The Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) is the chief regulating body in India that conducts various competitive exams to fill several civil service vacancies. Every year it conducts Civil Services exams in three stages viz. Prelims, Mains and Interview. The Prelims consists objective type questions and the mains includes descriptive and essay type questions. There are lakhs of aspirants who dream of becoming a civil servant but only a few thousand clear the final exam.
The students who make it to the finals are the one who plan their preparation meticulously and maintain the focus through the different stages of the exam. If you are also planning to take this prestigious exam, here are 6 important points you must know.
- Know the dates
The UPSC announces the dates of the exam well in advance and the student has to pace his preparation accordingly. Plan your preparation giving the last 40 days for revision and the prior months of preparation to be supported with test series. Join a test series for the prelim and main exam from a reputed coaching institute that has the experience of guiding students for several years.
- Why Civil Services or IAS?
You cannot decide to take the exam just because you are not sure of which carrier to choose or your peers are preparing or got into service. It is definitely a bright career perspective. Be clear with the reason why you wish to join the civil services. It is not just the time and efforts, but also the money you spend on taking coaching. It is an important decision in your life, so take a decision with a clear mindset to access your ambition.
- What will you do after getting into the IAS?
Becoming IAS officer is not just about earning money or getting enhancing your social status. As an IAS officer, you also need to serve the nation and contribute to its development. You need to support your desire during the personal interview stage and convince the interviews that you are a deserving candidate. As the name suggests that the job features service to the people by help plan and execute social or viable programmes for the nation’s development.
- UPSC exam preparation is really challenging
This is one of the most demanding exams that needs full dedication, time, focus and hard work. It demands intensive preparation and regular practice. As there is no generalized format of preparation, you need to take as many mock tests along with your preparation. It’s ideal to choose a coaching center like Vajiram and Ravi that teaches classroom students as well as conducts test series simultaneously. Otherwise it is difficult to join classroom preparation at one coaching centre and join another for tests.
- Divide your preparation
As the exam has enormous syllabus to cover, it is better to outline it and break it into different parts to cover all the topics. Divide the subjects and topics into different parts to find out the topics that need less time and the ones that need more attention. You should decide on this by referring to the previous year’s papers. The preparation strategy has been smart, as it is difficult to remember and apply the knowledge in the exam.
- Enjoy your preparation
Undeniably, IAS exam preparation is a lengthy and demanding process, but you can find it really interesting and easy if you enjoy the preparation. Once into the civil services, it gives the happiness, job and social status. Commitment and hard work for the exam preparation will help you achieve your goal. A student can also spend some time on socializing without losing focus on the exam. Even teachers at good coaching institutes always suggest their students to take some time off to energize their preparation and study better.
These are some of the useful things every IAS aspirant should keep in mind to ensure success in the exam. So remember these points and initiate your Civil Services exam preparation for this year.
All the Best!!