General Science - Biology
Mitosis Phases — PMAT: Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase. Chromosomes appear, align at middle, are pulled apart, then two nuclei form.
Blood Groups Universal — O-negative is universal donor (gives to all); AB-positive is universal recipient (receives from all). Remember: O-generous, AB-accepting.
Vitamin Deficiency Diseases — ABCDE: A-Night blindness, B-Beri beri, C-Scurvy, D-Rickets, E-Sterility. Common exam trap question.
Human Teeth Formula — 2123/2123 means 2 Incisors, 1 Canine, 2 Premolars, 3 Molars per quadrant. Total 32 teeth in adults.
Endocrine Glands Memory — HYPOTHALIPAPA: Hypothalamus, Thyroid, Adrenal, Liver, Pancreas, Parathyroid, Pituitary, Pineal. All major hormone secretors covered.
General Science - Chemistry
Reactivity Series — "Please Send Charlie's Monkeys And Zebras In Large Cages Securely Guarded" for K, Na, Ca, Mg, Al, Zn, Fe, Pb, H, Cu, Hg, Ag, Au, Pt.
pH Scale Quick Check — pH below 7 is acidic (lemon, vinegar), pH 7 is neutral (water), pH above 7 is basic (soap, bleach). Each step is 10× stronger.
Periodic Table Groups — Group 1: Alkali metals; Group 17: Halogens; Group 18: Noble gases. These three groups most frequently tested in prelims.
Alloy Composition — Brass = Copper + Zinc; Bronze = Copper + Tin; Steel = Iron + Carbon. Remember CuZn, CuSn, FeC for quick recall.
General Science - Physics
VIBGYOR for Spectrum — Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange, Red. Increasing wavelength, decreasing frequency order for visible light spectrum.
Ohm's Law Triangle — Cover V to get V=IR, cover I to get I=V/R, cover R to get R=V/I. Draw triangle with V on top.
Fleming's Left-Hand Rule — Thumb-Force, First finger-Field, Center finger-Current. For motor effect direction in electromagnetic problems.
Lens Formula Sign Convention — Distances measured against light direction are negative. Convex lens has positive focal length, concave negative.
Environment & Ecology
Ecological Pyramid Rule — 10% Law: Only 10% energy transfers from one trophic level to next. 90% lost as heat, movement, excretion.
Biodiversity Hotspots in India — WISH: Western Ghats, Indo-Burma, Sundaland, Himalayas. Four hotspots covering Indian subcontinent, frequently asked.
Greenhouse Gases Memory — COMN: Carbon dioxide, Ozone, Methane, Nitrous oxide. Primary gases causing global warming and climate change.
Protected Areas Hierarchy — National Park (strictest, no grazing) > Wildlife Sanctuary (limited human activity) > Biosphere Reserve (largest, multiple zones). Know the restriction levels.
Economic & Social Development
GDP vs GNP Quick — GDP = production within country borders; GNP = production by country's citizens anywhere. GDP is domestic, GNP includes foreign income.
Inflation Types — Creeping (<3%), Walking (3-7%), Galloping (>7%), Hyperinflation (50%+ monthly). Classification by rate of price rise.
Banking Rate Hierarchy — Bank Rate > MSF > Repo Rate > Reverse Repo. From highest to lowest typically, all RBI monetary policy tools.
Fiscal vs Monetary — Fiscal = Government (taxes, spending); Monetary = RBI (interest rates, money supply). Different authorities, different tools.
Agriculture
Kharif-Rabi Season Trick — Kharif = sown with monsoon (June-July), harvested autumn. Rabi = sown winter (Oct-Nov), harvested spring. Rice/Cotton vs Wheat/Mustard.
Green Revolution Crops — Mainly wheat and rice. Punjab, Haryana, Western UP benefited most. 1960s-70s period, Norman Borlaug associated.
Soil Types India — ABRDL: Alluvial (most fertile, Gangetic plains), Black (cotton, Deccan), Red (poor fertility), Desert, Laterite (leached). Distribution matters for UP exam.
Logical Reasoning & Analytical Ability
Blood Relations Base — Paternal side (father's family) vs Maternal side (mother's family). Brother-in-law has two meanings: sister's husband or wife's brother.
Coding-Decoding Pattern — Check letter position shifts: +1, -1, +2 patterns. Reverse coding: work backwards from given answer.
Direction Sense — Clockwise: North → East → South → West. 90° turn changes direction, 180° reverses. Left turn = anticlockwise, Right = clockwise.
Venn Diagram Formula — Total = A + B + C - (AB) - (BC) - (AC) + (ABC) + None. For three-set problems with overlaps.
Basic Numeracy - Arithmetic
Divisibility Rule for 11 — Alternating sum of digits divisible by 11. Example: 1331 → (1+3)-(3+1) = 0, divisible. Quick mental check.
Percentage-Fraction Equivalents — 50%=1/2, 33.33%=1/3, 25%=1/4, 20%=1/5, 16.66%=1/6, 12.5%=1/8. Memorize for speed calculations.
Profit-Loss Formula — CP × (100+Gain%)/100 = SP. If SP known, CP = SP × 100/(100+Gain%). Reverse formula equally important.
Simple Interest Trick — SI = PRT/100. For finding time when SI equals principal: T = 100/R years. If rate is 10%, principal doubles in 10 years.
Average Addition Rule — When new number joins, Total change = n × (New average - Old average), where n is original count. Saves lengthy recalculation.
Data Interpretation
Percentage Change Formula — [(New - Old)/Old] × 100. Positive = increase, negative = decrease. Don't confuse with absolute difference.
Pie Chart Quick Method — Each 1% = 3.6° in pie chart. To find percentage: (angle/360) × 100. Remember 90° = 25%, 180° = 50%.
Bar Graph Comparison — Always read axis labels and units first. Questions often hide unit changes (thousands to lakhs) to create confusion.
Ratio to Percentage — If A:B = 3:5, then A = 3/8 × 100 = 37.5% and B = 5/8 × 100 = 62.5%. Parts to total conversion.
UP Geography
UP Border States Mnemonic — "BRUM-CH-J-M": Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, plus Nepal border. Nine neighbors total.
UP Regions Division — Purvanchal (Eastern), Bundelkhand (South), Awadh (Central), Rohilkhand (Northwest), Doab regions. Each with distinct characteristics.
Major Rivers of UP — Ganga, Yamuna, Gomti, Ghaghra, Gandak, Ramganga. Ganga enters at Bijnor, exits at Ballia. Flow generally northwest to southeast.