19th BJS Preliminary on 31 October: A Full Guide to the Final 72 Hours and What to Do in the Exam Hall

The Bangladesh Judicial Service (BJS) preliminary examination is one of the most competitive examinations in the country. Candidates compete against the best students in the nation, so no rival can be taken lightly. This year the 19th BJS preliminary examination is scheduled for 31 October.

In such an examination, study alone is not enough; strategic study is needed — knowing well which subjects to focus on and when, and how much of a subject can be left out. A detailed guide has been set out for candidates on how to use the final 72 hours before the exam, from 28 to 30 October.

In the first two days, 28 and 29 October — 48 hours — the six groups of law subjects should be revised thoroughly by hand. Alongside that, the general section's English, Bangla, literature, science and current affairs should be gone over. There is no need to solve fresh model tests at this stage, the guidance says.

On 30 October, from morning until before evening, candidates should go over only the six law groups again, because if revision is poor, everything may seem jumbled in the exam hall.

From the evening of 30 October until bedtime, only Optional 1 and 2 should be revised. Candidates should be asleep by 10pm and secure deep sleep as far as possible — adequate sleep the night before is one of the best supports for a good exam.

On exam day, candidates are advised to rise at Fajr, pray and seek Allah's help. They should drink enough clean water in the morning, because water, oxygen and glucose are the raw materials the brain needs to work properly. Many avoid drinking water for fear of needing the toilet — that is quite wrong, as every exam centre has sufficient washrooms.

From morning until leaving for the exam, Optional 1 and 2, plus only English literature and current affairs, should be gone over again. The reason for the repeated emphasis on Optional 1 and 2 will become clear to candidates in the exam hall itself, the guide notes.

For the journey, candidates should allow extra time, considering the distance to the centre and road traffic, and try to arrive early. There is no need to carry many books or notebooks; the admit card and pens should be checked. Anyone wishing to read outside the centre should carry only Optional 1 and 2 and current affairs.

After reaching the centre, candidates should avoid crowds as far as possible, stay alone in an open space, and pay no attention to anyone's questions or talk, which creates needless panic and can lower confidence. After entering, the first task is to find which building and room one's seat is in.

The steps after receiving the question paper are also laid out: separate the OMR sheet from the question paper with care so it does not tear, then fill in the roll-number circles on the OMR sheet very carefully.

Then work through the questions in order, from 1 to 100. Whatever can be answered should be marked on the OMR sheet immediately. For a question where a candidate is not 100 percent sure but 60-70 percent sure, a circle should be drawn on the question paper so it can be found again easily. Writing or marking on the question paper is allowed in the preliminary exam, and in many cases sums can be worked out on it.

Mistakes to avoid: searching out favourite maths, science or law questions instead of starting from question 1 wastes a great deal of time — every second in the exam hall is valuable. Others read the whole paper once and put small marks, then waste more time finding them again. The correct method is to mark in sequence whatever can be answered, skip what cannot be answered at all, and circle the doubtful ones.

How many answers are safe for passing is hard to state with certainty — it varies from person to person and is relative. But with 0.25 deducted for every wrong answer, marking between 70 and 80 is generally quite safe, the guide says. And if a candidate finds, despite much effort, that no more than 40 to 45 can be answered correctly, the tactic of marking all 100 rather than sitting idle is also mentioned. The overall message is one: in the final preparation, not new study but planned revision, adequate sleep and discipline inside the hall will carry a BJS candidate ahead.