3 Useful Habits To Develop When Preparing For UPSC

Ever wondered how people get selected into India’s most prestigious jobs - the IAS, IPS, IFS etc? Well, only the crème de la crème clears the exams and gets posted here. It also happens to be one of India’s toughest exam, besides the IIT JEE’s. As a result, the UPSC age limit has been raised to 32 (for General candidates) and a maximum of 37 (for SC/ST candidates). It takes years of preparation, dedication and commitment to clear the exam. But working hard doesn’t mean you are working smart. There are tips and tricks which makes your UPSC preparation much more manageable. Here are 3 useful habits that you need to develop if you are preparing for UPSC:

Chunks of Knowledge

We already know that the syllabus for UPSC is massive. But the sheer magnitude of content to study can overwhelm potential candidates. An efficient UPSC preparation strategy is to break down information into customization chucks. This process is called Information-Chunking. It involves comprehending information in the form of small chunks. This process is highly efficient as it relieves cognitive load and makes it easier for the candidate to recollect information. The candidate can easily identify patterns and trends in the “chunked” content and therefore, it becomes easy to comprehend vast amounts of information. How you chunk information depends entirely on your preference.

Check- Download Drishti The Vision Printed PDF Notes In Hindi

Creating a Routine

Create a study routine and stick to it. Don’t change or alter its duration. Everyone has their own time when it comes to studying. This can be due to personal commitments or other factors that affect the learning process. You see, when studying for longs hours, the body takes a toll and the mind’s mental efficiency reduces. This is unavoidable but quite vital for UPSC preparation. But when you stick to your routine, the body gets adjusted and it adapts itself around this hinderance eventually. Research has shown that it takes roughly 66 days to form a habit. So, sitting to study for 10 or 12 hours a day might not seem tedious if you can manage to form a habit out of it.

Setting Goals

Your ultimate goal is to clear the UPSC. But to reach that goal, you need to set small, specific goals that are measurable. To start off, set goals that you want to achieve within the span of a single day. And then, set goals for the week. For instance, you could dedicate yourself to one concept for an hour or two, then move on to another one as you finish. The benefit of this strategy is that if monotony occurs, the next target might switch things up, which is enough for you to regain interest towards the preparation process. To sum up, this UPSC preparation strategy helps you set specific, time-bound and realistic goals that bring you one step closer to your ultimate goal. Furthermore, this can help you organize information and review them later on. And it can help you compare the number of hours you dedicate for the competitive exams.

In conclusion, these are the 3 Useful Habits To Develop When Preparing For UPSC. Developing these 3 habits will give you an edge over the other candidates and grant you a higher probability of clearing the exam.

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How to get ready for UPSC civil services prelims examination 2019

The UPSC has notified 980 vacancies for Civil Services 2017 (rated as one of the toughest

 exams in the country).The Exam consists of three stages: Prelims

(qualifying exam), Mains and Interview(Score of both Mains and Interview are taken

for final selection).Prelims consists of two papers : General studies (GS) and

CSAT(Aptitude) each of 200 marks though only marks obtained in General studies

are accounted for the merit list while CSAT is a qualifying exam as one need to get

only 33% passing marks. i.e. 66 passing marks in CSAT to clear prelims.

The qualified candidates then appear for Mains exam which consists of papers on

English, Indian language paper (Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi etc. depending on one’s

choice,300 Marks each although they are just qualifying exam as only 25% passing

marks are required), Essay paper of 250 marks, GS (mains) Paper 1, 2, 3, 4 (250

Marks each), one Optional subject having two papers(250 Marks each) and out of this

grand total of 1750, the merit list is prepared and the top ones are called for

Interview(275 Marks) and the final recommended list of candidates is made out of

the marks obtained in Mains and Interview(i.e. out of 2025 Marks).

The examination takes almost one year to complete and it is rather an interesting

journey for the aspirants since each stage poses a different challenge and thus

different strategy must be applied at each stage to attain success. This article attempts

to provide some insight for the Civils Services Exam and specifically Prelims

Preparation.

a) Plan systematically and get yourself acquainted with the different aspects

related to the Exam: Somebody has rightly said that “If you fail to plan, you

are planning to fail” and this holds perfectly true for this examination too. It is

crucial that one should do extensive planning for the exam right from the

choice of optional to the careful scrutiny of UPSC Syllabus , previous year exam

pattern, time available at one’s disposal, sources to be read etc. Draw up a

monthly, weekly and daily plan based on well-defined targets and try to

achieve the targets well on time.

b) Cover your basics right and don’t juggle between books: The questions

asked in UPSC Exam are mostly based on fundamentals and it is thus, very

important to cover the basics properly. The choice of the sources to study such

as standard books, e learning resources is very important as there is so much exhaustive reading material available in the market and without proper

guidance one can get lost. The key is to go through last 10 years GS papers and

interview of last year toppers and one can carefully delineate the common

sources which are recommended by all, such as for Indian Polity almost all.

c) toppers recommend M. Laxmikanth. Once you have carefully chosen the

source, then try to master it fully rather than getting anxious about covering the

topic from n other sources.

d) Prepare a time schedule and stick to it: Remember regularity and

consistency matter more than anything. It is far better to invest 6-7 hours daily

than studying one day for 18 hours and not studying for next day at all. Stick to

your schedule according to the topics to be covered and also according to time

available at your disposal and try to follow the schedule religiously and update

it on daily basis. Every morning, set a target about the syllabus you intend to

cover in the day and then in the night, audit your output. This will keep you on

track.

e) Practice last year exam papers and as many mock tests as possible along

with a detailed self-analysis: It is utmost important that one should practice as

many mock tests and last year exam papers to attain clarity and comfort level

for the Prelims but more than mere practicing the papers, one should focus a

lot on analysis of each test. Try to view these tests as not mere evaluating tools

but also learning tools and try to learn from the mistakes with focus on

avoiding to repeat the same mistakes in the Prelims Exam. Also, try to take

mock tests of institutes or websites whose questions you find on same

toughness parameter with UPSC. There are certain mock tests available in the

market which is nothing but encyclopedia of information. Don’t fall to their

trap. Remember, you don’t have to be the storehouse of all the information so

focus on mock tests which are relatively on same level as UPSC.

f) Maintain a positive attitude all through the Preparation: Considering the

longtime of one year for the entire exam, the preparation can be frustrating and

depressing at times but one should not let negativity come in. Adopt a positive

attitude and have perseverance along with patience to reap the fruits of hard

work. Believe in yourself and your hard work, leaving the rest to Almighty.

Hope this article provides some insight and wish you all the very best.

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How to Prepare For IAS Exam After 12th

Students are usually haunted by “What next?” after completion of 10+2. With diverse fields of study and career opportunities, it is pretty hard to decide a career path. A government Job in general and Civil Services, in particular, is an attractive career opportunity due to the kind of opportunities one is offered and the highly respected nature of the post itself. It gives the person the privilege to work for the society and betterment of the nation. The exposure provides a great scope for overall development of self at the same time enhances one’s self-esteem. A civil servant gets to work in the fields of rural development, taxation, social welfare, policy implementation etc. based on the choice of service.

Read- How to become an IAS officer?

The Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission is one of the most challenging exams in the country. The examination is divided into three stages i.e, the Preliminary examination, the Mains examination and the Personal Interview. Only those aspirants who are graduates from recognized universities are eligible to take up the examination. The IAS age limit is 21 years, i.e, no candidate below the age of 21 years would be allowed to take up the examination. There is no right time to begin your preparation. The earlier you start the preparation, the better it is. Since the UPSC syllabus is vast, the college-going students can start their preparation along with their graduation course so that the preparation strategy can be spread over 2 – 3 years, leaving ample time for revision before the examination. Here are a few tips for college students preparing for the most prestigious exam while completing their graduation.

DO’s
⦁ Get to know about the exam:
Before you begin your preparation, spend some time on understanding the requirements of the examination. Go through the UPSC notification to understand in detail, the eligibility criteria, the requirements, the UPSC syllabus etc. Also, read about the various services that you could opt for after clearing the exam.

0. Make Newspaper reading, a habit:
The newspaper is the Bible for UPSC aspirants. The importance of current affairs and newspaper reading in UPSC preparation cannot be emphasized enough. Hence, the aspirants must start reading the newspaper and make themselves aware of the current happenings. An aspirant must learn to differentiate between general news and the news that is important for UPSC preparation. In the initial stage, have a copy of the syllabus with you while reading the newspaper. Eventually, you will be able to pick and choose the news and the facts that are important for preparation.

0. Start reading NCERT books:
NCERT books help the UPSC aspirants in building a strong foundation for further preparation. The aspirants can kick-start their preparation by reading class 6 to class 10 Geography, History, Political Science and Economy NCERT books. One reading of all the NCERT books would suffice at this stage.

0. Go through some basic books essential for the preparation:
There are certain basic books that every aspirant goes through. Though there is no standard book list, you can make a booklist according to your needs and start reading those books once you have completed reading the NCERT books.

0. Watch TV debates and make good use of the internet for preparation:
Since you have a lot of time on hand, Watch Rajya Sabha TV debates news channels, etc. This will help you build perspectives on various issues. You can also follow the websites dedicated to UPSC Civil Service Preparation. By doing this, you will get a fair idea of the demands of the examination and the kind of questions that can be asked by the UPSC. For conceptual clarity, while reading the NCERT and Basic books, you can watch subject-specific YouTube videos.

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UPSC Exam Calendar 2017-18

Important Dates For UPSC Exam

Combined Defence Services

Registration Date:

C.D.S. EXAM (II), 2017: 08 Sep, 2017 
C.D.S. EXAM (I), 2018: 04 Dec, 2017 
C.D.S. EXAM (II), 2018: 03 Sep, 2018

Exam Dates:

C.D.S. EXAM (II), 2017: 19 Nov, 2017 
C.D.S. EXAM (I), 2018: 04 Feb, 2018 
C.D.S. EXAM (II), 2018: 18 Nov, 2018

National Defence Academy

Registration Date:

N.D.A. EXAM (II), 2017: 30 Jun, 2017 
N.D.A. EXAM (I), 2018: 05 Feb, 2018 
N.D.A. EXAM (II), 2018: 02 Jul, 2018

Exam Dates:

N.D.A. EXAM (II), 2017: 10 Sep, 2017 
N.D.A. EXAM (I), 2018: 22 Apr, 2018 
N.D.A. EXAM (II), 2018: 09 Sep, 2018

Central Armed Police Forces

Registration Date:

ACS Exam,2017: 05 May, 2017 
ACS Exam,2018: 21 May, 2018

Exam Dates:

ACS Exam,2017: 23 Jul, 2017 
ACS Exam,2018: 12 Aug, 2018

Combined Medical Services

Registration Date:

Combined Medical Services Exam, 2017: 
19 May, 2017 
Combined Medical Services Exam, 2018: 
07 May, 2018

Exam Dates:

Combined Medical Services Exam, 2017: 
13 Aug, 2017 
Combined Medical Services Exam, 2018: 
22 Jul, 2018

Engineering Services

Registration Date:

Engineering Services (Preliminary) Exam, 2018: 
23 Oct, 2017 
Engineering Services (Main) Exam, 2018: 
Apr, 2018

Exam Dates:

Engineering Services (Preliminary) Exam, 2018: 
07 Jan, 2018 
Engineering Services (Main) Exam, 2018: 
01 Jul, 2018

IAS

Registration Date:

Civil Services (Preliminary), 2018: 
06 Mar, 2018 
Indian Forest Service (Preliminary), 2018: 
06 Mar, 2018

Exam Dates:

Civil Services (Preliminary), 2018: 
03 Jun, 2018 
Civil Services (Main), 2018: 
01 Oct, 2018 
Indian Forest Service (Preliminary), 2018: 
03 Jun, 2018 
Indian Forest Service (Main), 2018: 
02 Dec, 2018

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IAS 2016-17 Mains Result Declared

UPSC has declared final result of IAS 2016-17 mains. Successful candidates can check their result at-

Download UPSC IAS Mains Result 2016-17

A total number of 1099 candidates have been recommended for appointment as per following break-up:

GENERAL  500 ( incl. 19 PH-1, 04 PH-2 & 12 PH-3 )
OBC 347 ( incl. 03 PH-1, 03 PH-2 & 03 PH-3)
SC 163
ST 89
TOTAL 1099 (incl. 22 PH-1, 07 PH-2 & 15 PH-3)

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All About IAS Exam 2017-18

All that you need to know about the UPSC Civil services examination

What is UPSC Civil Service Examination?

· The Civil Services Examination (CSE) is an all India level open competitive examination.

· It is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission for recruitment to various Civil Services of the Government of India.

· It includes the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Revenue Service (IRS) among more than 20 highly cherished civil services.

What are the examination dates?

· For this year Exam, Notification for Preliminary Test – 24 th Apr 2016, Date of Preliminary Test – 7 th Aug 2016

· Expected preliminary results- End of Sep 2016

· UPSC Main Examination starts on 3rd Dec 2016

· Expected Mains results- end of Feb/March 2017

· Tentative Personality Test dates- Mar/Apr/May 2017 

· Tentative Final Results- End of May 2017.

Who can appear for the civil services? The eligibility norms for the examination are as follows

· For the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Foreign Service, and the Indian Police Service, a candidate must be a citizen of India.

· For the Indian Revenue Service, a candidate must be one of the following:

o A citizen of India

o A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia or Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India

· For other services, a candidate must be one of the following:

o A citizen of India

o A citizen of Nepal or a subject of Bhutan

o A person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia or Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.

How do I apply for the examination?

· One can apply online for the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary exam once the notification is released by the UPSC.

· Upon clearing the Preliminary stage, candidates will be given a link for further application procedures.

What are the future prospects for the candidate who clear the examination?

· Depending upon his rank, a candidate is recruited to services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and other departments including Finance, Post and Telegraph, Revenue, Secretariat and so on.

· The appointment offers executive power.

· Promotions are time bound and increase in privileges are automatic.

· Selected candidates are first put through a training session for a short period.

· The greatest thing about civil service is the job security. Special facilities include subsidized accommodation, telephone, and transport facilities, medical benefits, leave travel concession, etc.

· After retirement, there are very good social welfare facilities.

· Most importantly it gives immense satisfaction as they will able participating directly in the development process of the country.

How has the exam pattern changed?

· In the past four years, the Exam pattern has undergone tremendous changes.

· Now General studies and current affairs have got more weightage.

· A new Ethics paper was brought in and even Essay paper pattern modified.

· However student has to choose one optional.

· For more details, please see below.

What is the restriction on a number of attempts in UPSC Civil Services Examination?

· As on Mar 2016, the number of attempts: - General-6, OBC-9, SC/ST- No restriction

· However the above is subject to the per age limit. General- 32 Years, OBC- 35 Years, SC/ST- 37 Years.

Can a candidate who has completed his education from an open school/ University apply for this exam?

Yes, provided it is a recognized University and he possesses the educational qualifications prescribed for the exam and is otherwise eligible.

Is there any relaxation in the number of attempts for physically handicapped? 

No. However physically handicapped candidates belonging to SC, ST and OBC categories will be eligible for relaxation in the number of attempts provided for such categories.

Whether a candidate belonging to a community included in the OBC list of states but not in the Central list of OBCs is eligible for age relaxation, reservation etc. for this exam? 

No. Only candidates belonging to communities which are included in the Central list of OBC's are eligible for such concessions. 

If a candidate has applied for the CS (P) Examination but has not appeared at any paper in the CS (P) Examination will it be counted as an attempt? 

No. An attempt is counted only if a candidate has appeared in at least one paper in CS (P) Examination.

Can a candidate choose an optional subject, which he has not studied at graduate/PG level? 

Yes.

Is a candidate who has done his graduation without passing class X and class XII eligible for Civil Service Examination? 

Yes.

Can a candidate write different papers of Civil Service (Main) Examination in different languages?

No, Candidates have the option to write their answers either in English or in any one of the Eighth schedule languages.

Can a candidate write the Civil Service (Main) Examination in English and take the interview in Hindi or any other Indian language? 

Yes, however, the candidates, who are exempted from the compulsory Indian Language Paper, will have to choose 3 either English or Hindi as medium of Interview of Personality Test.

I am a fresher, and soon I am planning to begin my UPSC Civil Services Exam preparation. How should I start?

Please refer to the section: ‘How to prepare’ at UPSC page on Exam Central.

What is the structure of UPSC Civil Service Prelims Exam? 

· Yes, UPSC Civil Services Preliminary exam is objective in nature. But it has 1/3 negative marking. 

· There will be two papers – 200 marks each. 

· Paper 1 is related to General Studies and Paper 2 is related to English Comprehension, Mental Ability, and Aptitude. 

· However, for selection to the main exam, only marks of Paper 1 will be counted, provided the candidate has 33 percent marks in Paper 2.

What is the cutoff in the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary exam? 

Cut off depends on multiple things like the number of Posts notified that year, the toughness of the question paper, students category etc. 

However to have a rough idea based on previous 7 years of UPSC preliminary exam analysis, if one can score a net of 60 questions, safely they can expect to clear the first stage.

How is the rank decided and what is the structure of UPSC Civil Service Mains Exam?

· The Main Examination will consist of written examination and an interview test. The written examination will consist of 9 papers of the conventional descriptive type. Two papers (out of 9) will be of qualifying in nature.

· Marks obtained for all the 7 papers (4 GS + 1- Essay + 2 papers optional) (Paper–I to Paper-VII) and Marks obtained in Personality Test (275) will be counted (total 2025 Marks) for ranking.

How to select optional, what should be the criteria?

· Students should opt for one Optional subject, which will have two papers of 250 Marks each. So, in total Optional subject carries 500 Marks in Mains.

· Students should first go through the list of all the Optional Subjects(26 Literature +25 non-literature subjects)

· Your interest in the subject, availability of material are the key.

What are the factors to be kept in mind while filling the Detailed Application Form (DAF)

Some important aspects that you must keep in mind while filling up the application forms (online mode only)

Your cadre preferences

Opting for the right cadre is crucial, since, after your selection, you will have to live with the cadre of your choice for the rest of your career. Hence, cadre preferences have to be given due attention before filling up the forms. Generally, the home cadre would be the first choice for almost 99% of the aspirants. Before you make your second and third choice, try to get as much information as possible from various sources, including people already in the services, your senior and other knowledgeable people.

Service preferences 

There are 24 services on offer after you get selected in civil services. The important services are:

· IAS, IPS, IFS (Foreign Service)

· IRS (Income Tax) IRS (Customs and Excise)

· IAAS (Indian Audits and account) 4

· Indian Railway Services (Accounts, Traffic and Personnel), RPF

· Indian Accounts Services Civil and Defense

· Indian Information Service, Defense Estate

· Group B services like DANICS, DANIPS etc.

Choosing the right Services is also important while filling up the form. Service preferences are very personal; they depend on your choice and attitude towards the services. So you should carefully fill up the preferences as per your conviction and stick with it.

Filling the bio data and other personal information 

Fill this section in detail, and make a copy of it for your reference. These details are very much used in the interview process. Hence, while filling it, make sure you write bona-fide details, even related to your hobbies and other personal traits. 

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IAS Exam Toppers Talk on Their Experince

Q. Hearty Congratulations on your success in the Civil Services Examination 2014. What is the secret of behind your success in this exam which is often termed as one of the world’s toughest exam?
A. Smart work, Right guidance, right selection of materials and self-belief, perseverance along with support from the family, teachers and friends are the secret of my success.


Q. It is said that Current affairs is very crucial in clearing the exam. How true is it? Which all newspapers and journals have you been reading for the General studies? 
A. Yes, current affairs is the key and it should be in tune with UPSC pattern which has undergone a lot of changes these days. I regularly read The Hindu News Paper, Yojana and also Current Affairs.


Q. How much time do you think one requires for serious preparations for this examination? 
A. I think that 10-15 months with around 6-8 hours a day before the Mains is enough time a candidate requires to clear this exam.


Q. What was your plan B, had you not been selected in the Civil Services Examination? 
A. No idea, I do not know. I have two more attempts left, I would have tried again.


Q. How should one view success? 
A. My achievement in this exam has changed a lot around me. But I feel, both success and failure are parts of life and one should learn from both.


Q. What was your Optional at the Civil Services Main Examination? 
A. Sociology.


Q. How many attempts had you made earlier before you got selected? 
A. This was my second attempt.


Q. What was your criterion for the selection of the Optional subject? 
A. Easy availability of material and guidance and my ability to analyze social issues.


Q. Did you prepare for your compulsory papers? 
A. No, For Language papers, I just went through the previous years’ question papers.


Q. What is your opinion about the Interview Board? 
A. My interview was scheduled in the Forenoon. The Board was extremely cordial and was one with a positive approach towards the candidates. It lasted for 25 minutes and I was not fully satisfied with my performance. But when I saw the marks I was happy that I got more than average from that board.


Q. To what extent, you think, model test papers can be useful for the aspirants of the Civil Services? 
A. Model test papers help in preventing mistakes in the prelims and Main Examination. They give you an opportunity to assess your performance and help in finding weak areas which can be worked upon to secure more marks. It helps in time management which is the key.


Q. What is your advice to the future aspirants? 
A. Friends, self-belief is the key to success, if you afford to get guidance from genuine coaching centers and don’t read a lot of material. I suggest you read the limited material but do revision number of times. Just do your work and leave the rest on die Almighty. Best of Luck! 

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