This year’s GS Prelims paper was on expected lines as predicted by IES Master. The question paper was not so lengthy, but it tested your abilities to stay focussed while going through questions-options. The key was not arriving on to the right answer immediately after reading question but to patiently read through all the provided options. And, more importantly in doing so maintaining the cool and calm by avoiding any preconceived notion, and then choosing the right answer.
View ESE (IES) 2020 Prelims Question Paper-I and Detailed Solutions
On count of language, the keywords of the question were put directly without putting in a twisting phrase before or after the keyword. However, it is not to say that general attributes were missing, especially with the assertion-reasoning questions. This year assertion and reasoning questions were less in number and only 4 questions were asked in the exam.
The line of questioning in Environment and ICT this year was slightly more ambitious in terms of keeping you updated with the news in general.
Environment Questions were moderate with one or two tough questions related to pollution and Ecosystem. 12 questions were asked in this year.
Questions from ICT were easy to moderate, but were tricky in nature. 12 questions were asked mainly focussing on Networking, ICT in education and learning and E-Governance.
UPSC has a tried and tested formula when it comes to setting up the questions and topping it up with the Current Issues concerning the Indian economy and economics. So, it would have been easier for students who would have spread the GS preparation across the year, and kept updating it with the terms related to economics and finance. Topics related to political and social issues were missing.
Current issues questions were tough in general and 8 questions were asked.
The weightage of the questions was almost equal and not in line with the previous year. The static subjects did not throw any surprise, and the students who would have browse through the IES Master classroom content and study material would have easily arrived upon the right answers. Subjects such as Project Management were moderate to tough, and called in linear thought process, extensively discussed and rehearsed in IES Master Classrooms. In total, 12 questions were asked in Project Management.
With regard to questions from Material Science, and Design and Drawing subjects, patience was to be exercised in connecting the dimensions in which the examiner tried to relate the keyword in questions. The key was going through one option at a time, and treating them as independent questions, and then arriving upon the right statements, and getting on to the right answer. It was indeed demanding and checking on the stability of the nerves of ESE 2020 aspirants.
The questions asked in Material Science were easy to moderate and in total 10 questions were asked.
The level of questions asked in Design, drawing and safety were moderate to difficult and in total 10 questions were asked.
Coming on to Ethics, the impression was that of arriving upon to the closest option without unnecessarily over thinking and over consumption of time. Easier said than done the Ethics section this year demanded a tremendous amount of practice in building up an objective approach, and brought forth the sanctity of IES Master Test Series.
The questions asked in Ethics were easy to moderate and few questions were straight forward.
In total, 6 questions were asked in the exam.
Questions from Mathematics and Aptitude in ESE Prelims 2020 did not have any multilevel complexity, and were in fact simple and straight, not calling for any unconventional approach.
In Maths, the questions asked were not lengthy but were moderate to tough.
In Aptitude, the questions asked were straight forward and easy in nature.
In total, 20 questions were asked in Maths and Aptitude.
Lastly, in Quality, 10 questions were asked which were of moderate difficulty.
Finally, As per paper analysis by our subject experts, Good score of this paper should be 85-90 marks.
