Buy Now on Amazon
Mock test are really important when it comes to written exam. The purpose of a mock test is to simulate exam conditions, helping you gauge your speed, approach, and identify areas of weakness.
However, different scenarios change the whole concept of a mock test. One is online mock test. These are the least preferred and highly unadvisable form of mock test. It is because they lack following :
One, CDS exam is conducted by UPSC in pen and paper format and it doesn’t creates the same exam like condition. Second, the sheet, papers, number of questions per page all give a different experience as opposed to questions on screen. Third, comes the marking of answers in OMR sheet as against selecting on screen. These reasons and a completely different format make it least preferred for exams like the Combined Defence Services Exam in the UPSC.
Then there are traditional forms of mock test in the form of CDS Previous year paper books or practice papers books. These are far better than online mock test and preferred over them for the paper and pen approach. However, they too miss the actual stimulus and fail to create exam like condition. There is pen and paper involved, but the answers are listed right next to the questions, and the answer keys are provided right behind the paper. Not only this the format of the book is different and you will see 25-30 questions in a page while there are only 5-8 questions in UPSC booklet.
Why does actual Exam like conditions matter?
1.) Time – When in actual exam, candidate spends roughly 8-10 seconds in matching question number in OMR sheet and circling, dotting the right option, further marking on his question paper too for his reference. This is equal to 20 minutes. Further flipping the pages of question booklet right and forth all together contributes to another 10 minutes. Candidates don’t keep this into consideration and fall short of time or may not be able to give the time they wished too for the paper.
2.) Anxiety – The limited time and new condition gives a kind of nervousness. Think of it like when you were in class Xth and first heard about the board exams. Going to a different exam centre and not your own school, sitting in a class with new invigilator, new faces all gives a kind of anxiety. To overcome this there are pre-boards conducted in schools so that one is informed about the process and environment.
3.) Approach – Now, the reason there are large number of candidates who clear their written from RIMC, RMS is because they practice a lot under actual exam like condition.
What does this do? you may ask?
It changes the approach of a candidate. You’ll be comfortable skipping a question without this thought in the back of your mind that you have missed a question. You will also be confident and comfortable in dodging the questions that you don’t know about. The fear of missing of question, negative marking will also fade. You will be a lot more wiser with calculated risk. This is why exam like conditions matter the most!
Why practicing in OMR Sheet is Important?
It’s like saying you’re preparing for a professional cricket match with a leather ball, but practicing with a rubber ball or on a gaming device—it won’t help. You need to practice with the leather ball in real conditions to build confidence.
Similarly you should practice in the booklets with OMR sheets and taking time and other instructions into picture making the actual exam like conditions. While such Booklets are available for JEE and other exam, no such thing existed for CDS until 2025. We’ve put in great effort to create CDS Countdown: a set of 30 booklets and OMR sheets for focused, final preparation for CDS aspirants. Not only this, the answer to all the booklets are available as detailed explanatory notes in the form of QR Scan. This is so that you open solutions only when you have competed the paper and not before. There is no way you’ll accidentally see the answer keys or solutions unless you decide to do so.
Give that final push you need to clear your CDS exam. Get a copy of CDS OTA Countdown & CDS Countdown. Order now, Available on amazon & Flipkart.
