Three-round strategy (recommended by toppers and coaching institutes):

Round 1 (First 60 minutes) — Confident questions only:

• Attempt questions where you know the answer or can eliminate 2+ options immediately
• Skip and mark (mentally or on rough sheet) any question causing >30 seconds delay
• Target: 80–100 questions attempted, ~60–65% accuracy = ~100 marks secured
• Subject sequence preference: Start with Polity (direct factual, quick), then History, Environment — avoid Economy first (calculations slow you)

Round 2 (Next 30 minutes) — Elimination questions:

• Return to skipped questions, apply EV logic
• For 50/50 toss-ups: attempt if your gut leans one way — intuition after months of study is better than random
• Target: Attempt 30–40 more questions

Round 3 (Final 30 minutes) — OMR and review:

• Transfer answers to OMR (if not marking directly) — allow 15–20 minutes
• Recheck any question where you circled a different option than you filled on OMR
• Do not revisit confident Round 1 answers — changing first instinct lowers accuracy by ~8% (well-documented in test-taking psychology)

OMR discipline: UPSC does not provide extra time for OMR. Several candidates have lost 20–30 marks by rushing OMR in the last 5 minutes. Toppers recommend filling OMR as you go in Round 1.