Tips For W.B.C.S. Preliminary Exam By Abhirup Bhattacharjee WBCS 2017 Gr A Topper Rank 6
DETAILED STRATEGY
“ When you want something , all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
– Paulo Coelho
WBCSis not just an exam but it is a dream ! To achieve this dream I have followed the three Ds – Dedication Discipline Determination.
So many people fail to crack the civil service exam ( State PSC/UPSC ) not because they do not have the ability but because they do not have the HEART to go through adversity. When you are in darkness you wait and sit for light to come from some where, BUT you cannot simply wait , the only way out is to step forward and face your fear and BECOME YOUR OWN LIGHT !
Turn every OBSTACLE into OPPORTUNITY ! Remember success don’t teach us anything , it is our failures that removes the rust with in us, turns us from IRON to GOLD!
WBCS PRELIMS 2019 DISCUSSION[ TOPIC WISE ]
ENGLISH
You will get around 25 objective questions in English ! Here your knowledge of usage of English is tested through phrasal verbs , prepositions , expression and idioms ! To ace this section you must be prepared to tackle questions on phrasal verbs like:-
There was no _____ in the rain. (Insert correct phrasal verb)
(A) let up (B) let in (C) let off (D) let go
Correct usage of English is also tested through questions like:-
Insert the appropriate Prepositions in the sentence :
He has a preference ______ tea ______ coffee
- a) over, for
- b) for, to
- c) for, over
- d) to, over
Sound Knowledge of“Idioms” is an absolute must if you want to ace this section. Questions like (given below ) are very common!
- “A bolt from the blue” means
(A) sudden disaster (B) in trouble (C) blessing from above (D) to remain neutral
- We didn’t really want that particular hotel, but it was a case of Hobson’s Choice.
(A) state of dilemma (B) taking what is available or nothing at all (C) teacher’s choice (D) economical
- ‘At daggers drawn’ means
(A) Friendly (B) On bad terms with (C) Acquainted (D) Unknown
———————————————————————————————————————ARITHMETIC & REASONING
One of the MOST SCORING section. If you want to clear prelims you must score FULL MARKS in this section ! For quantitative as well as reasoning REGULAR PRACTICE from R. S Aggarwal will work wonder ! The key to ace this section is PRACTISING keeping in mind SPECIAL NUMERICAL TYPES . Pay extreme attention to SHORT CUTS involved. Let me explain with few examples :-
Example1)
What is the ratio of the perimeter of the shaded region to the circumference of the circle
(A) 3/4(B) 4+π/4π (C) 2π/4+π (D) 4+π/2π
Example 2)
Point out the letter which represents Indians and Historians but not politicians on the basis of these three circles ?
(A) b (B) f (C) b and f (D) b and g
Example 3)
Six persons are seated around a hexagonal table. Arup is seated opposite Bela, who is between Chirag and Derek. Arup is between Ela and Farook. Ela is to the left of Derek. Which of the following pairs is facing each other ?
(A) Ela and Farook (B) Derek and Ela (C) Chirag and Ela (D) Chirag and Derek
HISTORY
THE MOST IMPORTANT SECTION FOR PRELIMS
With a full weightage of 50 marksdevoted no word is euphonious enough to denote its importance. If you want to CLEAR PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION you must ensure ( as I did ) to score maximum in this section !
The following tips will be helpful:-
- Stress on the factual part of Indian History
- Special stress on chronology of events with dates
- Important books , authors , plays like Mudrarakshasha , Kalhana’sRajtarangini.
- Important edicts ; inscriptions ; Historian’s observation
- For Ancient – medieval History JibonMukhopadhyay’s book combined with PratiyogitaDarpan’s special edition of HISTORY
- For Modern + INM Spectrum’s book will be extremely helpful
Illustration with Questions
Q1) Leader of Lucknow during the revolt of 1857 was
(A) Bahadur Shah (B) Liyaqat Ali (C) Nana Sahib (D) Begum HajratMahal
Q2) Who among the following gave a systematic critique of the moderate politics of Indian National Congress in a series of articles entitled “New Lamps for Old” ?
(A) AurobindoGhosh (B) R. C. Dutt (C) Syed Ahmad Khan (D) None of the above
- The author of ‘Kadambari’ was
(A) Kshemendra (B) Kalhana (C) Bhababhuti (D) Banabhatta
- The Mauryan ruler who used the name ‘Piyadasi’ in his official declarations was
(A) Bimbisara (B) Ashoka (C) Chandragupta Maurya (D) Brihaddrata
- The Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang came to India during the reign of
(A) Samudragupta (B) Ashoka (C) Harsavardhan (D) Kulotunga I
- The Delhi Sultan who transferred the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad (Devagiri) was
(A) QutbuddingAibak (B) Iltutmish (C) Muhammad-bin-Tughalaq (D) Firoz Shah Tughlaq
- Which historian is famous for his research on Mughal History ?
(A) SumitSarkar (B) JadunathSarkar (C) Sushobhan Chandra Sarkar (D) S. Gopal
- Which Mughal emperor wrote his own autobiography ?
(A) Babur (B) Akbar (C) Shah Jahan (D) Aurangzeb
- ‘Sulh-i-Kul’ was a policy introduced by
(A) Akbar (B) Aurangzeb (C) Jahandar Shah (D) Mohammad Shah
- RanaPratap belonged to the Rajput dynasty of
(A) Kachwa (B) Sisodiya (C) Solanki (D) Paramara
- ‘Razmnama’ was a Persian translation of
(A) Upanishad (B) Ramayana (C) Geeta (D) Mahabharata
- The author of ‘Ain-i-Akbari’ was
(A) Badayuni (B) AbulFazl (C) Shaikh Mubarak (D) Faizi
- The Sikh Guru executed by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was
(A) TeghBahadur (B) Nanak (C) Govind Sing (D) ArjunDev
- The Satnami rebellion took place during the regin of Mughal emperor
(A) Akbar (B) Jahangir (C) Shah Jahan (D) Aurangzeb
- The title ‘Raja’ was conferred on Ram Mohun Roy by the Mughal emperor
(A) Jahandar Shah (B) Mohammad Shah (C) Akbar II (D) Bahadur Shah Zafar
GEOGRAPHY
For Indian as well as West Bengal , a thorough knowledge of this section through maps is very important ! While learning focus on important listed below :-
- Important peaks , passes of India
- Important rivers of India – which are antecedent , consequent , superimposed
- Important lakes, lagoon , special land forms creeks , straits
- All Biosphere reserves, National parks , (River flowing through national parks ) … only floating NP
- All wildlife sanctuaries with special characteristics & Fauna and Flora
- Major Ports, Riverine , Artificial , Deep sea Harbour
- Major Cropping Pattern , – Classifications Kharif/Rabi/Zaid
- Climate Patterns &classification – Koppenetc
- West Bengal Geography in detail and District wise study of Physiography , Climatic &
Illustration through Questions
Pollavaram Project is associated with the river
(A) Cauvery (B) Penner (C) Krishna (D) Godavari
- Which, one of the following is not an administrative division of West Bengal ?
(A) Jalpaiguri (B) Malda (C) Kolkata (D) Bardhaman
- In West Bengal ‘Rarh’ is a physiographic region, part of which can be found in the district of
(A) Coochbehar (B) Nadia (C) PaschimMedinipur (D) South 24 Parganas
- Drought is occasionally experienced in the plateau region of West Bengal because of
(A) Lateritic soil (B) Extremely low rainfall (C) Excessive evapo-transpiration (D) Inefficient water management
- Which one of the following is not mined in the delta region of West Bengal ?
(A) Natural gas (B) Clay (C) Sand (D) Groundwater
- ‘Toto’ is a primitive tribal community found in the state of
(A) Arunachal Pradesh (B) Odisha (C) West Bengal (D) Tamil Nadu
- What was the primary objective of construction of the Farakka Barrage?
(A) Flood control in the lower Bengal
(B) Augmentation of water supply in the Hugli river
(C) Generation of electricity for West Bengal
(D) Inland water transport in Bihar
- Which district of West Bengal has achieved the highest level of Human Development Index in the state ?
(A) Kolkata (B) PurbaMedinipur (C) Bardhaman (D) North 24 Parganas
SCIENCE
For WBCS prelims the SCIENCE section becomes a bête – noire for a large number of students. Specially graduates from Non-science background find this section extremely lough, but as per the recent trend even students from science background is also finding this section tough ! Though this section had been my STRENGHT , I would suggest aspirants to handle this section in a smart and calculative way. Rather than trying to REMEMBER EVERYTHING it would be a boon for them if they prepare few selective topics For instance:-
BIOLOGY
- To ace this section be thorough with atleast the NCERTs ( class IX – XII )
- Focus on key concepts of BOTANY , like plant hormones, cell –types xylem , phloem , parenchyma , C3, C4 cycle , Kranz anatomy
- Reproduction in plants , ovule , seedless fruits , false fruits(Apple )
- Parthenocarpy , plant diseases , pests , red rot disease etc
- KEY CONCEPTS OF ZOOLOGY & HUMAN BODY like red blood cells /RBC/ WBC/ , neurons , sympathetic / para sympathetic etc.
- Genetics – Mono hybrid / Di – hybrid (9 : 3 : 3 : 1)/ Test cross/ Back cross/pleotropyetc
- Recent Advancements like DNA finger printing , JUMPING GENES, MAGIC BULLET
- Enzymes related to Bio-technology like DNA – ligase , molecular scissors, restriction endo – nuclease
- Molecular Biology & Biotechnology is very important from exam point of view.
- Also stages of cell division like LEPTOTENE, PACHETENE etc are important.
Illustrated Examples with real questions:-
- An example of modified underground stem is
(A) Carrot (B) Potato (C) Groundnut (D) Turnip
- Crossing over occurs during meiosis at
(A) Leptotene (B) Anaphase-I (C) Pachytene (D) Diakinesis
- Which of the following processes makes direct use of oxygen ?
(A) Glycolysis (B) Fermentation (C) Citic Acid Cycle (D) Electron transport
- The wellkhown antibiotic penicillin is obtained from this plant group :
(A) Algae (B) Fungi (C) Lichen (D) Angiosperm
- The nature of stele in primitive vascular plants was
(A) Protostele (B) Siphonostele (C) Dictyostele (D) Atactostele
- What is a bacteriophage ?
(A) A virus
(B) A bacterium growing in artificial nutrient medium
(C) A fungus causing disease
(D) A phagocytic protozoa
- “Particulate theory of inheritance” was proposed by
(A) Charles Darwin (B) Gregor Johann Mendel (C) Herman Muller (D) T.H.Morgan
- Which one of the following animal phylum is latest by discovery ?
(A) Pogonophora (B) Kinorhyncha (C) Loricifera (D) Ctenophora
- A mammal that lays eggs :
(A) Talpa (B) Echidna (C) Pteropus (D) Lemur
- Barr body is absent in somatic cell of
(A) Klinefelter syndrome individual
(B) Tripple X syndrome individual
(C) Turner syndrome individual
(D) Sub-human mammalian female individual
CHEMISTRY
Chemistry is becoming very important these days ! If you are comfortable then you can attempt these questions or else it is advisable to leave this section.
However it would be prudent to prepare the following:-
- Basic Gas laws/ Thermodynamics / Entropy , Gibbs Free Energy / Enthalpy ( ∆G ; ∆S ; ∆ H )
- Important concepts of Organic chemistry ( Hybridization / SN1 SN2 reaction )
- In organic chemistry – Periodic Table ( Ionisation / electron affinity )
Illustration with Questions
A reaction is spontaneous when
(A) ΔG = -ve (B) ΔH = -ve (C) ΔS = +ve (D) ΔS = -ve
- Geometry of SF4 is
(A) square planar (B) tetrahedral (C) octahedral (D) see-saw
- The strongest electropositive element is
(A) Cs (B) Li (C) Mg (D) K
- Conversion of CH3C = CH to CH3CH = CH2 needs
(A) Lindlar catalyst (B) H2Pd (C) NaBH4 (D) LiAlH4
- Conversion of RBr to RMgBr requires
(A) Mgdry etherN2 -atmosphere
(B) Mg/moist etherN2 -atmosphere
(C) Mgethanol/N2 -atmosphere
(D) Mgdry ether/O2–atmosphere
- The fastest SN1 reaction is of the followings :
(A) MeO – CH2-Cl (B).Me-CH2-Cl
O
II
(C) Me-C-CH2-Cl (D) Ph-CH2-CH2-Cl
PHYSICS
From my school ( Don Bosco) days PHYSICS has been my most favourite subject! Questions from this section is relatively easier and aspirants who want to clear prelims CANNOT AFFORD TO MISS THIS SECTION !
Focus on the following sections :-
- Units & measurements – Basic dimensions
- Force ; Pressure ,Upthrust , Archimedes principle
- Application of Surface Tension , Bernoulis Theorem , Viscosity , Heat & Thermodynamics
- Light specially Refraction , Scattering of light , Total internal reflection , Interference , Polarization
- RADAR , SONAR , sound , Harmonics
- MODERN PHYSICS α rays β rays ϒrays
- Radioactivity , Nuclear Fission , Fusion etc
Illustration with questions:-
The material used for safety from nuclear radiation is
(A) Copper (B) Platinum (C) Iron (D) Lead
- The electric appliances in a house are connected
(A) in series (B) in parallel (C) either in series or in parallel. (D) both in series and in parallel.
- The immersed portion of a piece of pure ice floating in water is
(A) 8/9th of its volume. (B) 9/10th of its volume. (C) 10/11th of its volume. (D) 11/12th of its volume.
- ‘Red’ is used as a danger signal because
(A) blood is red.
(B) red light is scattered least by the air molecules.
(C) redcolour is easily available.
(D) redcolour is soothing for eye.
- A shaving brush is dipped in water. When taken out the hairs of the brush are seen to be drawn together due to
(A) surface tension of water.
(B) viscosity of water.
(C) elasticity of the hairs of the brush.
(D) temperature difference between air and water.
- A body is acted upon by two unequal forces in opposite directions, but not in one line. The effect is that the body will have
(A) only rotational motion.
(B) only translational motion.
(C) neither the rotational nor the translational motion.
(D) rotational as well as translational motion.
- ‘RADAR’ stands for
(A) Radio Detection and Ranging
(B) Ready Advanced Appliance for Ranging
(C) Range Detection Appliance for Airplane Ranging
(D) Ready Advanced Airplane Ranging
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ( TECHNOLOGY PART )
Focus on key concept like :-
- WIMAX
- Web search engines
- GSM , CDMA technologies
- Mobile Technologies 4G etc
- IPV4, IPV6 etc
- Key terms related to computer science RAM , SRAM , EPROM
- Bits , nibble , byte
- Spam , virus , cookies
- LCD , LED OLEDetc
POLITY – CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
POLITY & CONSTITUTION OF INDIA has been one of my strongest point.
They key to excel in this section is to be THOROUGH with ARTICLES, AMMENDMENTS and their significance.
Important points that aspirants need to be well versed with:-
- Historical background –Making of our Constitution
- PREAMBLE – importance & significance of KEY TERMS
- SCHEDULES & PARTS OF THE CONSTITUTION
- IMPORTANT ARTICLES
- IMPORTANT CASES like Keshavnanda , Golaknath, etc
- IMPORTANT AMMENDMENTS like 42nd , 44th , 84th, 91st, 97th ,100, 101stetc
The key is to relate between IMPORTANT ARTICLES, RELATED AMMENDMENTS & ASSOCIATED CASES & their significance.
Illustration with questions
Q1) The Supreme Court held, that forcing a person to undergo polygraph, brain mapping and narco analysis tests, as violative of
(A) Article 25 (B) Article 20 (C) Article 21 and article 20(3) (D) Article 360
Q2) To pass a Money Bill in the Parliament which of the following is not necessary ?
(A) Approval of the LokSabha
(B) Approval of the Finance Minister
(C) Approval of the RajyaSabha
(D) None of the above
ECONOMICS – INDIAN ECONOMY
ECONOMICS has been my favourite subject. A sound knowledge of economics is a sine-qua non not only from the exam point of view but also for the sound understanding of INDIAN ECONOMY.
Though this section is one of the most scoring section , but often the most neglected. Most of the students abhor and detest ECONOMICS because they conjure tough , theoretical concepts related to economics.
However students fail to realize that WBCS is not just about tough theoretical conceptual questions.
A lion’s share of the questions comes from INDIAN ECONOMY& ROLES , FUNCTIONS of RBI. Hence sound knowledge of few key concepts will help you to ace this section !
- “Repo-rate”/”Reverse Repo rate”
- CRR, SLR etc
- National Income /GDP , GDP at factor cost
- Terms & concepts like Broad Money M3, M2 etc
- LIBOR , Bear, Bull
- Functions of RBI
- Taxes ( Direct / Indirect ) GST
- RESIDEX, SEZ, AGMARK , schemes/ Yojna like CAPART/TRYSEM, Mid day meal etc
- Economic Liberalization
- Planning ( 5 Year plans) its chronology , key terms associated with it
- Key concepts related to institutions like NABARD, SEBI, IRDA, EXIM etc
Illustrations with questions:-
- The service sector of India generates more than
(A) 33% of GDP (B) 40% of GDP (C) 42 % of GDP (D) 50% of GDP
- In terms of population India ranks second in the world, while in terms of area India ranks
(A) first (B) second (C) seventh (D) eighth
- The first railway line of India was operationalised in 1853 between
(A) Howrah and Delhi (B) Bombay and Thane (C) Howrah and Bombay (D) None of the above
- The unorganised sector of India is characterised by
(A) more currency transactions (B) more bank transactions. (C) more barter transactions. (D) more foreign exchange transactions.
- More than 50% of the working population in India depend on
(A) the primary sector. (B) the public sector. (C) the tertiary sector. (D) the industrial sector.
- The largest contributor to the gross domestic savings of India is
(A) the household sector. (B) the private corporate sector. (C) the public sector. (D) the foreign sector.
- ‘AGMARK’ is related to
(A) industry (B) the Indian Railways (C) agricultural goods (D) agricultural finance
- ‘Economic Reforms’ were introduced in India in
(A) 1989 (B) 1990 (C) 1991 (D) 1992
- The Special Economic Zones Act was passed by the Indian Parliament in 2005 and the Act came into force in
(A) 2006 (B) 2009 (C) 2014 (D) 2016
- In India the Repo rate is announced by
(A) the Ministry of Finance, Government of India
(B) the Prime Minister of India
(C) the Reserve Bank of India
(D) the President of India
- In India non-agricultural income tax is
(A) levied by the Centre and fully distributed among the States.
(B) levied by the States.
(C) levied and appropriated by the Centre.
(D) levied by the Centre and shared with the States.
- The objective of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2004 is
(A) to reduce revenue deficit.
(B) to reduce fiscal deficit.
(C) to ensure that public debt does not exceed 50% of the GDP of the year from 2011.
(D) All of the above
CURRENT AFFAIRS:-
Sound knowledge of news related to national and international importance for the last one year is a must. Be thorough with NEWSPAPERS. Develop a healthy habit of reading atleast two – three newspapers (Bengali+English).
You need to be well-versed with not only national but also important international happenings related to World economy , environment , Important Geo-political developments , International – relations, Indian –Diaspora , Latest inventions , discovery in the sphere of Bio technology , Science Technology etc
CONCLUDING NOTES
“There is a higher court than courts of justice and that is the court of conscience. It supersedes all other courts.”
-Mahatma Gandhi
Don’t ever give up on yourself! I must admit that fear and failure are my friends. They knock me down on my knees and from there my growth starts like a“phoenix bird who rises again from the ashes”. Like our muscles grow , when we strain our muscles in gym similarly we as an individual will also grow when we strain our selves and endure tough times ! I repeat that examinations like WBCS is not just another exam but a process through which we ultimately learn , imbibe and acquire leadership and a plethora of other positive qualities.
The rigors of this demanding exam enlightens us from within , so that we become real leaders and serve our motherland with honesty , integrity , zest and enthusiasm! During your preparation phase you must put in all your efforts and be true to your conscience. Take ownership and LEAD TO VICTORY !
I will end with abeautiful definition of life from Bhagavad Gita:-
What is Life
Life is an Adventure … Dare it
Life is a Beauty … Praise it
Life is a Challenge … Meet it
Life is a Duty … Perform it
Life is a Love … Enjoy it
Life is a Tragedy … Face it
Life is a Struggle … Fight it
Life is a Promise … Fulfill it
Life is a Game … Play it
Life is a Gift … Accept it
Life is a Journey … Complete it
Life is a Mystery … Unfold it
Life is a Goal … Achieve it
Life is an Opportunity … Take it
Life is a Puzzle … Solve it
Life is a Song … Sing it
Life is a Sorrow … Overcome it
Life is a Spirit … Realize it
—The Bhagavad Gita
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