7 Tips On UPSC IAS Exam Preparation Strategy

The UPSC IAS exam is considered one of India’s most prestigious exams. Every year tens of thousands of people from all over the country attempt it. Only a tiny percentage of them, however, can achieve this goal of becoming an IAS officer. The Civil Services exam is challenging not only because of its extensive curriculum but also because of its highly complicated nature.

When preparing for competitive exams, having a preparation strategy is vital, but this approach becomes crucial for passing the UPSC IAS exam. Following are 7 tips that will surely help you ace the exam:

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Get to Know the Course Material

The core of any exam is its curriculum. Before you begin reading the books, you need to understand the syllabus first. It will help you decide what is essential to read and what can be neglected. As all the exam questions are from the syllabus provided, keeping a constant check on the syllabus is compulsory.

Thus, the initial step for all freshmen is to understand the UPSC syllabus and IAS exam pattern. UPSC has provided a detailed syllabus for the preliminary and main exams of CSE. Students should also be aware of the eligibility criteria for taking the exam.

Develop the Habit of Reading Newspaper

If you want to become an IAS officer, you need to realize that reading newspapers is essential for your CSE preparation. Keep yourself informed of what is going on in the world. Current affairs and current issues are, in fact, dynamic topics, which can be made known by reading newspapers.

Almost all of the toppers advise to keep up with current affairs. Also, regularly visit the Sarkari Result website, as all the notifications related to the UPSC exam are available here.

Go through Previous Year’s Papers

To gain an understanding of the exam, you need to review all the previous papers. This will give you an idea of the main section and the questions that are repeating. Further assessment of each question is recommended because doing so will direct your study habits towards the concepts and topics on which UPSC has prepared the questions.

Moreover, by reading previous papers, you will also get an idea of your preparation.

Consult NCERT Books

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is an independent agency whose mission is to deliver high-quality education to Indian school kids.

Various study materials are available for the UPSC exam, but it is recommended to begin with the NCERT books, which discuss the concepts in simple words. For relevant topics, students are advised to read NCERT books from class VI to XII. As NCERT alone will not get you ahead, you must ensure that these books are covered as soon as possible. It would be best to finish them during the first three months of your preparation.

Prepare Well-structured Notes

Notes will be a crucial element in your struggle to pass the exam for IAS. Without proper and effective notes in your hand, it would be challenging to proceed with your preparation. Try to make notes with the proper analysis after consulting authentic sources of information. These notes will be easy to prepare for your exam, as you won’t be able to re-read the whole material again due to time constraints. There are many exams for various Government Jobs that are not as challenging as the UPSC exam; however, preparing for this exam requires a lot more effort.

Practice Test Series

This practice is an essential part of the last three months of your UPSC exam preparation. It will be beneficial to take mock tests of the preliminary and main exams. It will help you in two ways; firstly, you will get a thorough idea of the type of questions asked in the exam; secondly, you will be able to manage your time accordingly.

As said by the IAS toppers, these mock papers are an integral element of UPSC preparation. Practicing them regularly will help you improve your pace, assess your preparation, evaluate yourself against your competitors, and boost confidence.

Revision for Best Results

It is an impossible task to remember every minute detail of a topic. Without frequent revisions, all your efforts will go in vain. So, it is necessary to take some time for revision. Revise all the topics over the weekend to remember them for a long time.

Remember that being a bookworm would not help you pass the IAS exam. Apart from completing the curriculum, your focus should also be on continuously collecting information and insight, preparing strategically, reviewing, practicing, and being positive.