Civil services examinations are a three-step process: Prelim exam, Mains exam and Personal interview. And the most important among the three is mains exams, which is clear from its name also. Success in this exam with high marks enhances your chances of realizing your ambition and landing a desired service.
Answer writing in the main exam is different from other exams; this needs a bit different approach and preparation techniques. But one thing that remains same is rote learning. If you are thinking what is this: rote learning is the process of memorizing things by reading them repeatedly.
If we look at our education system, it lays a lot of emphasis on marks and for this cramming information and reproducing them in the exams is the widely used technique. This is a common feature in a students’ life. Whether it is learning the alphabets or the multiplication tables, spellings or formulas, mugging up is the best technique for the students to remember things. The Indian system of education promotes rote learning.
If you look at the bigger picture, rote learning is not considered good. Students who rely on rote learning don’t get much appreciation. As every coin has two sides, rote learning also has its pros and cons.
At a level when the focus is on just getting the marks, rote learning might be helpful, but when moving ahead to higher standards where analysis is more important to solve the problems, rote learning is a futile exercise. The best learning technique would be a right balance between rote learning and practicality of critical thinking.
Importance of rote learning in Civil Services exam preparation
UPSC exam is one of the most demanding competitive exams in the country that requires both analytical skills as well as knowledge of facts and issues to secure top ranks. When it comes to remembering facts, figures, and formulas, rote learning helps the aspirants a lot. Here are some reasons to clarify the importance of rote learning in IAS exam preparation.
Connectivity
Repeat learning of the same topic develops a connectivity with it that helps you in getting into the fabric of the topic to understand it better. When you feel closer to the topic, you can remember it longer with effective memorization.
Visualization
Glossing over the text without grasping it is also like rote learning as you don’t try to understand the concepts. With visualization, you can memorize the things in brilliant ways like creating the mental pictures. Visualization also improves your learning graph, which is very common in repetitive rote learning.
Spaced prepping
For the students who keep forgetting the things even after learning it multiple times, spaced prepping comes as a rescue. This is also a rote learning technique where you revise the things after specific time gap like after ten minutes, then again after next ten minutes and then after one week. This is a smart learning strategy for forgetful students.
Points to remember when opting for rote learning strategy:
- Make notes and jot down the important points
- Focus on reading the topics related to your exam
- Learn facts and figures which are expected to be asked in Civil Services mains test series
- Organize your study space for better comprehension
UPSC exam is a prestigious exam for which lakhs of students apply every year but only a few, who use the right strategies make it to the finals. Use the best learning strategies, join civil service main test series and follow the guidance provided by the teachers at the coaching institute to boost your chances of getting success in the first attempt.
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