Will UPSC Prelims 2020 be postponed due to the Coronavirus threat?

Will UPSC Prelims 2020 be postponed due
to the Coronavirus threat?

Will UPSC Prelims 2020 be postponed as a precautionary
measure against Covid-19 threat?

UPSC has postponed the Civil Services Examination 2019-20 interviews
until further orders.

As per current scenario we all that INDIA is dealing with a very huge problem that's
why our honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji all states  of India has been
lock-down for 21 day as precaution which is very good initiative taken by our government
and we are thankful for this according to this lock-down only shops and services of
essential things will be continued rest all are shut-down and people are asked to stay
in their homes and asked not to come out without any major problem.

This prompted many aspirants to speculate that UPSC CSE Prelims 2020, scheduled to be conducted on May 31, 2020, will also be postponed.

Will UPSC Prelims 2020 be postponed due to the Coronavirus threat? 

Table of Contents

·   Will UPSC Prelims 2020 be postponed?

·   Update: Nation-wide lock-down: How will this affect UPSC CSE Prelims 2020?

·   Right strategy: Prepare as if the exam will not be postponed

·   Don’t waste the additional time you get now

·   Don’t lose focus

Will UPSC Prelims 2020 be postponed?

Update: When we initially created this post (on March 30, 2020), there were
62 days until May 31, 2020 (Date of UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Exam
2020).

At that time, we mentioned that if India succeeds in preventing the community
/epidemic spread of Covid-19, things should be back to normal by May 31.

However, we also hinted UPSC aspirants to foresee the possibility of Prelims
2020 to get postponed.

Update: Nation-wide lock-down: How will this affect
UPSC CSE Prelims 2020?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a 21-day nation-wide lock-down from
March 25th, 2020.

This means that the whole of India will be in lockdown at-least until April 15,
2020.

Even when lockdown ends, it will take more time for India and the rest of the
world to be back to normal.

The priority action item for UPSC when things become normal would be to
complete the postponed UPSC CSE Interviews of 2019. That process itself
may take at least an additional 10 days of time (if the board-strength remains
the same as before).

Will UPSC Prelims 2020 be postponed due to the Coronavirus threat?

Once the CSE Interviews of 2019 is over, it would take 1 week for UPSC to
come up with the final results of UPSC CSE 2019. The cut-off mark declaration
and the release of marks of all candidates who attempted Prelims, Mains, and
Interview are processes which usually happen within 2 weeks since the
declaration of the final result.

By doing an analysis of the time required for each of these processes, one can
assume that it would be at least May 15, 2020, when the Commission finishes
all the processes of UPSC CSE 2019.

Will UPSC stick to its timetable and conduct Prelims 2020 on May 31 2020,
then?

In our opinion, analysing the current situation, it is highly unlikely.

Though no announcement has come from the side of UPSC, there is a
reasonable probability that Prelims 2020 will be rescheduled to be conducted
in June 2020 or later (remember, Preliminary exam was conducted in the month
of August in 2015 and 2016).

Covid-19 has affected the preparation of UPSC aspirants. Because of
lockdown, aspirants are not even able to purchase books (even Amazon is facing
constraints in delivering hard-copies of books now). Also, because of the
closure of educational institutes, and displacement from hostels, the routine
preparation of many aspirants is affected.

We can hope that UPSC will analyse all the factors and make a suitable decision
soon.

Right strategy: Prepare as if the exam will not be
postponed

Having mentioned the possibility of deferment, aspirants should not relax now.
Don’t take anything for granted. As per the official UPSC notification, the date
of Civil Services Preliminary Exam 2020 is May 31, 2020.

UPSC has not yet announced any plans of deferment of UPSC Prelims 2020.
That means May 31, 2020, is still the date of the exam.

So, all aspirants should prepare as if the exams will be conducted as per the
previously announced schedule.

Incase UPSC postpones Prelims later, this strategy will ensure that you will
get additional time for revision.

Will UPSC Prelims 2020 be postponed due to the Coronavirus threat?

Don’t waste the additional time you get now

In every crisis, there is an opportunity!

This is a rare opportunity for those seriously who dream to be a civil service
officer.

All aspirants are now on an equal footing now.

Coaching institutes don’t have an advantage or any major role to play now.

Almost all of the IAS aspirants are now confined to home, learning from
websites like ClearIAS.com. As all other activities like travel, work etc are
locked up, aspirants have extra time on their hands.

Those who make the best out of this situation will emerge as winners and
leaders.

Don’t lose focus

Stay out of confusions and speculations.

Whether Prelims 2020 will be postponed or not, use this time to revise the
resources you missed (Eg: Mock Exams, Text-books).

Remember that your only focus should be to get at least 70 questions correct
in the UPSC Prelims 2020 – ie. 120 marks out 200 – to clear the cut-off marks
comfortably.

Stick to your timetable as per the 100 days Action Plan to Clear IAS Prelims.

Use your time wisely, and prepare with an extra focus for Prelims 2020.

Stay safe, and remember that your efforts now will determine your destiny.

Top 5 priority items for you to finish before UPSC
Prelims 2020

We have already written about the top priority items for smart aspirants who
love to do smart work – and get the highest Return on Investment (RoI) in
minimum time.