Every year lakhs of students attempt the Civil Services Examinations conducted by the Union Public Service of India. Indian Administrative Services (IAS) are indeed the prestigious job, and only top rankers get a chance to serve their country through this department. The rest are selected for the other posts of IPS, IFS, IRS, IES, etc. Only a tiny fraction can fulfil their dream as the curriculum is lengthy, and also the pattern of questions asked are highly unpredictive in nature. These exams are not meant for bookworms, but an all-round development is also essential in clearing the personal round of interview. The challenge increases with every passing year as academic knowledge is not only the base but an aspirant has to constantly upgrade his information on happenings of the world through current affairs. Therefore, it needs a framing of efficient strategy and correct guidance so that there are fewer chances of losing precious attempts of IAS exams.
Phenomenal Tips for IAS exam preparations:
Understanding IAS exams: A question often hits our mind on how to prepare for IAS examinations. But aspirants should always keep this in their mind that when life becomes tough, they should become tougher. Before making preparations for the IAS curriculum, a student should train themselves physically and mentally. They should realize the importance of setting a goal and remain dedicated to it throughout the entire journey. Once you are aware of the whole concept of IAS examinations, you can pace yourself accordingly. While a personalized strategy is useful, there is no harm on getting the generalized view on the examination.
Syllabus of IAS examination: The soul of any examination lies in its syllabus and curriculum. The foremost thing is to know the syllabus before proceeding through the books. The UPSC has provided a brief syllabus for both the Prelims and Mains examination of Civil Services. After the year 2013, we have seen a major shift in the UPSC syllabus with the scrapping of one optional paper in the mains exam. Students should make a note of this and take an approach on the basis of this.
Productive time table: The prerequisite to clear an IAS examination is to have a disciplinary approach, and this can be achieved through preparing a productive time table. An aspirant should outline it according to his comfort and stick to it throughout his IAS preparations. Besides, students from non-humanity backgrounds should make a time-table for subjects like geography, history, political science, etc. This will help to streamline the preparation along with meeting the deadlines of completing a particular topic or lesson.
Writing Practices: Writing becomes a concern for IAS exams as it evaluates the critical, analytical, and communicative skills of an individual. The mains exams are descriptive in nature, and it requires to write with clarity and flawlessness in minimum possible words. Candidates must remember that there are both space and time constraints in the examinations and thus, answers need to be effective and precise. Practise in writing is the only way to tackle this issue related to the IAS examination.
Solving Previous Test Papers: Previous test papers not only help in self-assessment but are the best sources to collect ideas regarding question pattern, type, and difficulty levels. By solving these question papers, you will be able to understand the areas that are more important in a given topic.
Preparing Notes: The syllabus of IAS examinations are extremely vast; therefore, the only way to organize them is to make short and efficient notes. Preparing such notes will help as a last moment resource for revision, and moreover, you can assimilate the important topics in it. Consider using separate notebooks or files for different subjects so that it is convenient to study them.
Current Affairs Preparations: Current affairs preparation is the bedrock for IAS examinations. Through all the three levels, prelims, mains, and personal interview, current affairs hold vital importance. There is no room for hope if you don’t study current affairs. The primary sources can be newspapers, new channels, and magazines. However, with changing times several websites, youtube channels, eBooks also provides information on current affairs. Students must develop a daily habit of reading newspapers and collecting information on current affairs through other sources to keep themselves updated with the latest events.
Revision: In a challenging exam like IAS, it becomes necessary for the students to plan their timely revision. There are some students who don’t take revision seriously for them clearing IAS exams will almost be impossible. The UPSC syllabus is vast, and it covers multifaceted subjects. Therefore, it is quite apparent that students won’t remember each and every detail they have read. To avoid this thing, students must do their timely revision. The process of revision is beneficial in boosting the memory power of the brain, as well.
Unlike other exams, IAS exams are not purely academics based and at every moment it explore the capabilities of an aspirant. Stress and fear always do engulf the minds of the students. Therefore, stress management therapy like a healthy lifestyle, balanced diet, taking a break for entertainment, devoting some time to a hobby, getting enough sleep are essential for nurturing the mind. There might be times when an aspirant can feel sad and depressing, but they need to remove the pessimism and try to work on it by staying positive.
