ESE 2025 Mains: 6 Things to do One Day before the Exam

Now the final stage of the written exam has arrived and the ESE 2025 Main exam is scheduled to be held on 10th August 2025. Your hard work and perseverance come down to this one last battle. ESE Main tests the utmost patience of the aspirants, as they are one step closer to achieving their goal. The pattern is such that it can challenge even the best of the lot.

After clearing the first hurdle of the Preliminary Examination, the selected candidates are ready to face the next challenge. This challenge will take them closer to their dreams. So, are you getting nervous before the exam? Is the tension getting on your nerves? No more worries.

We are with you, and here we will discuss the essential things aspirants must do before the exam. These steps will motivate you and help you stay relaxed. Maintaining the required composure during the duration of the exam is necessary. Feelings of anxiety and fear are very natural, and there is no point in suppressing it. However, you should avoid overthinking as it will affect your confidence and leave you demotivated at just the wrong time.

Believe in yourself and stay motivated until the last moment. Preparation without proper execution does not complement the effort you have put into it. So, let us talk about a few essential steps that will help and guide you to crack this exam with proper strategy execution as planned for the ESE 2025 Main.

Things to Do Before ESE 2025 Main:

1. Strategy Matters:

We all know how important it is to have a good answer-writing strategy for ESE 2025 Main. However, UPSC ESE 2025 requires candidates to possess analytical and application skills. Students make the mistake of mugging up all the formulas just before the actual exams, thinking it will help them recall those formulas the next day. Sounds like a great plan, doesn’t it? No.

The smart candidates—those who usually get a call for the next round, i.e., the Personality Test—use the last few days to strategize about attempting the actual exam with a result-oriented approach. Every UPSC ESE Main aspirant must have a set plan to tackle the question paper. It is best to start practicing for this segment a few days before the Preliminary Examination.

You must have tried many strategies while taking the Offline Test Series. Now is the time to sit down, calm yourself, and think about the one strategy that worked best for you. Reflect on and note the aspects that worked and those that did not. Prepare a robust plan for yourself accordingly. Quality notes are essential in your ESE 2025 Main preparation journey, and experts recommend that aspirants prioritize making notes throughout most of their preparation days. Your brain needs a certain amount of tranquility to be ready for the final battle, so take some rest and keep rehearsing for the exam in your mind.

2. Attempt Mock Tests:

Mock tests are essential to perform your best in the ESE 2025 Main. Every mock test, along with the learning gained from it, helps improve performance in subsequent tests. Both online and offline test series are beneficial for UPSC IES 2025 preparation. Therefore, it is important to choose the right test series after proper research. This will help you identify weaker subject areas, which you can then review one last time before the exam.

3. Revision:

Most UPSC IES 2025 aspirants think that studying a lot will help them score well in the exam. However, they often forget that we tend to forget things read or written in the past. Therefore, it is crucial to understand that revision is a more important part of ESE preparation.

During the revision phase, you must ensure that you enroll in the offline and online test series as per your convenience and study plan dedicated to UPSC ESE 2025. You must also revise the collection of vital points written in the notes you created during your entire ESE 2025 Main preparation.

Sometimes, you might feel that your study and revision routine is quite tedious. Therefore, experts suggest taking short breaks and incorporating different revision methods to make the routine equally interesting and useful at the same time.

 

4. Collect the Essentials:

Make sure you have all the essentials ready a day before the exam. Arrange all the required stationery, including ball pens and admit card printouts, in advance. If possible, start collecting these essential items a week before the ESE Main.

Read the admit card carefully to know the specific details about the exam, including the reporting time and the items allowed and not allowed in the exam hall. It is always advisable to visit your exam center beforehand so that you know approximately how much time it will take to reach the venue.

Aspirants must avoid overlooking these crucial details. Paying attention to them can help you avoid unnecessary panic on the examination day.

5. Set the right mindset:

If you have cracked the exam in your mind, you have already secured your target rank in the ESE 2025 Main. Our minds have the power to manifest many things we think are impossible. So, make up your mind to imagine and manifest your victory in this exam from the time you start your IES preparation.

As an ESE Main aspirant, you must have faced several distractions aimed at pulling you down before appearing for the ESE Preliminary. At such delicate moments, you need to keep your mind stable. This will help you avoid losing focus and stay on track to achieving success in the UPSC ESE 2025 exam.

6. Self-Attention:

Amid all the chaos and panic of the exam, the first thing students tend to neglect is taking care of their bodies. In the above two points, we talked about ways to keep the mind calm. However, you also need to keep your body in good condition to perform your best on the final day.

The night before the exam and the morning of the exam are very crucial, and you must take good care of yourself to be in the best frame of mind. Make sure you eat healthy and nutritious food for dinner and breakfast. Go for walks and relax.

Go to bed early so that you get good sleep before the ESE 2025 Main. Sacrificing sleep the day before the exam to read something new or revise things you have already revised several times is a very bad idea. Take proper care of yourself and make sure you enter the examination hall with high spirits. Remember, you have already cracked the ESE Preliminary and reached this stage with your talent and hard work. So, avoid negative self-talk and sit for the ESE Main with confidence.

Conclusion

Always remember that you are going to give your best shot and are well prepared for it. Remind yourself that you have done everything needed for the UPSC IES preparation, and let no one tell you otherwise. You have come a long way to reach this stage. The one who can stay focused and execute their strategy efficiently in the exam hall is the one who will secure the top rank in this prestigious exam.

We believe that if you have given your precious time before the examination to read this article, then you are among the top scorers in this exam. You are moving in the right direction, and we are always here to guide you. Follow the points in this blog, and you will be all set to tackle this exam to your fullest potential. These small tips and tricks will give you an edge over your competitors in this competitive exam.

A war is won through many small battles before the fighter wins the final one.

Good luck with your UPSC ESE 2025 Main exam!