Selfstudyhistory.com’s interview of Abhinav Kumar (Rank-345/CSE-2017) [History Optional]
Profile and Educational Background of the Candidate
|
Name |
ABHINAV KUMAR |
| Rank in Civil Services Exam 2017 | 345 |
| Roll Number | 0387573 |
| Age | 29 |
| Total attempts in Civil Services Examination (including present one) | 5 |
| Optional Subject | HISTORY |
| Medium for History Optional | ENGLISH |
| Marks in History Optional in Earlier Examinations (Mention marks in Paper I and II) |
2016 CSM: PAPER 1: 113 PAPER 2: 155) 2017 CSM: PAPER I: 132, PAPER II: 154 |
|
Home town/village |
SAHIBGANJ, JHARKHAND |
| Any past Work-experience | 2 YEARS (SOFTWARE COMPANIES)
1 YEAR – IRS C&CE |
|
Were you preparing full time or working and preparing? |
FULL TIME |
| Your place of preparation | DELHI |
|
Details of any coaching for History Optional |
NO COACHING |
| Educational Background | |
|
Percentage marks in class X |
94.4 |
| Percentage marks in class XII | 80.6 |
| Name of the subject in Graduation course and percentage marks | 7.88 |
| Name of college of graduation and place | BIT MESRA |
| Passing out year | 2011 |
| Post-graduation if any | NO |
| Did your educational Background helped in History Optional? |
NO |
Questions Related to History Optional
Why did you choose history as your optional subject?
- IT IS AN INTERESTING SUBJECT. IT WOULD HAVE HELPED ME IN COVERING SYLLABUS OF GS PAPER I. ALSO I FELT THAT COACHING WAS NOT REQUIRED FOR IT.
Mention positive and negative about the History Optional for those who what to take history optional.
- POSITIVE : INTERESTING AND SELF STUDY MAINLY REQUIRED HERE
- NEGATIVE : SYLLABUS IS TOO VAST WITH NO FIXED SOURCES TO REFER
Mention booklist and sources which you followed for History Optional.
- Ancient – NCERT RS Sharma and Upinder Singh
- Medieval- NCERT Satish chandra, 2 ignou
- Modern- NCERT bipin chandra, Sekhar bandhopadhyaya, GROVER & MEHTA
- World- NCERT, NORMAN LOWE, L. MUKHERJEE
- FOR ALL THE ABOVE I HAVE REFERRED WRITTEN NOTES OF COACHING AND MADE NOTES MYSELF USING COACHING NOTES , BOOKS AND INTERNET (INCLUDING selfstudyhistory.com, Baliyan notes)
How did you prepare for Map Portion?
- MAINLY CHECKING SITES ONLINE AND POINTING THEM OUT IN MAP AS NOTES MYSELF. DISCUSSION WITH FRIENDS AND REFERRING TO SITES LIKE selfstudyhistory.com HELPED ME IN THIS REGARD.
How much time per day you used to give the history optional during your preparation (both before and after prelims)?
- BEFORE PRELIMS AT LEAST 2-3 HOURS ( NOT DURING THE LAST MONTH BEFORE PRELIMS)
- AFTER PRELIMS : EVERYDAY 2-3 HOURS AND AT TIMES WHOLE DAY TOO DEPENDING UPON REQUIREMENT.
Did you do answer writing regularly? If yes, what amount of time you devoted to it and how did it help you?
- WROTE ANSWERS SOMETIMES BUT QUESTION DISCUSSIONS WITH FRIENDS NEARLY ON A DAILY BASIS.
Did you maintain self-notes? If yes, how did it help you?
- YES I HAVE A HABIT OF MAKING NOTES FOR EVERYTHING SO I COLLECTED DIFFERENT MATERIALS AND MADE NOTES MYSELF. IT HELPED ME QUICKLY ACTING UPON THE QUESTIONS DURING EXAM AND WRITE ANSWERS IN A DESIRED FORMAT.
Have you solved previous years papers of history optional? Did it help you in the examination?
- IT HELPS US TO KNOW HOW TO WRITE AN ANSWER AND IT IS A MUST FOR EVERYONE.
In your views, how the nature of questions asked in history optional changed in recent years?
- THERE ARE NO DIRECT QUESTIONS. ONE NEEDS TO APPLY MIND AND USE INFORMATION JUDICIOUSLY IN THE LIMITED SPACE.
Did you take any help from selfstudyhistory.com? If yes, upto what extent it helped you.
- YES
- FOR MAP POINTING.
- PREVIOUS YEARS ANSWERS.
Any specific thing you want to share about history optional?
- TO EVERYONE WHO IS PREPARING WITH HISTORY OPTIONAL,THIS IS WHAT I CAN SUGGEST FROM TO MY EXPERIENCES
- DO MAKE NOTES.
- NOT ONLY READ BUT WRITE AND DISCUSS ANSWERS WITH FRIENDS.
- AFTER PRELIMS EVERYDAY AT LEAST 20 MAP POINTING HAS TO BE DONE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE SITE.
