9 Effective Tips For Civil Services Exam Preparation: Plan & Practice
Civil Services Exam Preparation: Union Public Services Commission of India, better known as UPSC conducts an examination every year for recruiting civil servants including IAS, IPS, IFS, and others. Millions of candidates take the exam but only a few thousands finally get selected. What do they do differently which others fail to? What is the right preparation strategy for clearing the UPSC examination? Keep reading to find out.
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ALSO CHECK: UPSC (Union Public Service Commission): Types Of Exams And Eligibility
9 Effective Tips For Civil Services Exam Preparation
Know the Exam
The very first thing you need to do here is understanding the pattern of the exam and know your syllabus. The UPSC exam is divided into three stages:
- Prelims
- Mains
- Interview
Candidates are required to clear all three stages. Visit the official website to read the notifications about the exam, the syllabus, and the paper pattern. Spend 2-3 days doing this research.
Plan for Civil Services Exam Preparation
Once you are done with understanding the syllabus and analyzing the paper pattern, plan out your strategy on how to crack the exam. Every individual has different capabilities and academic backgrounds. No best strategy works for everyone. So, make your plan after considering your academic background, time available strengths, etc.
Practice for Civil Services Exam Preparation
Practice taking mock tests a lot. This is the only tool that will help you recognize your weak areas and then further work upon them. Try to take these tests in a simulated environment to get a feel of the examination.
Brush Up your Basics
The next thing you need to do after analyzing the syllabus and paper pattern is to lay a strong foundation for the subjects. The majority of the syllabus in UPSC covers subjects like Geography, History, Political Science, and Economics. Go through NCERT books of class 6th to 12th for these subjects. Read them very thoroughly and make your notes.
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Move towards Standard Books
Once you have strengthened your foundation, you can go ahead and read other available resources. The books which are recommended for prelims by toppers and experienced educators include:
- GC Leong-Physical Geography
- Geography of India by Majid Hussain
- Oxford Atlas
- History of Modern India by Bipin Chandra
- Polity by M Laxmikanth
- Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
- Economic Survey- Ministry of Finance
- Tamil Nadu State Board books
- Indian Art and Culture by Singhania and more…
Newspaper Reading & Current Affairs
For the UPSC exam, you must stay updated with national and international current affairs. Start with newspaper reading. Read The Hindu or The Indian Express newspaper daily. Newspaper reading won’t only help you with current affairs, but also it’ll improve your vocabulary and writing style. Read magazines like ‘The Yojana’ for current affairs. Further, read the Indian Yearbook to cover all facts. Along with this, you can listen to BBC radio and AIR daily bulletin
for 30 minutes every day to cover major headlines of the day. Watch debates on Rajya Sabha TV for a comprehensive understanding.
Set Routines
It is natural to get overwhelmed by the amount of syllabus and resources available. To avoid this, make sure you avoid energy-draining people and activities from your life. Set a strict routine and follow it religiously. Set a time for using digital devices and adhere to that. Being serious about this exam requires focus and dedication, this can only come if you are setting deadlines to cover a specific portion of your syllabus and following a routine. An example of a routine for a UPSC candidate can be:
- 2 hours for newspaper reading and current affairs every day
- 2 GS subjects for 3-4 hours every day OR
- 1 GS subject for 6-8 hours every day
Since it is a year-long exam, your yearly time-table can look like this:
- 6 Months Complete GS Static Syllabus Can also mix and match GS and optional subject accordingly
- 4 Months Optional subject preparation
- 2 Months Revision+ Practice
Prioritize your Revision
Revision is the key to success in any examination. Instead of reading 10 different sources and revising none, it is better to stick to 3-4 sources and revise them multiple times. Keeping your resources limited and multiple revision is the key.
Stay Healthy
Lastly, you must take care of your emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Engage with your family members and supportive friends. You need to strategically limit your interactions with the world to stay focused not eliminate it. Exercise, meditate, eat healthy food and take proper sleep.
Civil Services Exam Preparation: Frequnetly Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Is 1 year enough to crack UPSC examination?
Yes
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- Is coaching necessary
No, there are many examples of people who did it without any coaching.
- How many hours should I study for this?
It varies from person to person. But you need to devote 8-10 hours daily.
– Article Edited by Sara Gogna (Connect)