How to start IAS exam preparation?

The UPSC Exam is one of the toughest exams, not just in India but worldwide. Before starting your preparation for the UPSC Civil Services Exam, Know about Exam Pattern and Syllabus. also, it requires a well-planned and disciplined approach. Here is a step-by-step guide to help to start your IAS preparation:

1. Understand the Exam Pattern and Syllabus

• Exam Stages: The IAS exam consists of three stages:

1. Preliminary Exam (Prelims): Objective type with two papers -General Studies (GS) Paper I and CSAT Paper II.

2. Main Exam (Mains): Descriptive type with nine papers, including four General Studies papers, two optional subject papers, one essay paper, and two language papers (one English and one Indian language).

3. Personality Test (Interview): An interview round to assess the candidate's personality, suitability for a career in public service, and overall knowledge.

• Syllabus: Before starting your preparation you must read the detailed syllabus for each stage, especially for Prelims and Mains. This will help you understand what to study and prioritize.

2. Create a Study Plan

• Set Clear Goals: Set your daily, weekly and monthly goals. Also, allocate time for each subject in a cycle.

• Timetable: Make a realistic timetable that includes dedicated time for each subject, revision and practice. Include at least two subjects a day in your timetable and make sure you take care of your health along with studies.

• Long-term and Short-term Planning: While making a long term strategy for a subject, divide the subject into smaller sections and make a short term strategy for them so that the subject can be prepared on time.

3. Choose the right study material:

· There is a flood of study material in the market, choose only authentic and relevant study material.

Start from the basics:

· First of all, understand the entire syllabus and complete your basic preparation with NCERT books.

· NCERT booksfrom Class 6 to 12 for subjects like History, Geography, Economics, and Polity.

4. Focus on Current Affairs

• Current Affairs: Read daily newspapers like The Hindu or The Indian Express and follow monthly magazines like Yojana and Kurukshetra.

5. Previous Years' Question Papers

· Practice previous years’ question papers to understand the pattern and the level of questions asked.

· The easiest way to analyse the syllabus is to look at the previous years' question papers. This analysis gives the right direction to the preparation.

· All previous years question papers of UPSC are available on our website.

6. Practice Answer Writing and Mock Tests

Answer Writing Practice:

In the mains exam, the knowledge of the students is tested through writing. Keep trying to make your writing skills effective, for which some suggestions are as follows-

Ø Write answers regularly

Ø Write accurately and concisely

Ø Use the technical terms of the subject in writing

Ø Use diagrams, charts, maps etc. in answers.

Mock Tests: Enroll in a test series for Prelims and Mains to evaluate your preparation and improve your time management skills. Analyse your performance to identify weaknesses and work on them.

7. Choose Your Optional Subject Wisely

• In the list of optional subjects prescribed by the commission, no subject is easy or difficult. It is the candidate's inclination towards the subject that decides it.

• Interest and Background: Choose an optional subject based on your interest, background, and availability of resources.

• Syllabus and Overlap: If an optional subject overlaps with the General Studies syllabus, then such a subject makes your preparation more efficient.

8. Revise Regularly

• Scheduled Revision: Take time to revise your study plan regularly as regular revision increases the success rate.

· Short Notes: The syllabus of the exam is vast, which is not easy to revise at the last moment of the exam and remember for a long time. Keep making short notes while studying. So that it is possible to revise quickly in the last days of the exam.

9. Stay Motivated

• Breaks and Relaxation: No doubt, UPSC studies are considered complex but if we keep remembering our goal then students will not need any other motivation. So whenever a feeling of despair comes in your mind, take a break for some time. Listen to music, talk to your family or close friends and keep yourself normal.

10. Join Study Groups or best IAS Coaching (Optional)

• Study Groups: Joining a study group can help provide positive competition, different perspectives, and discussion-based learning. Just remember that the group being productive

• Coaching Institutes: Although coaching is not mandatory for IAS preparation, but coaching can be helpful in achieving success in less time and less effort, provided the coaching is reliable like IAS Coaching in delhi.

Final Tips

• Stay updated with UPSC notifications for exam dates and changes in the syllabus.

• If a student follows the study strategy given above with full commitment and dedication then surely will be successful.