The UPSC Civil Services is one of the toughest exams in India. It is also one of the most noble and prestigious occupations that give every future civil servant the opportunity to bring change in the society. Preparing for the exam requires a lot of hard work and efforts. And the following tips could be very useful for you:
Plan Your Study: A solid study plan is a must while preparing for any exam and it’s even more crucial when you are preparing for the IAS exam. Study plan should be flexible and effective to suit your learning style and pace. And it is important to set realistic goals so that you can achieve maximum result in a given period.
Selecting the Right Books: The quality of preparation for any exam depends to a great extent on the books you have selected. For getting yourself ready for one of the toughest competitive exams in the world, it is imperative that you choose the right books. When you pick the right useful books you are not required to read multiple books to gather information. Refer books or magazines for more detailed information on particular topics or sections.
In-Depth Subject Knowledge: Knowing in-depth knowledge about the various subjects in the General Studies or Optional paper is very critical for cracking the Civil Services Main exam. Getting yourself thorough with the subjects enable you tackle the exam with ease. Aspiring candidates need to have the basic concepts of every subject clear.
Current Affairs: Current affairs have always played a major role in Civil Services Main exam. In recent years a lot of questions are included from major happenings in India and around the world. A candidate must keep himself/herself abreast with current developments in Politics, Economy, Finance, Arts & Literature, Social Issues, International Developments, Entertainment, Sports and more. Only individuals who knows what goes around the world stand a better chance of serving the people better.
Improve your writing style: Writing the Civil Services Main exam requires you to have in-depth knowledge of the topics on which questions were asked. Mere writing information or describing a topic will not get you good marks, you need to have enough points to support your views. Candidates should follow a well-structured format of answering the questions with a proper introduction, body and conclusion. The answer must have facts to support your answers. Also, note its essential to write answers with proper grammar, correct spelling, cohesive sentence structure and in legible handwriting.
Selective Reading: The syllabus for IAS Main is vast and if you plan to crack the exam by doing detailed study for each and every subjects and topics, it’s not going to work. Candidates need to judge what are important and which topics need more focus. And studying the important topics thoroughly will help them to perform better at the exam. The same technique has to be followed while reading news topics, magazines and other reference books. Also understanding the question patterns from previous papers is very important, as it will give you an idea of what kind of questions may be asked.
Solve Previous Question Papers: To be successful in the Civil Services Main exam, one has to thoroughly understand question patterns from previous question papers. Aspiring candidates can do in-depth study in certain popular topics which are frequently asked in previous years.
Don’t Completely Neglect Compulsory Papers: Oftentimes candidates score high marks in the General Studies and Optional papers but fail to score Pass Marks in the qualifying papers – Modern Indian Languages and English. Candidates need to at least study to certain extent to get the qualifying marks in these Compulsory papers.
Work Hard and Smart: When you are thinking to crack one of the toughest exams, you need to work hard and smart. Our educational system from our early years has taught us to study hard but if you look at the results closely, it’s not just enough. Preparing for a difficult exam like IAS, one need to work smart as well. Working smart means reading selective topics in details, making notes of important points while reading, following exam question patterns, taking mock/sample tests regularly, improving speed, keeping track of current affairs in the national and international arena and constructing answers thoughtfully in subjective papers. The syllabus of Civil Services Main exam is vast and reading all topics in different subjects will not deliver the desired result for the candidates.
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