It is generally told that UPSC is the mother of all government exams but take it is just another exam in your life. When the pressure goes off your mind, you can excel and give your 100%. The key to excelling in UPSC is consistency, dedication, and determination. If you can discipline yourself in these areas, then no dream is too big to achieve, and the same goes with this exam. Specifically, when we talk about the IAS exam, it is a long exam that goes on for almost a year, and it has three levels, Prelims, Mains, and Interview. Here we have listed some tips that will help you go through this exam.
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Read and learn the UPSC Syllabus.
If you are new to the exam format, the first thing is to buy a syllabus. Many aspirants underestimate this step but trust us that it is one of the most important steps. Once you are thorough with the detailed syllabus, you have a better idea of what the exam requires. We would also encourage you to learn the syllabus that will help you segregate the topics according to GS papers.
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Make your Realistic Time Table
It is important to make a well-planned timetable, but at the same time, it should be achievable and realistic according to your lifestyle and body cycle. It requires a systematic daily routine to be in the role of a high-class bureaucrat. So take this time of preparation to build that habit for the long run. Make a long-term goal for a year, then monthly, weekly and daily goals. Keep a check of all the milestones and keep someone accountable for the set goals.
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Develop the Habit of Newspaper Reading
Reading the newspaper is an essential thing if you are preparing for any government exam. This keeps you updated with whatever is happening around the country and world. While reading a newspaper, you will also be able to link it with papers for General Studies. You can also make short notes of the important events, culminating insufficient monthly current affairs. Majorly, it would help if you did not skip reading the editorial section of the paper. You subscribe to The Hindu or The Indian Express, which are the two most commonly used among the aspirants.
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Follow one Relevant Magazine.
If you visit the locality near UPSC hubs, you will be bombarded with multiple magazines and study resources that confuse you. Therefore, we suggest the following relevant magazine. For the first time, go through a few commonly used monthly current affairs magazines and see which suits you the most reliable in terms of language, understanding, and depth of facts. Once you have decided on one magazine, stick to it or every month.
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Focus on Important Government Resources
More than any second-hand notes available on the market, it is always better to go through the authentic government resources and document to form your own opinion, which makes your answers unique from others. Keep an eye on the latest documents released from the ministry and give them a read for taking away.
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Reading and Making Notes from NCERTs
You would have surely heard that it is essential to read the NCERT books from class 6 to 12. This is true and plays a vital role in forming the firm foundation for all the subjects. While you read, make short and crisp notes that will help you revise later.
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Choosing Optional
Most critical is the choice of choosing the optional subject. For this, we would suggest that it contributes the most to your final score, so it is an important decision. While choosing this, you need to see your interest. If a subject holds your attention, you can only spend more and more time reading and learning it. Don’t go by what the crowd is following, but follow your interest.
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Practice and Solve Previous Years’ Question Papers
To face the real challenge, you must go through all the previous years’ question papers as that’s the reality check. It is equally valid for prelims and mains preparation. For MCQ practice, get the question papers from 2013 onwards and get all the question papers for your optional subjective paper. This gives a real-time check for you.
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Mock Test Series
The best method to check your preparation level is to sit for mock tests. Many online platforms like Insights, Vision IAS, Unacademy, Testbook, etc., offer All India mock test series. You can purchase cost-effective mock test series using the Testbook Pass coupon code and identify your strengths and weaknesses. You will also get valuable feedback that will help you understand your preparation more.
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UPSC Interview Preparation
The last but not the least step to clear the UPSC exam is the interview. This testing stage is not for knowledge check but to check your personality and situation handling ability. No one can teach this, but you can know and learn the attitude required for this job role. This will help you form your mindset in that alignment.
Conclusion
Preparation for UPSC requires consistency and unshakable discipline. These are the keys to the success and achievement of these apex job roles in India. Here we have listed ten useful tips that will add value to your preparation.
