The UPSC’s Civil Services Exam is one of the country’s most renowned examinations. Thousands of candidates work hard every year to pass the exam, but only a handful are successful. The first attempt that a candidate takes toward passing this exam is the most important of them all, because it is the one that is delivered with the most zeal. Any applicant taking the exam for the first time should not only seek to pass the Prelims, but also to pass it in the first attempt. Candidates who have previously passed the exam are a fantastic source of information when it comes to learning how to pass the exam.
The UPSC exam is one of India’s most difficult to pass, but it’s not impossible if you use the appropriate method. The most difficult task for each aspirant is to maintain the correct preparation momentum until the objective is attained. In this article, we’ll go through the technique as well as the materials you’ll need to pass this exam. Here is a technique for passing UPSC.
Get Ready for UPSC with these Tips
Study The Syllabus
The most important qualification for civils preparation is a thorough comprehension and grasp of the subject. The Civil Services are known for their extensive and comprehensive syllabus, but many candidates fail at this stage. A thorough understanding of the syllabus’s nature, clarity, and scope is essential for effective preparation. It aids in determining what should be read and what should be avoided.
Get to Know the Course Material
The curriculum is at the heart of any exam. You must first comprehend the curriculum before beginning to read the books. It will assist you in determining what should be read and what may be skipped. Because all exam questions are drawn from the syllabus, it is necessary to keep a constant eye on the syllabus. For the preliminary and main CSE exams, UPSC has supplied a complete syllabus. Students should also be informed of the exam’s eligibility requirements.
Develop the Habit of Reading Newspaper
If you want to be an IAS officer, you must understand that reading newspapers is an important part of your CSE preparation. Keep yourself up to date on what’s happening in the world. Current events and issues are, in reality, live topics that can be learned about by reading newspapers.
You should go over all of the prior papers to get a better knowledge of the exam. This will give you an overview of the main segment as well as the questions that will come up again and again. It is essential that you examine each question further because doing so will direct your study habits toward the concepts and themes on which UPSC has prepared the questions. You can also gain an indication of your preparedness by reviewing past papers.
Consult NCERT Books
Go through Previous Year’s Papers
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is an independent organisation whose aim is to provide Indian schoolchildren with high-quality education. For the UPSC exam, there are a variety of study tools available, however it is recommended that you start with the NCERT books, which explain ideas in basic terms. Students should read NCERT books from class VI to XII for relevant topics. You must guarantee that these books are covered as quickly as possible because NCERT alone will not move you forward. It’s great if you finish them in the first three months of your study period.
Focus on Current Affairs
Keep yourself informed about what’s going on in the globe. Current Affairs is not a separate subject to be studied, but rather an essential component of the UPSC syllabus. Current events and current concerns are, in reality, the dynamic regions in all of the syllabus topics that are most essential in terms of the examination. Regularly read one newspaper and one magazine.
Prepare Well-structured Notes
The use of notes will be critical in your attempt to pass the IAS exam. It would be difficult to continue with your preparation without having good and useful notes. After consulting reliable sources of information, try to write notes with adequate analysis. Because you won’t be able to re-read the entire content owing to time limits, these notes will be useful in preparing for your exam. Many tests for other government jobs are not as difficult as the UPSC exam; yet, studying for this exam takes a lot more time and effort.
Practice Test Series
This is an important aspect of your UPSC test preparation over the last three months. Taking practise tests for the preliminary and major exams will be advantageous. It will benefit you in two ways: first, you will have a better understanding of the types of questions that will be given on the exam, and second, you will be able to manage your time more effectively. These sample papers, according to the IAS toppers, constitute an important part of UPSC preparation. Regular practise will help you increase your speed, analyse your preparation, compare yourself to your competition, and boost your confidence.
Revision for Best Results
It’s impossible to memorise every aspect of a subject. All of your efforts will be for naught if you don’t revise frequently. As a result, considerable time for correction is required. Over the weekend, review all of the topics to ensure that you remember them.
It’s important to keep in mind that being a bookworm will not help you pass the IAS exam. Apart from finishing the programme, you should concentrate on gathering knowledge and insight on a regular basis, planning strategically, evaluating, practising, and remaining positive.
Coaching for the Civils
The most important aspect in cracking the Civils is coaching. Selecting the correct coaching partner must be done with care, as it will aid in laying the groundwork for the Civils’ dream. Concentrate on the lectures being given and create a habit of taking notes. Coaching institutes also administer examinations that may be useful in gauging one’s present level of preparation.
Develop a habit to Introspect
In terms of connecting a specific topic or subject to other concerns. During interviews, there is a lot of cross-questioning, and this strategy aids in being properly prepared on any given issue.
Understand The Role of Internet
The internet aids in keeping up with what is going on in the world. It’s a good way to keep up to speed, especially with the optional subject. Also, identifying a good and “trusted” source and sticking to it is critical, as referring to ten different sources at once is not as effective as referring to one source ten times.
Prepare Holistic Schedule
Focus on one newspaper until the Mains, making sure to read it thoroughly and take notes on what you learn. After the Mains, two newspapers should be read. Civils aspirants should make it a habit to get up early every day, and reading the newspaper should be the first thing they do. Do not put off the assignment until later in the day, and even if you have trouble grasping the topic at first, all will come into place with time.
Time Management and Revision
With so many things to keep track of – current events, class notes, NCERTs, subjects, and coaching — UPSC puts one’s management skills to the test as well. REVISE!!! is the first managerial mantra. Even if the topic is simple and straightforward, the student must review all he or she has learned throughout the day. It takes two to three hours to revise on the same day, however delaying the task can make it seem endless. It’s also a good idea to go back to the NCERTs after an advanced session on a topic and go over the basics again.
Giving mock tests is a fantastic way to supplement your current preparation. It familiarises one with the test pattern, common mistakes to avoid, and scoring methodologies, among other things. Mock tests can also be used as an excellent practise session before taking the final exam. Also, rather than focusing on writing preparation at this level, applicants should concentrate on the MCQs.
Prelims Preparation Strategy
Only after passing the preliminary exam can, you sit for the UPSC Mains exam (second stage of the procedure) (1st stage). Underestimating the importance of UPSC Prelims will put an end to the quest before it even begins. Only about 3% of candidates who take the preliminary exam make it to the Main Exam by passing the cut-off line. In recent years, passing the ‘Prelims Hurdle’ has required more effort than passing the Main Exam. Many serious applicants will fail in the Prelims stage because they would have spent too much time planning beyond the Prelims stage.
Focus on Prelims: Go with the UPSC cycle
During the months of January through May, dedicate at least 70% of your time to Prelims Topics and solving and analysing questions from prior years. Also, ensure that you can finish the paper in 1 hour and 40 minutes.
Such a focus on the preliminary exams during the above-mentioned months will be in line with the UPSC civil service test cycle.
Gain insights from Previous Year Papers
To acquire a sense of the Exam, you should check over all of the previous year’s papers, especially those from after 2011. This provides you a sense of the current state of questioning.
Further examination of each question is recommended because doing so will direct your study habits toward the concepts and topics on which UPSC has based the questions and statements that follow.
NCERT Texts’ coverage and beyond
NCERT textbooks from Grades 6 to 12 are a must-have for UPSC exam preparation. These are the foundational books that can be used to supplement information from other sources. These “alternative sources” are many, both offline and online.
Because NCERTs alone will not get you through, you must ensure that NCERTs are covered as soon as feasible. It is best to finish them during the first three months of preparation. Make handy notes or utilise the Explanations of Legacy Daily Static Quiz, which contains over 1200 MCQs based on NCERTs, to review them later.
Current Affairs Preparation
This is the best IAS Preparation approach, which should be reinforced with other strategies you use. Analyses of major Editorials from various Newspapers can be used to cover current events.
- On a daily basis, PIB summarises.
- Kurukshetra and Yojana are important magazines.
- Infographics to help people remember current events.
Don’t let Paper-2 (CSAT) play the Spoilsport
From 2015 forward, the difficulty level of Paper-2 of the Prelims Exam has gradually increased. Many students’ hopes are dashed simply because they do not have enough time to attempt the required number of questions to meet the minimum cut-off of 33%. Putting this paper on the back burner because you think you’re brilliant at math and English is like courting disaster.
Even if only 66 out of 200 is required, you must work hard for it. The best method to prepare for this paper is to practise on prior years’ papers.
Mains Preparation Strategy
Preparing for the UPSC exam necessitates a significant amount of time and work, as well as the highest level of consistency and devotion. The main exam determines whether a candidate will be selected for IAS/IPS/IRS/IFS, IAAS, or another Central Service.
- Examine the UPSC Mains Syllabus for each of the four General Studies papers.
- Choose the appropriate books for the appropriate themes.
- Instead of reading ten books at once, read one book ten times.
- Every day, read at least one newspaper thoroughly while keeping syllabi in mind.
- Make a list of questions from the editorial section. Consider how you would ask the question on this particular topic if you were the examiner.
- Every day, practise composing answers to at least two General Studies questions.
- Finish optional papers by the end of December/early January.
- To write answers for the optional paper on a regular basis and save them as notes for last-minute review.
- Once a week, compose one essay on a variety of general topics, and keep a notebook with data in diverse areas such as social, environmental, economic, and so on to use in an essay.
- Ensure that review is part of your regular routine.
