11 – Doing Multiple Revisions of the Syllabus Effectively

Last Updated on May 12, 2025 by Admin

Revision is the cornerstone of UPSC preparation. Without repeated reinforcement, new knowledge tends to fade quickly. In the very first article in this series of UPSC Prelims Strategy, we talked about schedule for multiple revisions of the syllabus. Later, one of our article also talked about two types of revisions i.e. regular revision, and revision through mock tests.

However, one more important aspect of preparation that still needs to be addressed is – How to do multiple revisions of the syllabus effectively. It is common observation that students feel each subsequent revision is becoming more and more boring, and adding lesser value to their overall preparation. Sometimes students also complain that the revisions take as much time as first reading… and are difficult to manage. Then, there are questions like how to make short notes, mind maps, and so on.

In this article, we will try to address everything about the topic. This will give you a much needed clarity as to HOW multiple revisions needs to be done which ensures that you are able to reap maximum benefit in actual exam.

Why Multiple Revisions Matter

Most of us don’t remember what we studied during our graduation. Many won’t even recall the names of subject we had in those years. It is common observation that without repetition, we tend to forget.

This matters all the more in an exam like UPSC-CSE, where most of the subjects are factual than conceptual. Humanities subjects cannot be understood like sciences or mathematics, where once you go deep, understand issue to the core, it’s very easy to recall later. In subjects like history and polity, even brightest of minds must revise in order to recall things when you need them.

If you don’t revisit what you have study, you can lose 70-80% of it in just weeks. You may have best of the sources, but if you don’t revise them, you are not better than a student who doesn’t have any notes at all.

On contrary, when you revise your sources repeatedly, each pass at your sources makes a topic familiar. By the third or fourth read, you’ll find many facts and concepts come to you naturally. Further, revisions work irrespective of your aptitude. This is also the reason that even a ‘12^th fail’ student can clear the ‘toughest exam in the world’.

First Reading: Laying the Foundation

From first reading, it is expected that you will develop a good understanding of subject, make additional notes wherever necessary and also set boundaries for what you intend to revise again and again.

For first reading, we recommend sticking to the basic books on each subject. Simultaneously, you should also read PYQs on each topic. The recommended SOP (standard operating procedure) is:

1. Reading PYQs on a particular topic first
2. Reading the topic from standard source, followed by
3. Reading PYQs again and trying to mentally answer them. 

Also, keep in mind that the purpose of referring PYQs at this stage is just to get acquainted with the way UPSC asks questions. You should not pressure yourselves too much to get them correct. The purpose of trying to mentally answer them is just so that you will think deep about questions, and in process understand the mindset of UPSC.

Also, you will come across PYQs that cannot be answered on basis of what you’ve read. It can either happen for questions related to a particular topic (which is not nicely covered in your resources), or few exceptional PYQs. In any case, we recommend moving on to the next topic and not bothering yourselves about non-answered questions. (We will deal with this in 2^nd reading).

The purpose of neglecting non-answered question is, NOT TO GET STUCK. In first reading, our understanding of the subject is still not sufficient, and trying to get to the root of things will result in wastage of time.

Further, limiting your resources (choosing only a few standard books) is crucial to ensure you’re able to do multiple revisions. In fact, multiple revisions are possible only when your sources are limited. Fewer sources mean you can cycle through the material faster each time, reinforcing core content rather than getting lost in extra books.

The most important achievement of the first reading should be that YOU COMPLETE IT, and do not get distracted in between. By the end of first reading, you would have completed around 80% of the syllabus, and that is fine. Trying to cover 100% in first reading itself can burn you out. UPSC preparation is like a marathon, and should be respected like that. Trying to get ahead of yourselves will only hurt your chances.

To give an analogy of construing a house, first reading is like laying down, base, columns and slab (the concrete structure) of the house. The walls aren’t up yet, but the structure is taking shape, and you’re on right course.

Second Reading: Building the Walls

Second reading is where the magic happens. You develop very good understanding of all the subjects, you are able to make lot of connections, and your sources become almost comprehensive.

During second reading, the SOP you will follow will be similar to the first reading i.e. Reading PYQs, reading notes and then reading PYQs again. However, in this stage, you will try to answer every PYQ correctly.

For PYQs you have read about in your books, but are not able to answer, you should go back to your sources and try to understand what’s wrong with your understanding. Improve accordingly.

For PYQs which are not covered in your notes, try to see from where they were asked.

1. If it’s a question which is based on current affairs (of the year when Q was originally asked), then you can just understand the issue, note it down under relevant section in your sources and move on.
2. If the question is on a topic that is not covered in your sources, just understand it by doing a bit of online research, add to your sources under relevant section, and move on.
3. If there are good number of similar questions that are not getting covered in your basic book(s), you may need to refer additional material for that particular topic.
   1. You can either refer online sources and make your own notes for that topic. This can be supplementary to your existing notes/books.
   1. Or, you can refer a different book only for this particular topic. In this case, also remember to revise this particular topic from this second book for subsequent revisions.

This way, you will ensure that your sources are becoming more and more comprehensive and are covering all of PYQs. Try your best to to keep your sources limited. Every new source added drains your focus and energy.

This stage should also be accompanied by subject-wise mock tests which will do its own value addition to your preparation. We’ve dealt with this topic in detailed manner in article about Subject Wise Mock Tests.

By the end of 2^nd reading – YOUR NOTES WILL BE COMPEHENSIVE. Plus, since you’ve done two readings of subject, your understanding would also have improved a lot, and you would have developed a lot of interlinkages.

Second reading is like building walls to the already built structure. The house is now liveable, but still not perfect.. again, you’re on the right path.

Third reading onwards.. you perfect the house. You do the plumbing, electricity, paint the walls, fit in the tiles, put curtains.. and the house becomes ready to live in!

Third Reading: Installing Utilities and Finishing Touches

Third reading is actually more of a recalling, than reading. In this, your purpose should be active recall and selective reviewing rather than fresh reading. The goal is to check that you really remember what’s in your notes.

This way, third reading does not take as much time as first and second reading does.

You should take the subject book in front of you and refer to the heading and subheading in each topic. After looking at them, you should mentally try to recall what all things are covered under that, what are regular bits of knowledge and what are exceptions, specific bits which you might have highlighted. You can also try to write things down, or speak aloud to check your memory. This forces your brain to retrieve information.

You shouldn’t re-read every sentence at this stage. “Third reading” should be mostly mental recall, so it takes much less time than the first two readings. In other words, look at a topic, retrieve it mentally, and only glance at the text to correct or reinforce. Sometimes, just a hint, that you remember it – is enough to assure you, and you can move on.

You can also add visual cues (diagrams, flowcharts, bullet points) to tricky sections now. If certain dates or numbers slip your mind, attach a mnemonic or make a list in the margin for fast scanning later.

By the end of this revision, your knowledge house is fully finished inside. You’ve checked every corner and made sure the “utilities” are working. You should feel confident that you can recall virtually everything and you are ready for the exam.

Fourth Reading Onwards: Maintenance Mode

After the first three passes, additional revisions become maintenance work – like routine inspections to ensure no leaks or cracks form. A house left unattended will deteriorate; similarly, knowledge fades if not periodically refreshed.

By this point, don’t try to learn new topics. Fourth and fifth revisions should focus only on what’s already in your notes. Revisit headings and recall as you did in the third pass. Continue solving mock tests. When a question stumps you, add that missing piece to your notes move on.

By staying on top of these brush-ups, you preserve the gains from the first three readings and arrive at exam day fully prepared.

Final Revision: Final Inspection Before the Exam

The last revision should be done, 2 days before the exam. A final inspection of your preparation. This is akin to a housewarming check: you check all the doors, buttons and taps, and make sure everything is set.

Irrespective of where you are in your stage of preparation, 2 days before exam should be exclusively kept for revision of your notes. This is the most important of all the revisions, and whatever you’ve done before, this stage can make or break your selection.

In these two days, you should give roughly 3 hours for each subject and go through the content of it. It’s similar to 3^rd revision, but done a lot faster. You don’t recall everything bit by bit, but just bring it to the surface in the ocean of your brain. Since you’ve done first, second and third readings, everything is stored in your memory. However, this revision ensures that everything is available at surface, in your cache memory, for quick retrieval.

Do not learn anything new in these two days, just revise what you’ve read so far. There is no need to solve any mock test either since it won’t do as much value addition as revision will do.

These last two days is crux of your preparation. It’s like a day before the battle, where you don’t learn anything new but just need to ensure that no mistake happens on D-day.

If done systematically, this stage will ensure that your name appears in the list, and you get a golden chance to write CSE Mains.

Conclusion

Building UPSC success is a marathon of steady work. By following a clear, phased strategy, you’ll gradually transform a pile of information into a strong, resilient structure. Please know that revision isn’t punishment, it’s your best friend in this journey. Keep faith in the process. With each pass, you’re one step closer to seeing your efforts bear fruit. Best wishes!

Regards,
Abhijeet Pimparkar
Director, Education Province

Summary

Related Articles

We’ve written two more articles on the topic of dealing with GS and CSAT papers on exam day. I will highly recommend reading them, and incorporating them in mock tests itself.

1. Strategy for GS Paper
2. Strategy for CSAT Paper