph and 4 full length tests of Vision. I gave
paper 1 and 2 on the same day 4 times in November and December to simulate
the exam type conditions.
○ Also initially I was taking 20-25 minutes extra to complete the paper, but by the
final paper I was able to complete it in 3 hours (including question selection),
even if I had to leave some questions or the quality degraded.
○ My major aim was to work upon the suggestions and complete the paper in
time. I also developed my strategy to attempt the paper - I completed first 5
compulsory questions in first 35-40 min and then next 5 compulsory questions in
35 min and then the 20 markers and then the 10 markers with them. Some prefer
to do 20 markers first but I felt I was giving more time to the 20 markers if I
attempted them initially.
2. Previous year questions -
○ I practiced the PYQs, especially after 2013, either by writing or making mental
structures of it.

Pratik Mantri (AIR 252)

 4

○My friend, Adarsh Kant Shukla, was my guide in this whole attempt. We
discussed the PYQs and used to discuss points which can be added or refined.
He also checked almost all my papers and told me the things I can do differently
to improve cross-linkages or application of theories.
3. Sociological keywords -
○ Make a list of important keywords and use them liberally, it helps especially in
paper 2 which gives it a sociological touch.
○ Eg. - For Marx - DOL, ROP, MOP, Haves and Have nots, class polarization,
bourgeoisation, proletarianisation, pauperisation, homogenisation, alienation,
class struggle, Historical MOP, use value, exchange value, labor power,
contradiction, being, social being, dialectic. And these keywords can be used in
Paper 1 as well as paper 2 and this will make your answers more sociological.
○ Himanshu Sisodiya (friend) told me this strategy and also he gave a good
suggestion to use the appendix of Essential sociology to compile these words.
4. Content and revision -
○ Rather than a highlighter I sat with black marker this time.. I striked out extra
thinkers or information which I knew I won’t be able to write in 150-250 words.
This clarity you will get after writing more papers and working on the feedback.
○ I had read the whole syllabus at least once properly before prelims. It helped me
in balancing revision and tests after pre.
○ Last minute revision notes - I prepared very short notes 2 weeks before mains
and further condensed it in the gap between GS and socio papers. It included
just things which I found imp. or volatile.. i.e. I might forget if I didn't look at the
last moment.

○
○ I revised the whole syllabus as many times as I gave the full length papers so
about 5-6 times.

Pratik Mantri (AIR 252)

 5

○ Also I didn’t add any new source between pre and mains this time, just my own
notes and the basic books that I had read earlier. In my 2nd mains I was referring
to new toppers notes, even when many ‘veterans’ suggested to me otherwise,
and that was a mistake on my part. Have confidence in your own notes after you
have made them from 2-3 sources.
5. Introduction -
○ I reduced the size of the introduction and tried to bring at least 1 thinker. Prepare
definition for all syllabus terms given by some thinker if possible.
○ Keep it relevant and add thinkers, examples or keywords.
○ Directly address the demand of the question in introduction.. especially in 10
markers where the space is limited. In following snip I have written a very long
intro -

I made a compilation of such suggestions.

In the subsequent snip I have tried to write short intro with good keywords so as to give the idea
that I have the knowledge about the subject. (I haven’t spent much time in finding the best eg..
just what I found suitable to convey the point)

Pratik Mantri (AIR 252)

 6

6. Body -
○ I preferred writing in points with 3-4 lines. In my 2nd attempt I wrote just the
crux of the point but I didn’t complete the sentence in most points, which I
corrected after it was highlighted by some of my friends and teachers.
○ Also, I wrote paragraphs in some answers, but these were of small sizes. This
time I did try to cover more dimensions but focus was also on more
substantiation rather than just more points like GS.
○ Try to cross link (or as Vikas sir says cross-fertilize) Paper 1 and Paper 2. Socio
gives you that freedom to be innovative and also use current affairs or some
case studies to substantiate your points.
○ Neha Bhosle Mam (Rank 15, 2019) in her blog has given many good examples
regarding answer writing and structuring the body, like dimensions to be
explored.
○ I quoted the thinkers in brackets after the point or sometimes started a point with
them or their quote. Try to use the jargon used by the thinkers to improve
effectiveness.
○ Also don’t overuse thinkers.. Use them to substantiate your points and elaborate
their views, rather than just naming them and using their keywords. And try to
have thinkers with diverse views on a single topic in your notes to have range in
your answer, so you can remove thinkers with similar views.
○ Also I would suggest going through topper copies to understand these points
yourself and also pick good examples, diagrams, etc from them. Eg. - I took
many diagrams and examples from Shruti mam’s copies.
○ Some diagrams are also given in Essential sociology, you can replicate that
(with little innovation as many are doing the same). Also don’t overdo diagrams
and flowcharts, because in the end the evaluators are socio professors who
might be old school.. so have a middle path approach.
○ Regarding current affairs - Newspaper, Mains 365, also suggestions from
evaluators and test discussion by Smriti Shah mam (Vision IAS)
○ Underline the keywords, draw block around the thinkers and subheading
7. Conclusion -
○ This was the most ignored part by me, as I just wrote some generic conclusion. If
written properly, it fetches you that ½ -1 mark extra.

Pratik Mantri (AIR 252)

 7

○ This time I tried to value add with a futuristic angle or current application. Also
tried to bring a thinker if possible.
○ Another type of conclusion is to give criticism at last for eg -

○
○I tried to prepare recent examples like I used Great resignation in answers
related to Marx or work and labor. So, having such pre-prepared examples or
conclusions (which can be done with practice in test papers and PYQs) will
reduce your thinking time in the final exam.
8. Choice of question -
○ Choose the variable questions in the initial 5 min. when the 3 hr bell hasn’t rung.
Just think in which question you can give max. thinkers, points, examples, etc.
Jagriti Awasthi mam’s 2020 paper discussion on Unacademy was helpful in this
regard.
○ The choice of 20 markers becomes important in it and I went with the static and
simple questions and tried to avoid the current oriented questions.
○ Also, as you have prepared notes on almost all topics of the syllabus and solved
PYQs.. you will be more comfortable in such questions.
○ Solving many mock tests also helped me in the final exam as I found many
questions similar to the questions I had written.

I would just say that keep it simple, don’t complicate it and do the basics right. Have a positive
mentality when entering the exam hall. I would also like to give special credit to Rajitha mam
(Shankar IAS academy), who reviewed my paper last year even when she was on break. The
tips and support given by mam was very valuable.

I am attaching the final 2 papers that I had written for socio in 3 hrs. After writing this paper I
received about 6 evaluated papers of mine.. So suggestions in those papers were further
incorporated in the final paper.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1V7cosN_oj74wTCuyjmnZAtMyb0b-Fb8_?usp=sharing

Pratik Mantri (AIR 252)