If you have ever attempted any competitive exam, which already includes the UPSC EPFO exam, then you know how crucial speed and accuracy are. In competitive exams like the UPSC EPFO, where every second and every mark counts, being fast and precise can make the difference between clearing the exam and missing it by a fraction. I can safely assume that many aspirants like you spend months studying but fail to perform well in the exam due to poor time management and mistakes under pressure.
Speed and accuracy can be achieved when you have a clear understanding of the exam pattern, syllabus, PYQs, and you have prepared for it consistently with notes, mock tests, and revision.
To achieve speed and accuracy in this specific exam, you need to understand the UPSC EPFO syllabus in detail because UPSC EPFO has certain subjects that will cause you hassle in the later stage if you don’t decide their scope for your preparation, and it will ultimately cause you to waste precious time in the exam.
In this article, I’ll walk you through five simple, effective ways to improve your speed and accuracy using tools like PYQs, mock tests, quizzes, notes, and smart revision.
Start with PYQs to Increase Speed & Accuracy for UPSC EPFO
The smartest way to begin your preparation is by solving the UPSC EPFO Previous Year Questions (PYQs). These papers will help you understand the exam pattern, how the questions are asked, and most importantly, the type of questions, along with how frequently they are asked or repeated. When I started preparing for the UPSC EPFO, I also made the mistake of jumping into books without checking UPSC EPFO past papers.
Read this really carefully, the UPSC EPFO PYQs will show you which areas are high-weightage and what kind of options are given in MCQs. Once you solve them, you’ll also begin to understand how much time it is taking you to solve the paper in real-time.
I recommend timing yourself while solving each paper to get a feel of real exam pressure. If you solve the last 5 years of UPSC EPFO PYQs seriously, your accuracy will automatically improve.
You can download the UPSC EPFO Previous Years Papers with answer keys in PDF format for better preparation.
Get a Complete Understanding of the UPSC EPFO Syllabus
The UPSC EPFO Syllabus is vast, elaborate, and covers General English, Indian Freedom Struggle, Indian Polity, Economy, General Mental Ability, Current Affairs, Labour Laws, etc. Also, the official UPSC EPFO notification only mentions the indicative syllabus for the exam and not the detailed one. Hence, enhancing the importance of solving the UPSC EPFO PYQs. This also means that you can’t rely on selective study or last-minute prep.
One other way to achieve speed and accuracy for the UPSC EPFO is the mock tests. Mock tests help you cover this vast syllabus in a structured way.
I used to take one full-length mock every Sunday. Initially, I scored poorly, but after every test, I analysed what went wrong. That’s how I identified my weak topics and improved over time. The more mocks you take, the more confident you become. You also learn how to skip time-consuming questions and avoid traps set by tricky options.
Don’t wait till the end of your syllabus to take mocks. Start early, even if you score less. The real goal is to build stamina and reduce your silly mistakes.
Solve as Many Quizzes as You Possibly Can
Quizzes are a low-pressure but high-reward method to test yourself regularly. When you solve 10-15 questions daily on topics like Current Affairs, Labour Laws, or Static GK for the UPSC EPFO, your brain stays active. You also get used to reading questions quickly and identifying the right answers without hesitation.
I used certain online platforms to join quiz groups and solved certain free quiz apps during my breaks. That helped me with revision and practice without feeling like a burden. Quizzes also help break the monotony of long study hours.
Make Smart and Short Notes for your UPSC EPFO Preparation
One of the biggest mistakes I made initially was rewriting entire books in my notebook, along with highlighting every sentence in the book, and making everything important to study. It was time-consuming and didn’t help me at all during revision. So, I am here to tell you not to repeat my mistake and make smart and short notes.
Create one-pagers for each topic. Use tables, bullet points, and keywords. For example, for Indian Polity, make a chart of articles and amendments. For Labour Laws, list key acts with their years and important provisions. These will become your quick revision sheets later.
Revision – The Secret Sauce to Accuracy
You can study everything and still forget it in the exam if you don’t revise. Revision helps cement your learning and improves both recall and accuracy. I followed a 3-level revision system: weekly, monthly, and final.
Every Sunday, I revised whatever I studied during the week. Once a month, I did a syllabus-wide revision using my notes. In the last 15 days before the exam, I focused only on revising and solving mocks.
Another useful method is spaced repetition. Instead of revising once and forgetting, space out your revisions so your memory strengthens over time. Flashcards, cheat sheets, and self-quizzing all work well during revision.
Conclusion
To sum up, improving speed and accuracy for UPSC EPFO is not just about studying harder, but about studying smarter. Start with PYQs to understand the exam style. Take mock tests regularly to build speed. Solve quizzes daily to stay alert. Make crisp notes for faster revision. And revise consistently so nothing slips through the cracks.
If you follow this 5-point strategy with dedication, you’ll notice real progress in how fast and accurately you solve questions. And in a competitive exam like UPSC EPFO, that’s exactly what you need to succeed.
