UPSC-CMS 2017: Frequently Asked Questions

Journey of a medico includes lot of patience, introspection and struggles. Combined Civil Services exam i.e. conducted by UPSC every year to recruit doctors as medical officers, is one of the best options for a MBBS student in order to have a well secured job to strive for individual dream. There is job security, much pay and other benefits associated with this and therefore, competition is sure to follow. Thousands of candidates apply every year against few vacancies which leads to demoralization and distress with approaching exam day resulting in several queries associated with study strategy, pattern of exam, way to attempt the exam, etc. PrepLadder experts bring forth this article with a view to answer some of the queries received from candidates aspiring to clear CMS exam which will be held in August.

Frequently asked questions:

Q: What are the posts that are filled on basis of UPSC CMS 2017?

A: Following posts are filled on the basis of CMS 2017:

• Junior scale posts in Central Health Services
• General Duty Medical Officer in New Delhi Municipal Council
• Assistant Divisional Medical Officer in Indian Ordnance Factories Health Service
• Assistant Divisional Medical Officer in Railways
• Medical Officers in Municipal Corporation of Delhi

Q: What will be the exam pattern?

A: UPSC CMS exam is conducted in two parts: Part I and Part II UPSC CMS Part I: It is conducted in Online Mode and consists of 2 papers: Paper I and Paper II

Paper Code	Subject	No. of Questions	Total Marks	Time Span
Paper I	General Ability	30	250	2 hours
	General Medicine	70
	Pediatrics	20
Paper II	Surgery	40	250	2 hours
	Gynecology & Obstetrics	40
	Preventive & Social Medicine	40
Total		240	500	4 hours

UPSC CMS Part II: It is a personality test of 100 marks for such candidates who qualify the results of the written examination. Final Selection of the candidates will be done on the basis of performance of the candidate in Computer Based Test as well as Interview/Personality Test.

Q: What is the estimated cut-off and number of competitors for CMS 2017?

A: Minimum Cut-off: It is the criteria set by the selection committee to shortlist the candidates and will be released after the exam. Estimated Number of Candidates: Approximately 40,000 candidates are expected to appear for the exam.

Q: When will admit cards be released?

A: Admit Card can be downloaded about 3 weeks before the examination date i.e. August 13, 2017. These will not be sent by posts and therefore, candidates must download them by using their Registration ID and Password.

Q: Is there negative marking and what should be the approach to attempt questions?

A:  Yes, there is going to be negative marking. There will be penalty for questions marked wrong in objective type question paper. For each wrong answer, one third of the marks i.e. 0.33 marks will be deducted as penalty. Due to negative marking, approach towards attempting questions must include either “avoiding guesswork” or “intelligent guesswork” in unavoidable situations. Avoid guesswork as far as you can and if in case there develops a scenario in which you are left with no choice except guesswork for your overall performance in the exam, utilize intelligent guesswork for answering those questions you are unaware of. Meticulously go through the question and opt for elimination method. Zero down the options that are least relevant so that you are left with two choices. This will provide you with 50% of chances of either being correct or wrong. Then, read carefully the question and options again which may give u a clue to choose the correct option.

Q: What is the right time to start preparation?

A:  In order to achieve your dream, every time is right to begin the preparation. Ideally 3-4 month’s preparation is a must. In case you are a NEET/AIPGMEE aspirant, preparation should begin alongside and if not, then start preparing for CMS without any delay with proper schedule and smart study.

Q: Which content is more important to focus for exam, medical, general ability or both?

A: Content which should be focused more is Medical as you need this the most to clear Part I and Part I subjects. Focus mainly on important topics which are repeatedly asked in previous year’s papers. Revise them to improve your speed and accuracy. Chances of negative marking will be less if you are thoroughly prepared with simple concepts from the important subjects. Moreover, you need not prepare separately for general knowledge questions as these are mostly day to day current affairs. You can read UPSC CMS previous 6-7 year papers explanations only to know the level of difficulty and type of questions.

Q: What are the books that should be referred to prepare for CMS?

A: Best books should be referred to prepare as one good book is more than enough. Here’s a list of standard books that you may refer to:

• Elsevier Comprehensive Guide to Combined Medical Services UPSC Simplified by Rajeev Kumar and Prakash Nayak
• CBS Combined Medical Services UPSC Entrance Examination, by M.S. Bhatia
• Rapid Digest UPSC Combined Medical Services Examination, by Arun Yadav and Tapas Koley.

Q: What should be the appropriate study strategy in order to crack UPSC CMS 2017?

A: The best strategy is to study smart along with hard work and full determination as revising each and every topic is not possible. Prioritize the topics based on the weightage in the previous year’s papers and divide the time accordingly. Revision and practice is much important to see your name in the list. Dedicate ample time to go through you notes and practice previous year question papers along with online mock tests to acquaint yourself with the pattern and for increasing speed and accuracy. Moreover, stay updated with latest developments and current affairs of different fields as candidates are tested for their knowledge about various aspects such as Indian culture, society, polity, environment, heritage, and recent advancements in the fields of Science, Technology and Medicine.

Q: Is it difficult to crack UPSC CMS interview and how to prepare in order to crack interview?

A: Nothing is impossible. Cracking interview is not at all tough if you have positive approach and is confident about yourself and your knowledge. Candidates will be called for Interview/Personality Test once they qualify for the computer based examination. The interview will carry 100 marks and therefore, it surely needs to be prepared well so that you do not lag behind just because of silly mistakes. The duration of interview is about 20-30 minutes. Your presentation matters equally along with knowledge. Be confident and optimistic. Boost your confidence by preparing well for medical subjects. Avoid being over-confident. The mistake you can avoid is giving pointless answers. In case you do not know the answer, simply say ‘sorry’ instead of giving superfluous answers. Listen carefully to question and answer it to the point. Stay calm otherwise your stress may be reflected through your body language automatically.

Q: How to clear my doubts?

A: Prepladder’s team has collaborated with previous years’ UPSC CMS Toppers who will act as personal guides for our subscribers and will assist in ‘Doubt Clarification’. Moreover, proper guidance and strategy for exam will be provided by them. PrepLadder now also provides a complete personalized learning tool, besides these advancements, to ensure genuine score improvement and crack UPSC CMS exam.

Q: Are online test series beneficial?

A: It is paramount that you test yourself regularly as it helps you to analyze your weaknesses and topics that you need to prepare more. As UPSC CMS exam is conducted online, online tests give candidates an exact idea of time management during the exam. It has huge advantage of familiarizing yourself with exam pattern resulting in speed improvement and moreover, chances of questions un-attempted are reduced. You can also prepare with Prepladder’s UPSC CMS Pro Pack and make use of our premium content that improves learning and knowledge.

Features of Prepladder’s UPSC CMS Pro Pack are:

• 15 Full Length Mock Tests with 5 Previous year solved papers
• Same software platform as the real UPSC CMS exam for real exam day experience
• Provides access to Prepladder’s app downloadable from App store for Offline Revision

Final Words

There is no shortcut to success; you just need to blend hard work with smart study. Believe in yourself and practice as much as you can. Thoroughly revise subjects and avoid silly mistakes as well as ill-logical guesswork. Formulate a good strategy and dedicatedly follow it. Attempt both offline and online test papers.  Do not spend too much time in attempting one question. Effectively utilize time as this will decide your future. “The secret to getting ahead is getting started” We wish this blog has provided answers to all your queries and will assist you in paving your way to crack UPSC CMS 2017 exam. Stay Motivated!! Keep Following PrepLadder!!