Start from the selection structure
Prelims screens; Mains selects. Do not treat them as two unrelated courses.
Build the base
In Numerical Ability, make fractions, percentages, ratios, averages and core arithmetic reliable. In Reasoning, build clean representation before speed. Structure → Base → Interpretation → Calculation. Understand first. Calculate later.
Prelims execution
Practise Reasoning in 25-minute blocks and Numerical Ability in 20-minute blocks. Learn which questions to take now, take later or leave. Track accuracy with time.
Start Mains early
Keep GA and Computer Knowledge active from the start. Daily current affairs should feed weekly revision and monthly recall.
Mains Quant/Reasoning
Reasoning and Numerical Ability carry 50 marks each. Practise denser sets and arithmetic/DI in the exact 30-minute clocks.
Use PYQs and mocks as diagnosis
Identify whether errors come from concept, representation, calculation, selection, GA recall or computer knowledge, then fix that cause.
Near Prelims, rehearse exact sectional timings, reduce new material and keep Mains blocks alive. Do not chase last year's State cutoff; build margin.