CatalystIAS Test Series

General FAQ's

Here are some frequently asked questions to help clarify our test portal.

What is success rate of Santosh Sir?

Santosh Sir has unique distinction of cracking all 6 CSE Prelims with huge margin.

Seeing his stupendous achievement and vast experience we can safely claim no one understands CSE Prelims better than Santosh Sir. He has developed unique insights into what UPSC expects in prelims. In 2019 he predicted many questions with his small list of important topics on quora

What is Test Based Mentorship Program?

The program is basically designed to guide aspirants who are relying on self-study to crack Prelims 2021. You will be provided a dedicated scientific plan for one year. The study plan is divided into three stages: NCERT Basic – Advanced Applied (Sectional)- Full Length (Stimulated tests on UPSC pattern)

How important is the mentorship program when it comes to CSE Preliminary Examination?

"Socrates mentored Plato, Plato mentored Aristotle, Aristotle mentored the Great Alexander and we all know that Alexander the Great almost conquered the entire world"

This quote signifies the role of an able guide and mentor behind every success story. The major motive of mentorship program is to help students plan their study and evaluate themselves on the standards of UPSC and eliminate the scope of errors at the final quest. Tests Series gives you a first-hand experience of the actual examination, provided the Test Series is good and covers the probable questions of actual Civil Services exam. It also gives detailed explanation which will further enhance your knowledge, clear your doubts and give you a fair chance to work on your weaker areas.

What is the right time to join Prelims Test Based Mentorship Program?

It is strongly advised to start as early as possible, so that you can assess yourself after covering every portion of syllabus and rectify the weak areas in good time. The unique SWOT analysis provided by the Optimize test portal would guide you to overcome your weakness areas with actionable insights. The advance level tests are provided to help you apply. When you begin practising with the test series at the right time suggested above, you get enough time to solve as many papers as possible, and you get enough time to work on your weaker areas and get exam ready.

How good is the Santosh sir’ Daily Prelims Notes? Can I rely on it for covering Current Affairs?

Daily Prelims Notes is a unique initiative which is made keeping UPSC Prelims pattern in mind. It is very good option to go with, coupled with the prelims power play and his daily practice sheet it is the best you can get.

As a beginner, from where should I start with?

You can join LaQshya -2021 program, where you will get a detailed scientific plan prepared by Santosh Sir. This will help you to start your UPSC CSE preparation in the best possible way. You must have heard “Well begun is half done”

Is LaQshya-2021 program for beginner?

Yes. The program is divided into various stages. First stage is NCERT level basic tests where the focus is building concepts. The second stage is Advanced level tests for each section of the syllabus where the focus will be on application of concepts. The third stage will be stimulated full length on the same pattern as UPSC CSE .The cherry on the cake is monthly current affairs tests which will push you to stay updated with current affairs.

Which paper of the Civil Services exam, LaQshya -2021 will cover?

Is LaQshya-2021 program for beginner?

It will cover General Studies Paper –I of the CSE Prelims examination conducted by the UPSC.

Will I get PDF of questions and answers?

Yes you will get the pdf of solution for all the tests. Questions will be provided based on the nature and time of the test.

Will I get all Indian rank?

Your All India rank will be calculated among total test takers based on your performance in any mock. You can view it in Test Analytics section.

How is the ranking decided?

Its decided on the basis of your raw score obtained in the test. If the marks are same for two students , then other factors like total time spent,accuracy rate and other factors will be considered for ranking.

How many questions are there in each tests?

Currently its 100 but may vary as per the competitive exam pattern.

Where can I get the schedule for the test

It will be provided in your personalized dashboard.

Will the course cover current affairs?

Yes, there are monthly current affairs tests.

Is the test series only online?

Yes, at present it is only available in online mode.

Will you evaluate my mains answers?

No, this program doesn’t include mains answer evaluation.

What will I get if I join the LaQshya-2021 program?

As a student, you can:
• Set your academic goal to achieve learning milestones
• Practice and understand fundamental concepts
• Gain insights on your performance through in-depth analytics
• Build exam temperament and become exam ready
• Access detailed solutions and discuss your doubts in discussion forum
• Get the latest notifications of the upcoming exams
• Bookmark the questions that you find worth discussing or interesting

How would the test performance analytics look like?

It contains overall analysis , question-wise analysis , sectional-analysis , swot analysis & Insights from Santosh Sir. Each category of analysis has many minute details which can help you to improve your performance further. Take a mock & have a look at it.

Can the test be taken anytime?

The tests will be live on the given date as per the schedule given to you. After the schedule date, test can be taken anytime once it is active on your personalized dashboard.

Do I need special software to access the test?

No it can be taken as mentorship.optimizeias.com.

How can sign up into the portal?

Go to the portal and on the top you will have an option for signing up. After Signing Up you need to verify your email for accessing all the features.

How can I purchase my course?

On the homepage of the portal you have various package listed from where you can choose one. After selecting the package you will be taken to a payment page where you will have to pay the required amount to complete the purchase.

Will the question paper mailed to my E-mail?

No, it will be available on your personalized dashboard.

Is there any Last Date of getting enrolled in Online Test Series?

There is No Last Date of enrolment as such, but every Online Test Series Package has a validity date. A student can enrol in Online Test Series course up to the validity date.
Note: Test papers of Test Series are available till validity date only. Please see course details page for more information.

How is OptimizeIAS mentorship different?

Optimize platform provides valuable insights that saves time and efforts to improve efficiency. In-depth analytics of the student’s performance helps to strengthen fundamentals. Some of the distinctive features of Optimize platform are:
• A unique scientific detailed timetable prepared by Santosh Sir( A veteran is CSE , himself cracked all 6 CSE Prelims with huge margins)
• In-depth analytics of student’s performance identifying weaknesses and scope for improvement
• Pattern Proof Learning - To strengthen fundamentals to insure success varying exam patterns
• Simulated test environment to develop exam temperament
• Convenience to attempt tests anytime, anywhere.

What is this Optimize online community?

It is an interactive student-teacher/ expert community to ask and answer questions, initiate discussions and share ideas. This is a special feature of our course. Most test series at present do not give any platform for students to ask doubts and discuss.

How good is the Santosh sir’ Daily Prelims Notes? Can I rely on it for covering Current?

Daily Prelims Notes is a unique initiative. It is made strictly as per the UPSC CSE prelims demand and recent trend. If you cover DPN regularly, you can cover the current affairs section comprehensively.

Can I get refund, after purchasing the course by making a payment?

No fee once paid cannot be refund in any circumstances. You are requested to do due diligence before buying the course.