Civil Services has become a hot career choice for Indian youth. Every year some 15 lakh aspirants fill up the CSE form out of which only 1000 make it to the merit list. It becomes clear here itself that the selection ratio is not very impressive when we compare it with the total registrations.
Why is it so important to clear the exam in the first attempt?
The exam is undoubtedly is one with a humongous syllabus. Thus, the process of preparation is a long, tedious one. Thus, the vigour and passion that an aspirant has in the first attempt is huge. With each passing year, the enthusiasm diminishes psychologically. Hence it is important to capitalise all your energy in the first attempt and avoid the vicious loop of appearing and reappearing for the exam every year.
Note: 98% of aspirants waste their productive age once they get into this loop.
What to do?
Strategizing is important here. What to read, what not to read should be clear first. Since you cannot cover everything in the syllabus. You need to have a smart approach. Go through the syllabus and old question papers (PYSPs) to acquaint yourself well with the demands of the exam.Go through all your NCERT from class 6th to class 12th. Parallelly you should start reading newspapers ( The Hindu & Indian Express would be excellent). It will keep you abreast of all the happenings around the world, what are the policies under the ambit of the government and elsewhere.Bear in mind that each of the event/issues in news must be covered in a holistic way, from scratch. For example, Section-377 which is in news, you should know what is "Naz Foundation Case" of 2009 whereby Delhi HC scrapped Section-377, How later SC in 'Suresh Kumar Kaushal vs Naz Foundation' overruled Delhi HC judgement in 2013 and recently SC itself scrapped it in 'Navtej Johar Case'.Another important point is 'Notes making'. You need to make notes from newspapers on a daily basis. If not notes, make pointers. You can supplement your notes with what gradeup offers you on a daily and weekly basis. It would only enrich them and broaden your perspective. Revise them on a regular basis (daily, weekly & monthly basis).When it comes to study material and books, make sure it is finished in a time-bound manner. Further, there should be multiple revisions. A few months into the preparation, the time that revision will take, will go on decreasing. Underlining or highlighting important points will boost your revision strategyEqually important is the 'answer writing practice'. You should start writing practice from the very beginning, as and when you start preparing for the exam. Parallelly essay writing practice should also be done. You can yourself analyse your answers or you can give it to a friend for the same. A group equally serious for UPSC might be good. You can have here some quality discussions on current affairs and other relevant topics. It will enhance your argumentative skils.While reading newspapers or reference books, approach a topic in such a way that will help you structure a particular topic as per the demands of the exam. While reading an article in Newspaper or some magazine like Kurukshetra or Yojana, you should be able to locate as to where a particular point can be used in answer writing, or particular case can be used in case studies (paper IV). Co-link and interlink topics.Bear in mind that the exam doesn’t require a different approach for each of the three stages of the exam. All of them are related and mutually dependant on each other. Your preparation from very inception should be 'Mains focussed'. What can be done in the days close to the prelims is that you can turn it exclusive for 'prelims' at that juncture, say 3 months in advance. Otherwise, it should all be integrated.For General Studies as the name itself shows you should have only a general knowledge and avoid going into depths.However, for the optional, you need to have a good, all-encompassing command over your subject. The choice of an Optional subject should be done purely based on your interest rather than scrutinising what has been the trend in the Mains with respect to marks every year. Say, if a substantial number of candidates with geography as their optional subject have cleared the exam, a lot of the junta will take up geography assuming that geography is very easy to score.For self-analysis, writing a mock test becomes crucial. You can join any online/offline test series for prelims, mains and optional. It will also provide you with an expert's opinion which will be helpful in improving your answer writing skills. It will be a major morale booster if you see your scores going up on the ladder.With all things set for the GS and the optional, do not negate the importance of the qualifying papers. An aspirant must be well prepared for CSAT in prelims and Paper-A & Paper B in mains.
Dont’s in the UPSC preparation
Don’t indulge in unnecessary information gathering. Have a focussed orientation and acknowledge the importance of 'smart study'. Preparation should be selectively based on the syllabus keywords and previous years questionsDon’t indulge in the futile habit of collecting books and study material. Be very specific about the books and material you need to follow. Don’t waste time on the Internet. Judicious use of the internet is what you require.Don’t blindly follow toppers. There are 1000s ways to crack the exam. yes, do learn from others and prepare a strategy that will suit you.
Finally, some basic things you should take care; be consistent in your routine, if you plan something, make sure you execute it. Maintain a healthy diet and regular sleep as these things cannot be ignored altogether in course of your preparation. You can go through the following articles for a better follow up on these course of action.
All the Best and Happy Prepping!
