Group I aspirants find re-exam easier than leak-hit test last yr

HYDERABAD: The candidates who appeared for the Group 1 preliminary re-examination are a happy lot. The paper was relatively easy when compared with the one last year and scoring qualifying marks was likely to be a cakewalk for many, the candidates said.
"I felt that the standard of the question paper was more or less similar to the one in October 2022. However, many felt that this one was easier as there were many direct questions and most looked familiar," said Praveen, a candidate who appeared at a centre in Ibrahimpatnam.

Praveen, who had qualified in the test conducted on October 16 last year, said the paper will look much easier for those preparing for UPSC as most questions were about the country and only a few about Telangana.
Another candidate Manaswini Reddy, who also qualified in the last test, however, said that as most questions were factual it would really test a candidate's knowledge.
"Last time, even those with minimum preparation could have answered most of the questions. But this time unless a candidate had been focussed and prepared in detail, he or she could not have answered many correctly. Here, as questions were based on facts, either you knew or didn't knew the answer," said Manaswini, who wrote the test in Abdullahpurmet.
Some candidates, however, said they were more excited the last time, but after the paper leak fiasco did not even bother with the re-exam.
"After the paper leak, I did not feel like writing the exam. I have zero interest and decided to spend my time preparing for UPSC instead," said Naga Alekhya A, a candidate who registered but skipped the re-exam.
Many candidates said that the cut-off will be more or less like last time and anyone who managed to score over 70 will stand a chance to qualify. Coaching institutes also said that the paper was comparatively easier, especially for candidates preparing for a long time. "Usually, the screening test or preliminary is designed with the aim of rejecting the aspirants. However, this paper is refreshingly different and seeks to select the best and reduce them to a manageable number. Long, sustained, and focussed preparation is the key to success with such questions," said Gopalakrishna V, director, BrainTree