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Vikram Iyer @vikram_iyer

Member since 2026-10-06 · 11 reputation

2nd attemptTarget 2027English medium
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Second cycle. Trying to do fewer sources and more PYQs this time.

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How do you analyse a prelims mock without losing a whole day?
2026-11-03 21:31:00
That's already a good method. I would add a cap: 90 minutes for analysis, not 5 hours. If a question needs a new chapter, it goes on a list, it doesn't get studied in the analysis session itself.
 Is Spectrum enough for modern India if I do PYQs properly?
2026-10-18 22:54:00
I'll disagree a bit – I needed a little more on economic policies / some Governor-General details than Spectrum's short treatment, but I still would not start a second complete book from page 1. Add …
 Repo vs reverse repo – I keep swapping them in MCQs
2026-10-14 21:33:00
I wrote it from the bank's side: repo is when the bank borrows rupees from RBI against securities (injection of liquidity). Reverse repo is the bank parking funds with RBI (absorption). Then I added …
 First attempt vs what I'd change if I could restart
2026-11-02 21:01:00
All of this is uncomfortably accurate. I'll keep the list short and print it above the desk.
 How much of the Budget / Survey do we actually need to read?
2026-10-19 22:22:00
I don't read the Survey cover to cover. I do the intro/overview, any box on a syllabus topic (employment, agri, climate, social sector), and the Budget's main tax/expenditure announcements. Then I ch…
 Geography optional – still a good pick if I actually like maps?
2026-10-20 21:11:00
If you like it, that's already better than half the 'overlap' crowd. Paper 1 (principles) needs clear diagrams; paper 2 (Indian geo) needs examples you can locate. Overlap with GS1 geo and some envir…
 First-timer booklist – am I overdoing this?
2026-10-06 20:22:00
For economy, if the basic text feels heavy, NCERT + budget/economic survey summaries + PYQs is enough to start. You can always layer a second book if a topic stays weak.