UPSC 2020 Questions vs ClearIAS 2020 Questions

A comparison of UPSC 2020 Questions vs ClearIAS 2020 Questions (Prelims) will help IAS aspirants understand the importance of Return on Investment (RoI).

Every year, after the Civil Services Preliminary Examination, we analyse the UPSC question paper. We also review ClearIAS study materials, mock exams, techniques, and strategies.

The purpose of our analysis is to learn and understand the new trends in the UPSC question paper. This also helps us to adapt ClearIAS mock exams and study materials according to the latest requirements of UPSC. We believe this process is necessary to guide aspirants who trust us, in the right direction.

Questions in UPSC CSE Prelims 2020 which could have been answered from ClearIAS Prelims Test Series and study materials

There were many questions in UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2020 which could have been answered using ClearIAS Prelims Test Series, Study Materials, and Techniques.

Download the UPSC 2020 vs ClearIAS 2020 comparison PDF. In this PDF, we have given the question-by-question comparison with respect to UPSC and ClearIAS resources (with screenshots).

We don’t claim 90/100 questions were from our resources!

Unlike some coaching institutes and test prep platforms, ClearIAS does not make claims that 90 or 100 questions in UPSC CSE Question paper were directly asked from our mock question papers. First, it would be dishonest from our end to make such high-claims. Second, we know that UPSC does not directly pick questions from any coaching materials.

However, we do the reverse process. We examine how many questions in UPSC CSE Prelims could have been answered (directly or indirectly) if aspirants followed ClearIAS Study-materials, mock exams, or techniques. We compile such questions with screenshots for new aspirants to understand and analyse. This is not an easy task. But still, we do it, every year. This PDF is a compilation of such an exercise.

For our team, it is a highly time-consuming process to go through all ClearIAS materials line by line to find relevant questions that could be answered from our sources. In this PDF, we have only included the questions which we found similar on a quick review.

As you can see in this PDF, while some UPSC questions could be completely answered correctly from ClearIAS study materials, a few other questions could only be partially solved. Nevertheless, in UPSC Prelims, eliminating a few options dramatically increase the chance of getting it right. For maximum transparency, we have attached the screenshots.

Our focus is to reduce aspirants’ burden not to increase it!

ClearIAS value the time of aspirants.

We provide only the most relevant study-materials which can be covered by aspirants within the limited time-frame they have before exams – but sufficient to clear the exam by securing high marks. That’s the reason why we focus more on the test-based approach, which we found as a faster-way to learn.

What differentiates ClearIAS from most other UPSC test prep platforms is that our study materials give the right balance to static topics and current affairs. We don’t copy-paste everything from The Hindu newspaper, PIB, or Wikipedia and present it as our notes. We believe that reading a quality newspaper for 30 minutes and making self-notes is 100% more effective than depending on ‘daily-newspaper-gist’ provided by coaching institutes. We don’t spoon-feed aspirants, as that will kill the natural ability of aspirants to think and analyse.

“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime” – this is our motto.

Return on Investment (RoI)

Do you know that the highest fees ClearIAS charges for any of the product or service is just Rs.4999 (for the last 8 years)?

Yes. You heard it right.

When the expensive classroom programs of many coaching institutes with fees of Rs.1 lakh and above fail to help candidates clear UPSC Prelims, the affordable online programs of ClearIAS create wonders.

No, we have nothing against any coaching institute. It’s not the philosophy of ClearIAS to grow by belittling the efforts of others. There are quality players in every segment. What we are trying to communicate is that ClearIAS is one of the players which provides the best Return on Investment (RoI).

We are pioneers in online learning who created confidence in thousands of aspirants that they can clear IAS exam by self-study and affordable online programs. As a high-quality affordable online test-prep platform, ClearIAS is loved by all sections of the society.

Also, we are not saying that everyone who enrols in ClearIAS programs clears UPSC exam. Everyone cannot win every time. As you can imagine, as the seats are limited, only serious candidates who regularly learn, revise, and practise by following our guidance will cross the cut-off.

Another aspect to point now is the high repeated enrollment ratio in ClearIAS Prelims Test Series. This shows the trust our users place on ClearIAS. It also points to the user satisfaction level. Very often, those users who missed the cut-off turn repeated subscribers of ClearIAS after realising the value of our services. Also, toppers subscriber us again when they try to improve their rank next year. This, we have seen hundreds of times in the last 5 years.

Our regular followers know that ClearIAS is not a platform which dumbs all news-materials as study-materials to claim that all questions came from our resources. When many coaching institutes give over-emphasis on current affairs and unload 50000+ pages of irrelevant study materials and questions, we provide only focussed notes, questions, or techniques. We don’t oversupply study materials just to claim high hit-ratio.

We believe in focused learning. We believe in the right guidance. We believe in the best Return on Investment (RoI).

An approach rooted in conceptual understanding

UPSC question paper 2020 was unconventional when compared to previous years. However, any serious aspirant who religiously followed ClearIAS Study materials, mock exams, and techniques could have scored way about the cut-off score this year as well like in the previous years. This is because ClearIAS give room for uncertainties in the UPSC exam pattern or trends.

Weightage given by UPSC to different topics can change every year. The need of the hour is the approach rooted in conceptual understanding. ClearIAS focus on that.

ClearIAS core resources:

ClearIAS follows a TTT Approach (Text-books, Test-series, and Techniques). Our core resources are the following.

• ClearIAS Prelims Test Series (4000 questions)
• ClearIAS Current Affairs Capsules (2000+ questions)
• ClearIAS Most Probable Prelims Questions (1500+ questions)
• ClearIAS FREE online notes
• ClearIAS 20 Intelligent Elimination Techniques Video Class (3-hour)
• ClearIAS Books (IJTTI and IATTI)

While we often say that there are no short-cuts to success, covering these resources does not take much time. The more mock questions you practise and revise, the more closer you are to the UPSC cut-off score.

Consistent track-record of ClearIAS

Due to the difficulty level of the UPSC question paper, nobody scores 200/200 marks in Prelims. That’s not needed either, as UPSC Prelims marks are not counted for final ranking.

What you need in UPSC Preliminary Exam is a comfortable score above the UPSC cut-off – which was only around 98/200 in the last 2 years. This should not be a difficult task for any serious follower of ClearIAS. Many followers of ClearIAS score 120’s and 130’s in UPSC Prelims.

On a quick analysis, this year too, we feel 100+ marks could be easily scored if a candidate closely followed ClearIAS resources, techniques, and advises. This has been a consistent trend since 2015 when we launched ClearIAS Prelims Online Mock Test Series.

• UPSC 2019 vs ClearIAS 2019 – Questions Comparison
• UPSC 2018 vs ClearIAS 2018 – Questions Comparison
• UPSC 2017 vs ClearIAS 2017 – Questions Comparison
• UPSC 2016 vs ClearIAS 2016 – Questions Comparison

While we are happy about our consistent success, we think that the role of any mentor or coaching institute in the success of any candidate is only a maximum of 40%. The rest 60% of the effort has to come from the side of the candidate.

ClearIAS aim to help aspirants clear UPSC Prelims no matter how difficult the Commission set the question paper. Our philosophy is to save the time and effort of aspirants by providing the most relevant questions and study materials.

Now, there are thousands of IAS coaching institutes and UPSC test-prep platforms in India.

We congratulate you for realising that ClearIAS is different.

We thank you for trusting ClearIAS.

Prepare focussed. You will succeed. All the best!

Download the Question-by-Question comparison PDF.