Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Mechanical Engineering as an optional subject

[This is what was conceived as a serious "technical" piece - kindly refrain for searching for jokes in here!]



This is in response to many readers’ and friends’ demand. Many people have, in the past, asked me about the absence of any ‘tips and guidelines’ article on this blog. It is generally expected of people who clear this examination to take to the pulpit and preach. I had avoided doing so for three simple reasons. For one, I am not really very sure of what exactly was done so right by me this time that warranted this result (as opposed to the not so good results of last two times – though I do have some guesses, which I shall reveal later in this piece). Secondly, I am very much sure that all said and done, luck plays a very important role in this examination – in technical language, a good preparation is a necessary but not a sufficient condition. Thirdly, the whole business of preparing for an examination has to be a very personalized process. The whole concept of coaching and a sort of ‘assembly line preparation’ does not appeal to me, and neither is it liked by the Commission, who seem to be determined to eradicate the whole business by the recent ‘revolutionary papers’. Yet, I have been told by many to pen down something in this direction, and hence, today I attempt to do so – and believe me, it is almost as difficult as attempting those innovative GS questions.
Since I have taken upon this task of writing about the preparation for this exam, I also exercise the prerogative to limit myself to writing about Mechanical Engineering. There are infinitely better sources to learn about General Studies, Economics optional and Essay preparations. Many readers, and Facebook friends had complained that while successful candidates in other optionals had put forth their thoughts, I had not done so for Mechanical Engineering. So, taking all this to the logical conclusion, here it goes.
First of all, let us discuss the viability of Mechanical Engineering as an optional subject for the examination. I am not getting into the whole humanities vs sciences debate, but I must say that as a fresh start subject, it can be very tiresome and lengthy. Though I’ve had a very fruitful relationship with the subject, it is also a fact that many Mechanical Engineers avoid taking it as an optional, and do very well with any of the humanities and literature optionals. So, before taking the plunge with this optional, it would be better to check if you belong to any of these categories –
  1. 1.       Actively involved in studies of Mechanical Engineering – PG, Research, preparation for GATE, Engineering Services Examination.
  2. 2.       Generally in love with the subjects constituting Mechanical Engineering.
  3. 3.       In a job that does not give much time for taking on two optionals at a time, and hence having an inclination for an optional with which one is somewhat familiar, and which can be prepared with some final bursts of effort.
There may be other categories of people who may take this subject as an optional. However, I find it most pertinent for these three categories – first two positively and the last negatively. Yours truly was somewhat in category 2 and very much in category 3. All I want to say that if you are not in these categories, it might be a better investment to take some other optional – which may give much more ‘bang for the buck’ effortwise.
Coming to the next part, many friends have been asking me about the books that I consulted and read. I must put it down, very humbly, that I read most of the common books that are prescribed in many of the engineering courses across the nation. A subject wise list follows:
  • Mechanics of Rigid Bodies – No particular book – questions are of the same nature as asked in the engineering entrance examinations, and are of much simpler level – may use any XI standard book on Mechanics (Arihant etc.)
  • Mechanics of Deformable Bodies – B.C.Punmia (Mechanics of Materials) (many also recommend Sadhu Singh)
  • Engineering Materials – Relevant chapters of the book on Manufacturing by E.Paul De Garmo (many recommend V.Raghavan)
  • Theory of Machines – S.S.Rattan (Sharma and Aggarwal for Machine Design)
  • Manufacturing Processes – E.Paul De Garmo (some inputs from Hazra Chowdhary as well)
  • Manufacturing Management – E.Paul De Garmo, various “free view” snippets from Google books*
  • Thermodynamics – P.K.Nag
  • Gas Dynamics & Turbines – S.M.Yahya
  • Heat Transfer – J.P.Holman
  • I.C.Engines – Mathur & Sharma (Ganeshan, or Obert might be as useful)
  • Steam Engineering – P.K.Nag
  • RAC – C.P.Arora
*It need not be told that many of the topics may not be found in the books mentioned above. For such cases, the Internet comes to the readers’ rescue. The best way is to search for the topic on Google books. Often, if it comes under the search results, the given chapter is free for viewing, and one may read from the screen. Or, one may review which book has the best content, and then proceed to buy the book. However, it would be seen that different chapters are better explained in different books – and hence, reading on screen and then preparing notes / crash notes would be a better option.
**It also needs to be doubly clarified that this is in no way supposed to be an endorsement of these books (except, may be, of the De Garmo one) – it’s just that I happened to read these books.
In addition to these, there is a wonderful repository of online material at the NPTEL website– it is a collection of lectures – both PDF and videos – prepared by the esteemed faculty of various IITs. If a topic is available on NPTEL, it is best read from NPTEL, for no book can match the conciseness and clarity of these lectures.
Another important thing which may help a person, who has chosen this path, where a minimum of 8 books (some of them are really big – the E.Paul De Garmo book can be used as a weapon if thrown at somebody!) need to be read, is the preparation of notes. Notes should be prepared only when a topic has been properly understood – and should be in one’s own words. And, most importantly, notes should be very brief. It’s no point making notes which are as unwieldy as the books. A perfect set of notes should contain information enough to help a well prepared mind “recall”, and it should be as low in volume as possible. It has two benefits – there is no other humanly possible way to revise the whole syllabus in a day or two – which is all one might get in the middle of the Mains; and, by making the whole syllabus visible in a few pages, this exercise gives one’s confidence a boost. I made a set of very compact notes, noted alongside the syllabus itself. It gave an additional advantage – almost nothing out of the syllabus was left unread. (covering the whole syllabus is very important –it often happens that the easier questions are from the most ‘backwaters’ of the topics in the syllabus, which one might be tempted to gloss over. This was one thing that I did stick to, quite scrupulously, in this attempt.) For the want of a better term, I called them ‘Crash Notes’. I am posting a link of the same – while the language and terminology used may not be very intelligible to anyone else but me (since these notes were made for my benefit), these scans might give some idea about what to do. The Mechanical Engineering notes are marked with ‘Mech’.
Finally, coming to the execution part in the paper itself, I had two observations, which, according to me, were somewhat instrumental in fetching good scores in the subject. In fact, these two things were also done for the first time by me in this attempt, and they led to a phenomenal increase in the portion of the paper attempted, and hence, maybe, consequentially, the marks attained. These were:
  1. 1.     Not getting too stuck on a troublesome question. The worst thing one can do in this era of very long papers is to try a question for too long, as I had discovered, to my peril, in my last attempt. This time, I left many questions midway – as soon as they “went sticky”. The power of human subconscious was obvious, as when I returned to those questions later, after an hour or so, I was able to solve many of them, without wasting much time on actively thinking about them. It was much like sleeping over a problem. (Disclaimer- Readers may try this in mock papers before taking this technique to the Mains exam hall. It worked for me, but it is not some proven and tested psychological tool; so desist from coming back to sue the undies off me!)
  2. 2.       Going for the ‘theoretical’ questions rather than the numerical ones. Whenever I had a choice, I went for the theory questions. I know that attempting theory questions is considered somewhat ‘unmanly’ by many Mechanical Engineers, but it can be a lifesaver in long papers, for the following reasons-
a.       Theory questions have definite answers that one knows for sure. Once attempted, it is a confirmed receipt of 7/8 out of 10 marks. Numericals, on the other hand, are “10 or nothing” gambles.
b.      Theory questions can be shortened under pressure. One can go from detailed explanations to bullet point answers given the situation and the time crunch. However, a gas turbine numerical will be solved in 2-3 pages only, and it does not care for the fact that you have only 5 minutes left on the clock.
These are my two cents on this whole topic of preparing Mechanical Engineering as an optional subject. Hope it helps those who needed help. Please don’t laugh; it was as hard for me to write this one as it was for you to read it!


Some other blog posts (not related to preparation)


Bharat Darshan - Part 1  Part 2  Part 3
The Price of Transparency
"If we wanted applause, we would have joined the circus!"
With Great Power comes Greater Arrogance?
Ignorance is bliss?
The Men who Ruled India

196 comments:

  1. Sir !

    how much difference you think according to you would have been there in your marks in mechanical engineering papers in UPSC due to scaling/moderation ?

    your marks are shown in internet as 205 & 230 respectively in PAPER I and PAPER 2....

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  2. Sir, thank you for sharing. I graduated this year in mechanical engineering and going to appear in CSE by 2015. Your advice will surely help me.

    May I know from which institute you have done your graduation?

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  3. 1. One can never be sure about the level (and sometimes even the direction!) of moderation exercised. This time, the papers were easy - so the impact of moderation may be minimal. In 2011, however, it was a very lengthy paper II, and yet, the marks awarded were nearly equal to the attempt - so it may have been a case of upwards moderation.

    2. I graduated from College of Technology, Pantnagar (Uttarakhand) in 2008 Batch.

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  4. Sir !

    I wanted to know how much marks did you expect to get in Paper 1 and Paper 2 ? ( if there were no scaling / moderation )

    Out of 300 ; how many marks were attempted by you in each ( Paper 1 and Paper 2 ) ?

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  5. Amit, it is neither possible nor fruitful to estimate marks in the CSE, for, more often than not, the actual marks come much in a range which is very far from any such estimate.

    At best one may look at one's attempt. I did around 230-240 in P-I and around 260-270 in P-II this time. The papers were easy.

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  6. Great job Ravish!

    very fruitful information for guys preparing for CSE with Mechanical Engg. as optional

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  7. sir tell me about good reference book for industrial engineering and operation research as ias exam point of view
    thanks

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  8. I had read from Schaum Series Outlines. I had also referred to books from Google Books - most of them were by various Indian authors - any of them will do. OR / IE is not very tough to understand, hence any of those books which cover the syllabus should do.

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  9. sir,
    how to prepare for numerical portion ? are above mentioned books sufficient for numericals also? and do i need to practice exercise problems also or only solved problems r sufficient?
    thanks

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  10. Most of the numericals asked in the paper are of the routine type. So, yes, if the full range of numericals given in these books is covered, then one can tackle numericals in the paper. I was never comfortable with numericals, though, and preferred the theoretical option wherever given.

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  11. Thank You Raveesh for this initiative. It helped a lot. will be in touch for this journey of preparation.

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  12. sir wat do u mean by all or none gamble in numericals...dont they do step marking in numericals as is done in IES??

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  13. It's pure hearsay - but I think very little marks are given for steps. Not that I have any conclusive evidence, but it was better to figure it in the planning.

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  14. Sir, please also guide us if you can for essay and answer writing skills..

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  15. There are better persons to guide about those skills. I did so for Mechanical Engineering because few people take it as an optional, and also because the marks this time were quite good.
    Some of my batch-mates have compiled a more comprehensive guide for various subjects and skills related to the CSE. That may be found here:
    http://www.worthview.com/preparing-for-civils/comment-page-1/

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  16. Sir, can you plz share your marks in Mechanical in your previous attempts?

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  17. sir pls let me knw wat was ur approach to solve the numericals...moreover when u gave d examination were u doing the formalities like writing given, to prove and assumptions ( i knw its a formal way)... but wat if due to paucity of time one cudnt do such formalities?

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  18. Sorry - missed your query as I was busy that day.

    Writing these preparatory statements do not take much time - and it also is easier in the long run, you don't have to return your eyes to the question paper every time you need data. So it is adviseable to do it.
    In case of paucity of time - do the theory portion - pointwise answers - would be better than starting numerical and getting stuck halfway.

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  19. Hello Ravish,
    For Power Plant(numerical), did you refer to any book other than P.K. Nag.

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  20. No. Nag was enough. Powerplant questions are generally stock-questions on set pattern.

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  21. Thanks for the guidance sir,

    I have two questions:

    1. How much is Mains Mechanical engineering exam different from ESE (IES) in terms of depth, difficulty, and marks scored? I get that you had given both the exams so please inform us.
    2. Where can I get these books in Delhi as many of the books you mentioned are not available online?

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  22. Well, I wrote the ESE only once - way back in 2008. Even my last CSE mains exam was in 2011. So my idea may not match the current scenario. As far as syllabus is concerned, there is about 70% similarity. Depth of knowledge needed, and difficulty levels were largely similar.

    These books were purchased by me during the Engineering studies. From the usual bookstalls. I guess shops selling to the IIT students in BerSarai should have them. Any other book would be good - in fact you should better follow the book you used during your Engineering days.

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  23. Hello Sir..
    Well, want to ask you something big?
    I learned your success journey and I can say for sure that it is brilliant.Like getting high rank in ESE and writing CSE mains exams,all just after passing graduation.So it is certain that you must have been much focussed and dedicated during graduation years itself.
    So want to kindly ask that what/who is your source of inspiration?
    If you can share something.

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  24. Nothing too dramatic was involved. As you achieve smaller goals, you get confident about bigger ones. It grows on.

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  25. Sorry to bug you again,

    There are two books available by P.K.Nag, which you recommended for thermodynamics :
    1. Engineering Thermodynamics 5th Edition
    2. Basic and Applied Thermodynamics 2 Edition

    Kindly tell which book you used.

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  26. No trouble. I used two book by P.K. Nag -
    1. Engineering Thermodynamics
    2. Power Plant Engineering

    I don't remember the editions, but I think no drastic changes would have taken place in the newer editions.

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  27. Going for CSe'14. For theory I am right now using NPTEL lectures, and for numerical practice I would be going with IES material. As well I have gathered que paper of IES CSE and Forest services to go through numerical and diff types of theory questions.
    Let me know your view on it.

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  28. Seems okay. Examples in the books may also be perused once or twice.

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  29. Hello Raveeshji,

    For Industrial Engg topics like Work Study, Stat. Quality Control etc I bought Buffa & Sarin, but it does not cover the numericals
    Can you pls. suggest any book for these topics.

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  30. Sorry for the late reply. Was out.

    I did not do any particular book for numericals in this portion. In fact, I had relied mostly on whatever came for free on Google books.

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  31. Dear Raveeshji,
    Any book to practice Refrigeration numerical, because in C.P. Arora there are not enough numerical and for unsolved problems even answers are not given.

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  32. dear sir... u solved all the unsolved numericals of jp holman in heat transfer? do we have any substitute of this book to solve numericals...

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  33. Dear Ravesshji,
    I tried to attempt 2010 IAS Mech. Paper, but in 3 Hrs. I was hardly able to attempt 180-185 Marks (out of 300) in each paper. This was when I had earlier seen those questions.So please advise how to complete 70-80% paper.

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  34. Abhineet - No, I just read the examples from J.P. Holman (the solved examples). I never practised HMT numericals other than what I did in my third year course. Most HMT numericals are anyway straight forward application of a formula. Not sure about numericals, but the book by D.s. Kumar is preferred by many over J.P. Holman

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  35. Sachin ji - don't be disheartened. Even I was an unfortunate victim of that paper. Had attempted around 230 in paper 1 and 180 in paper 2. That year the paper was freakishly long. However, the marks were still good, owing to moderation.

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  36. Can someone upload this year ME paper (2013 mains) ?

    Thanks & Regards
    Nitish

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  37. Gupta sir , hello
    written mains 12 got 85/95 written this time also but was screwed by industrial questions- numericals , i didnt find any book which is worth reading for numerical part of industrial engineering please suggest me some book,notes which could suffice, i am all done but industrial .

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  38. Schaum Series Outlines had a number of solved examples.

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  39. Sir, i am expecting this yea paper 1 80/250, paper 2 130/250 , sir u wrote that u prefer theory over numerical but in paper 2 its almost entirely numerical so u must have attempted/tried numerical so whats your word on step marking, also however i wont be able to deal with it properly but i find this years paper 2 very easy whats your opinion i wish if u do not deny my request to take a look and please comment on it. after it i have to ask a lot from you, please do not mind bade dino baad there is light in dark tunnel
    please have a look- http://www.upsc.gov.in/questionpaper/2013/CSM%202013/Mechanical%20Engg%20II.pdf

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  40. are wah sir turant reply tussi great ho par ye schaum series outlines is this a book or what, i mean from where to buy

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  41. and sir what u wrote about positive moderation is exactly true, i myself felt that last year ,thanks you are very genuine

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  42. Yes, one cannot avoid numerical problems totally in an Engineering paper. I just advise to try to do the maximum of the theory part, so that the exposure to risky numericals is the minimum.
    Since the paper is moderated, one cannot exactly say whether there is step-marking or not. From what I've heard - and this is just hearsay - they give step marks only if the mistake occurs very late in the problem, for full attempts. Don't know if there is any logic to that - or whether what I had heard is true.
    The paper this year was easy - I have heard it from a person very close to me. It seems that the paper toughness waxes and wanes every year - may be the UPSC has two preferred Engineering Colleges from where it gets papers framed - and alternates between them every year - this is just guesswork.
    Moderation is a fact, and it is explained on the UPSC website - from what is written there, the process seems fair.

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  43. Missed one point - yes, Schaum Series Outlines is a group of books - more like 'guides' - that teach about engineering subjects in short. I am referring to the Outlines on Operations Research.

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  44. Sir, i wish if you be free tomorrow i have a lot of queries to ask from you , dont mind sir i can wait any long its just that i am excited to find someone from our branch on net more specifically 'alive on net'. sir i am not from a reputed college but doveloped an aptitude for mechanical thats y it was difficult for me since now to deal with this subject i mean due to lack of credible resource and guidance. so you please help me by answering my question however silly they may be it will be of great help to me ,and dont worry sir, i will not ask your mobile no. i am very ok over your blog ,good night.

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  45. Sir,which book will you refer for compressible fluid flow i have pk nag but not satisfied. also sir , please share ur interview experience by creating a new page on your blo,sir i am expecting a call this year(gs went above average) so plese put some light on the questions they asked to you in mechanical theory,core job and what kind of aptitude do you think they expect from a mechanical candidate

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  46. Sir, also provide some tips to prepare for interview i mean right from the basics. do we need to join some interview coaching i appeared in interview 5-6 times before but they were one 2 one and this will be 5-6 to 1 its quite frightening ,and here it will be destructing to be fake, so what should be the strategy. does body language,etiquettes matters, etc,etc

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  47. Compressible fluid flow was done partly from P K Nag, S M Yahya, and the fluid mechanics book by Bansal. Some help was also taken from the internet - NPTEL, Georgia Tech etc.

    My interviews were not great examples to emulate, and there are a lot many of CSE interview experiences shared on the net by candidates who have done much better in interview. (You can easily Google them out) Besides, it's nearly two years since my interview, and I won't recall the details. Hence, do not expect a full blown write up on Interview experience from me.
    That said, there are a few pointers you could use. The 'preparation' for interview starts as soon as you fill out your DAF for the Main Exam. The interview starts with, and, if you are lucky, remains confined to, the contents of your DAF and the DAF Summary sheet. The chairman of the Board has the main DAF, and the other 4 members have the summary sheets. So, the first trick is to fill the DAF carefully. Avoid leaving too many loopholes, which could lead the interview in a totally unexpected direction. Since, by now, it is too late for that, and you would have filled what you had to fill, it's advisable to go through whatever you have filled in the DAF and think about possible questions - possible questions could be related to your name, the names of the educational institutions you have attended, the places you have been to / stayed at, your subjects at all stages of your studies, your hobbies, your awards - anything on your DAF is a potential question.

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  48. Sir, when did upsc conduct medical exam. some candidate says it is held next day of interview, kindly tell about it as i am suffering from perforated ear drum for which i have to undergo an operation, by knowing this i will be able to plan accordingly. also did any of your friend/batchmate gave interview in hindi i want to know in such case do they mean PURE hindi , i opted hindi but if the ask for pure hindi than it will be a ragging replay.

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  49. Sir, so far i am unable to find many successful candidates with mechanical optional ,are you alone in your batch with such optional,u must be proud of yourself especially when you see around many IITians with mech. branch not dare to opt it(this factor is one of driving force for me i hate iitians ego ). i mean being from a not so famous college wont it be a matter of proud to virtually beat a force of IITians from my end it is quite satisfactory and ego producing as well , in short what is your 'humble' mantra, note: you appears to be a very down to earth man to me while going through your blog , but than who knows you may have temperamental issues, kindly comment i like to hear from you and please forgive me if u are temperamental...

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  50. Yes, the medical examination takes place the very next working day from the interview.

    I do not know personally anybody who has taken interview in Hindi. There is a community on 'Orkut' which discusses Interview Prep, and there are two or three threads there, where candidates appearing in Hindi discuss these issues. That might give you an idea, about this question, as well as many other related issues.

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  51. thanks Sir, do they conduct audiometry also and what if someone found to be unfit will they reject him totally or they give some grace period to cure oneself.

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  52. That depends on the hospital.e.g. Audiometry is done at Loknayak Hospital, but not at RML, GTB.

    Any defect, which can be cured, is not a permanent disqualification. They conduct a number of repeat medical tests before disqualifying anyone.

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  53. sir which book is best for studies regarding steam engineering, paper 2 optional-mechanical engineering.

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  54. I don't know which is the 'best book' - I referred to the book on Powerplant engineering by P K Nag - as I have written is the article above.

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  55. sir ....
    which is the best book for the fundament much ?

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  56. Sir, you mentioned all the books that you have followed. But was there something else you did? Like take a test series? How did you clear your doubts? Was there a study group? Did you have someone to discuss your optional?

    I am asking these questions because I live in a pretty remote place with access to internet, but I want to choose mechanical. So your answer to my questions will be invaluable

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  57. No test series. However, this was my third attempt - so the first two attempts do count as 'test', as far as the experience and the evaluation go. Few persons take Mech as an optional. So there was no study group. For doubts, I referred to the internet, or I applied myself hard to find the answer / explanation. The things one understands after a lot of hard work usually stays planted in the brain forever.

    Nilesh Makwana - what is your doubt? Both your questions are cryptic.

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  58. Finally mechanical it is.

    Very rightly said "preparation has to be custom made, no assembly line approach".

    My question is regarding time management during your job.

    Do you think that UPSC would do away with optional altogether? (I know it is a stupid question, just till me your intuition if you are otherwise clueless)

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  59. Logically, it seems like the next step. Then again, there must have been some logic behind the inclusion of optional subjects in the first place. So, nothing can be said conclusively.

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  60. Sir, was it strictly these books that you used or did you also buy material of coaching institutes from the market? If yes, which ones, and how were they helpful?

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  61. Strictly these books and the internet material I have told about.

    I had used some odd coaching material for the Economics optional.

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  62. hey friends ,
    also do refer to GH Ryder for Strength of Materials
    after completing Punmia .
    I can give insights on some important applications of the concepts learned .

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  63. Sir thanks for the insight.
    Is there any test series for mechanical?
    Also from where can I get previous year paper solutions?
    How to decide on the depth to which the topic has to be covered?
    Please help

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  64. There are various coaching places for Engg. Services, GATE etc. in Delhi. I think they might be offering both test series and solutions, though can't be sure.

    Depth has to be decided by observing the previous papers.

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  65. sir,
    do they give step marks in numerical if it the numerical is correct till some steps....also sir if you have any idea about checking criteria thn pls share....i am worried about they way ,how they correct the paper

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  66. mechanical enginnering better option as the career or the other such as the cse and it or the ec

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  67. Sir,
    i have been working in psu for last 2 years. i want to know what is the issue of NOC in upsc cse exam.
    When one should submit NOC at the time of interview or one can submit after interview ?
    As u r also from Govt sector prior to clear cse ,so do u resign before appearing in interview of cse ?

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  68. UPSC does not ask for NOC. You have to inform your employer that you have applied for CSE. You admit so in the undertaking in the prelims form.

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  69. Sir, how much time it would take to finish the complete syllabus of mech. engg??
    Are 3-4 months with daily 4-5 hrs. preparation enough or do we need to give more time??

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  70. Sir

    We all would be grateful to you if you could share the contact details (like blog links etc.) of other successful or experienced aspirants who took Mechanical as their optional.

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  71. Sir, in kinematic and dynamic analysis of plane mechanisms, do we have to solve the questions in the exam using graphical method or analytical method ?


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  72. dear sir does Manufacturing Management – E.Paul De Garmo cover whole syllabus including numericals asked in exam.

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  73. sir,
    i am sujith from tamil nadu, i chose mechanical engg as my optional.
    i want to know use of calculators,steam tables..etc can be used in mains examination hall.
    my mail id is sujith11me100@gmail.com . please reply me

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  74. Sir,
    I too have similar doubt whether steam tables, psychometric charts are provided in examination hall or not. Please do reply in comment section.

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  75. Either the relevant data is provided in the question itself, or the table / chart is attached to the end of the paper.

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  76. Hello Sir, I am greatly touched by the level of your dedication and your commitment towards serving the nation.
    Well, coming to my doubt,
    I am a newbie in the civil services' preparation and right now I am planning strategy for cracking this exam. Currently, I am working in a PSU and preparing for IES seriously. I wish to attempt then Civil Services by choosing mechanical engineering as the optional subject, of course. I have a few queries.
    1. Which departments would you prefer to opt after clearing IES, so that we may get sufficient time and suitable environment for preparing for civil services? ( I have heard that CWC is the best, but are there any other too ? )
    2. For how many months can we extend the joining in IES Departments ? ( I am planning to prepare rigorously for the Civil Services after the final result is declared of IES and before joining the Engineering services. Due to financial constraints, I cannot just leave my current job.)
    3. Can we get the desired location of posting in any of the departments of IES?
    4. How many students do take mechanical engineering as the optional subject for Civil Services ? ( Just in case, if you could give a close guess)
    5. How many students get selected after taking mech as the optional ? ( At least, you must be knowing how many were there in your batch of officers )
    6. Some tips/Generic strategy for preparing for manufacturing technology? ( You were good in theories Sir, kindly guide me on this front)

    It would be very grateful of you Sir, if you happen to answer some/all of my queries.
    Thanking You

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  77. Hello Sir,
    I am a civil services aspirant and going to take the exam in 2016 with mechanical engineering as my optional subject.In this regard i would like to know-
    1.Is there any mock test available for Mechanical engineering?
    2.While answering in this subject,lots of graphs,diagrams needs to be drawn.Is it compulsory to use only pencil for it?
    3.Can you share what are the things one should care while writing the answers for example in numerical questions is it important to write assumptions,and do we need to mention for what the symbols are used for or is it understood that symbols have their usual meanings.Do we need to explain some of the mathematical steps like why the formula was used?

    ReplyDelete
  78. Akash -
    1. Other than Railways (Core) and Defence related services, I guess most services are 9 to 5 type. I was in IRSS, and that gave me enough time post office hours.
    2. I was granted 6 months extension for joining the railways. I know persons who have joined 10 months later too. We had valid reasons - completion of masters degree.
    3. Depends on cadre controlling boss - whims and fancies actually.
    4 & 5 - I do not have an accurate idea. a lot of coaching organizations do such 'success analysis'.
    6. I would just advise to cover this topic well. Easy marks for the taking. Consult a lot of books - hard copy or net sources. Ensure no topic is left untouched.

    ReplyDelete
  79. Mohit -
    1. No idea. I guess most engineering services coaching organizations must be offering them, though.
    2. No such rigid rules are prescribed. However, neatness is always appreciated. But changing writing device frequently breaks rhythm and takes time. In the end it is a balancing act and a compromise between neatness and speed. As an engineer, you must be surely knowing that everything in the world is a balancing act between two or more optimizing parameters!
    3.Again, read the answer to point two. Explanations make answers easier to read - but then again, cost time.

    ReplyDelete
  80. Manufacturing Management – E.Paul De Garmo
    Can you tell me the name of the book?

    ReplyDelete
  81. hello sir....i hav some doubts regarding solving problem and writing theory..my Qs are..

    1. during problem sovling should we write the assumptions in all Qs??if yes..where to find it??
    2. similarly should we derive the formulas which we r using to solve the particular problem?

    3. during theory Qs..shall we write in point form or in paragraph form???

    4. for mechanics which book to follow??

    5. regarding attempt...the Qs which we complete fully ,how much we get,,and how much we will get if we just write something abt the Qs???

    WAITING FOR UR REPLY SIR......THANK U....

    ReplyDelete
  82. hello sir i will join for irss in dec 2015 as i will get most probably now i have resigned from iocl and taken mechanical engineering as optionals.can you please tell me whether any solved papers of mechanical engineering is present .

    ReplyDelete
  83. M from IITB MECH engg.
    Is there no partial marking in numerical questions. Suppose I make a mistake somewhere giving a wrong final ans but conceptually Iam right

    ReplyDelete
  84. sir, do you suggest any book which has previous year solved papers of civil service (mains) in mechanical engineering

    ReplyDelete
  85. Any wrote Mechanical Optional this year?, if yes how did it go? I wrote this year and my 2nd paper was not good.

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  86. Sir, please tell me did you solve only & all the example problems from the books mentioned above? How did you revise? Should we strictly adhere to the syllabus or the whole books should be covered?

    ReplyDelete
  87. Sorry all for the late reply. Magistracy of Meerut is a tough task.

    First, Sam - the more you write in an answer, the more you expose your knowledge, if you know your stuff, or your ignorance. So that's a very situation to situation call. Plus, the running clock is also a rigid constraint. Rest of your queries are answered in the article - point wise is always better.

    Rupin and Amit - I did not use a book of sample papers. My brother used Arihant. Says it is good.

    Soumyabrat - syllabus first. Luxuries later. For revision, I used notes as detailed out in the article.

    ReplyDelete
  88. thanku sir for ur reply....i just wanted to knw that


    1.whether marks awarded for writing assumptionsin the answers??

    2.yes time is impt..but people say tat if the Qs is of more than 10 marks, u hv to do the derivation..what u say??

    3.can u plz give the link of that arihant book which ur brother is solving???

    THANK U...

    ReplyDelete
  89. Nice information posted here. One can also get the details of gate classes online only at Online ICE GATE Institute.

    ReplyDelete
  90. Hello sir,
    Where can i get solved paper of IAS previous year mechanical optional.
    I am preparing for IES and thinking to try upsc also after strengthening my mechanical upto CSE level.
    Currently i am pursuing mtech from IIT Delhi.
    tried alot but could not find anywhere.

    ReplyDelete
  91. Sir have u given uppcs mains with mechanical optional if yes please sir guide me from where I can get previous years papers.

    ReplyDelete
  92. Sam -

    I do not think you have to derive anything compulsorily unless asked to. However it is useful to know the derivation in case one forgets the direct formula.

    About marks for writing assumptions, your guess is as good as mine. No marked copy has ever been posted in public domain. Since the marks are anyway moderated, one cannot tell what the original marks awarded on the copy were.

    I am not sure. Neither does he remember the name - who remembers the names of Question Banks? One just remembers the publisher.



    Pravin - Arihant Publishers have a question bank for the purpose.

    Veer Singh - No. I have not written the UPPCS exam.

    ReplyDelete
  93. thanku sir for ur kind reply....ya its true taht we should remember derivations..sir if u have nything else to share with us regarding mechanical which will help in the upcoming xam..plz share..u r a true inspiration for mechie guys....thanku..

    ReplyDelete
  94. Hi sir, I am a guy who is intrested in history, polity and geography of india (and the world). So I m planning to try cse. As a btech holder I can say that I m very weak in Mechanical Engg. But in my point of view, mechanical suits best to me( I m preparin for PSUs also). So how realistic are my plans? Can u give some suggestions.

    ReplyDelete
  95. Dear Sir,
    1.Pls,explain how can we get previous years papers solutions.
    2.also,provide tips to increase speed in exam.

    ReplyDelete
  96. Hi sir i am basically from diploma background i have somewhat stuff in engineering about 25% in upsc point of view but i have doubt how you are balancing the the general studies with engineering stream as fresh graduate what are steps to be taken while preparing

    ReplyDelete
  97. hello sir i was saw a lot of question papers
    coming to my doubt
    in many question papers they were asking the question related to
    came profiles,so they are provide any sheet r sketch the diagram
    the space provided in the booklet itself

    ReplyDelete
  98. how is the paper checking?
    For numerical, marks are for steps or for answer?

    ReplyDelete
  99. Swapnil - Thanks!

    Binjo - Your question is answered in the first part of the article. In short, you sound like a candidate who might do well with Mech.

    Vikash - There are compilations from various publications for that. As far as exam writing speed is concerned, good practice and moving on from stuck-up questions are advisable courses.

    Jagadeesh - Sketching cam profiles requires no graph paper - plain paper and a compass and ruler would do. In any case, if any special kind of stationery is needed, it comes attached to the question paper itself (e.g. graph sheet, Psychrometric chart, T-S, p-h diagrams)

    Shubham - Can't be sure. My guess is that marks are awarded for substantive steps (i.e not merely writing down the data and assumptions)

    ReplyDelete
  100. sir good evening...this year that is 2016 my pre is expected to be clear without any doubt but as a optional i took mechanical engineering being my optional subject...please sir can you help me now how i should i prepare for it bcoz i have only 3 month to prapare..

    ReplyDelete
  101. well sir i have a strong belief that none other than mechanical like which glued to me to this particular subject which not even help me to make my strong interest but assist me to fetch more marks...sir very vast course and paucity of time making me little ambiguous.. please suggest me your worthy tips regarding mains paper...

    ReplyDelete
  102. Hey Raveesh,
    First of all I want to thank you for taking time and replying for all our questions. I want to know which topic as more weigthage, so that I could start preparing from it. Currently am doing M.Eng in aerospace engineering. Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  103. sir is calculator permitted in ese and cse mechanical optional and objective papers as well?please provide me information regarding this as no authenticate source is available for freshers regarding this.

    ReplyDelete
  104. Hello sir..Is there any book or source where I could either get the final answers or solved papers of mechanical engineering mains paper? Would be really helpful

    ReplyDelete
  105. Replies
    1. Hello Sir,
      I am confused about optional subject between mech Engg and anthropology. I have quiet interest in mech Engg. But I have not undertook any coaching for mech and neither I have prepared for Gate or ESE exam. And I am not planning for coaching for optional subject. Will it be possible to do good in optional paper with mech Engg ??

      And sir I am afraid seeing the success rate in mech Engg. It is on an average less than 5% as per the upsc annual report. Is there any factor playing behind it which I should consider ??

      Thanks Sir Plz reply

      Delete
  106. sir i have RK rajput for thermal engg.....but there are few questions which are not in the book ....plz suggest me

    ReplyDelete
  107. Pleade share exp of mech iptinal in2016.
    I am expecting decent score in paper 1 about 150,but second one bit difficult I am expet. Only 80- 90.
    Hope this time mech will break.

    ReplyDelete
  108. sir, please can you tell us the link of that arihant book having previous year question's solution of mechanical engineering . I am not able to find the that book.

    ReplyDelete
  109. Sir, I wanted to know if Fluid Mechanics is not in the UPSC syllabus.

    ReplyDelete
  110. Sir can you please tell how to prepare gas dynamics and turbines

    ReplyDelete
  111. The Structure analysis book of mechanical engineering is one of the best books for ME gate exam. It has explain all the concept very well.

    ReplyDelete
  112. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  113. Sir, please guide as to prepare theory of operations research and manufacturing technology , not able to find a one point source for theory,

    ReplyDelete
  114. At present should I take mechanical as an optional?

    I want to take cse 2018
    Did engg in 2013 now working in a pvt company

    Ready to do 100% efforts

    Can I score 350?
    Without coaching

    ReplyDelete

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    ReplyDelete
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  146. Sir,Can I use scientific calculator (this one- Casio fx991ES plus)? As I used it throughout my graduation days,is it allowed? Which calculator did you use sir?

    ReplyDelete
  147. I used a basic scientific calculator. They say that you cannot use a "programmable calculator". I am not sure what that might be. Better use the most basic one. It would be hard to react if an invigilator objects inside the hall during the paper.

    ReplyDelete
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  149. Sir, Are we allowed to use a scientific calculator inside the examination hall for Mechanical engineering as an optional?

    ReplyDelete
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  157. Sir which calculator should be used for the mechanical engineering optional in UPSC CSE?

    ReplyDelete
  158. Which calculator should be used for the mechanical engineering optional subject in UPSC CSE?

    ReplyDelete
  159. Sir, do they ask a lot of questions from optional in the interview ?

    ReplyDelete
  160. Yes. "A lot" is a subjective measure. All I can say that leaving the optional unprepared during interview would be disastrous.

    ReplyDelete
  161. Yes. "A lot" is a subjective measure. All I can say that leaving the optional unprepared during interview would be disastrous.

    ReplyDelete
  162. Hello sir,
    Im confused between mechanical and pubad.
    But the query for mechanical is whether they give marks for steps or not??

    ReplyDelete