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Remember paper1 is very scoring even if considered tough. Use this time to get the orientation to improve your guess work especially for science questions.
For paper2, I think good score depends on how broad you can think on an issue. Avoid wasting too many words on elaborating the same point. Rather it's better to discuss 5-6 points within 30-40 words. In case of time crunch, save your time by writing less words and more content. You can use tables in for and against type question. Again be broad minded while attempting such questions.
I will be writing detailed strategy for paper2 along with points for some questions of previous year. It will be very helpful. BTW I scored 107 in paper2.. just kidding or showing off.
I am sharing my personal experience. In 2015, I gave my first Capf attempt without even looking the pattern or previous year papers with only target of completing paper2. I was reading India's struggle for independence (500 page book) just for fun 3-4 days before the exam. To my utter surprise 8-10 questions from that specific book were asked which were extremely tough. I attempted all those questions correctly and that confidence helped in paper2. Capf cut off that year was 111 in paper1, written total was 172 and total was 275. My score that year was 152 in paper1 and 83 in paper2. I didn't appear in physical that time. Moral: It's never too late. So keep fighting till the last moment.
For modern history I referred to spectrum. Only selected portions. For polity - I have a 6-7 page note of laxmikanth of key provisions and refer to important article numbers as they ask factual questions. Economy - mainly basic definitions and current affairs from vision. I don't cover science because that's pure luck based and practical oriented. In last 3-4 days I would cover miscellaneous like environment, defence, space, awards etc. I generally focus on current affairs in my preparation relying on Vision Ias monthly as it would cover paper2 and paper1 portions. For miscellaneous Wikipedia and Google are more than enough provided you do it with a cool mind as cost benefit is less. Other thing is one should focus on science by reading ncerts at least upto class 10 ( though I felt like appearing in IIT JEE again after seeing chemistry questions) and don't bother much about history as the questions are asked from nowhere and covering any basic source is the maximum one should do. Target the 15 aptitude questions ( though I was never able to attempt more than 5 because of my weakness). I attempted nearly 112 questions everytime because my strike rate in guesswork is nearly 70 percent due to practice but it is one's personal prerogative to decide on that. This is already a long answer. If anyone's query is left then feel free to ask.
For and against type - power flows from the barrel of the gun.
For - the dominant powers in the world are those countries who possess nuclear weapons or have strong defence forces.
Against - India was not a military might just after independence but India was invited to participate in Korean peace process due to its moral force.
For - Britishers managed to control India for 200 years due to its strong army.
Against - Britishers were forced to grant freedom to India due to the efforts of Mahatma Gandhi , the father of the nation, whose main ideal was non violence (ahimsa).
For and against type questions are the trickiest part of the paper. So, the smart strategy is to be aware of this fact and plan accordingly. My plan was to not to leave this question at any cost and at the same time don't spend much time thinking about the arguments. So, if right arguments are not striking at that time , it's better to keep thinking about arguments while dealing with easy questions and write any point if it strikes in rough otherwise you may forget till the end. Last year, in the addiction to Android smartphones question, I was not able to gather arguments. So I attended that question later.
Sorry for the delay. See, the most important thing in essay is choice of topics. If you pick the right ones, 90 percent of your work is done.
My approach
1. Avoid philosophical topics ( if possible)
2. Choose the topics where you can have its content in points.
Eg. The things that count as being civilised ( vague - leave it )
Interlinking and connecting rivers ( certain topic - certain content - go for it ).
3. After selecting the topics, your real job starts. Since topics are very wide, cover them holistically.
Eg. In rivers essay, l thought for a minute about the points like definition, purpose, benefits, challenges and suggestions i.e one word hint for all the heads so that you don't forget them while writing.
Don't create detailed structure. Only points can be noted that too for the main body.
4. Work on the presentation. Make small paragraphs of 4-5 lines each and not more than that. Give a good space between paragraph change. Good means proper gap is visible, more than line change. It will work wonders.
5. Last and most important thing then, run for your life. You will have time constraint later on. Your only job is to complete the paperwork. Don't go into too much details. Focus on wide analytical coverage as it puts less stress on your brain.
The key will be the short Paras and whether you are concluding or not on a positive note. Don't care much about facts. Only write and write and write in the exam.
As far as I remember, I took nearly 50 minutes to complete the four essays.
How easy it is to crack upsc CAPF exam ? Actually I have an another exam also on the same day. Please suggest experienced friends. Upsc CAPF exam is tougher than ssc cgl or is it similar to cgl ?