UPSC PRELIMS STRATEGY

One misconception about the prelims is that it is a test of facts and figures. That was never so and specially now. A candidate should have right frame of mind and will power to succeed in this exam. Considering the vast UPSC syllabus and limited time available at later stages of Civil Services Exam in which knowledge, analytical ability and personality of the candidate developed within a span of around 20 years are tested it is always said to start your preparation as early as possible.

UPSC Civil Services exam preparation is one of the toughest journeys in life. Every year lakhs of aspirants prepare for this exam to achieve their dream of becoming IAS officer. It takes a minimum of one year to prepare and another year to sit for the examination. The Civil Services aspirant's exam preparation includes Prelims and Mains. Here we share how a Civil Services aspirant can approach the UPSC exam.

Understanding UPSC exam structure

First step of your preparation should be detailed study of UPSC Syllabus and previous question papers of IAS Prelims and Mains so that you can clearly analyze the topics and subjects which questions are asked.

Newspaper reading – Daily routine

UPSC asks questions based on current events and issues therefore newspaper reading – particularly editorials (The Hindu/ The Indian Express is advised), this will help you master current developments in economic, political and social issues and policy changes and you must develop a habit of making notes for future revision. You may also start listening to All India Radio news analysis and RajyaSabha TV discussions and may read magazines like Yojana and Kurukshetra etc. or you can visit our website and YouTube channel for daily current affairs update.

To make newspaper understanding easy join Aspire IAS Newspaper Analysis Programme.

NCERT - The guide to success

Focus should be on school texts! It’s the basis. The questions asked are of 10+2 level. Therefore, emphasis has to be on conceptual clarity. Any concept has to be understood with its origin, merits and de-merits, then it needs to be analyzed with other relevant topics and lastly it has to be correlated with the events that have taken place during this year.The best way would be to have the NCERT books for conceptual clarity and do in depth study of relevant topics from graduation level text books.Links for downloading all NCERT books are given in this website. Priority: History, Geography, Economy and Polity related NCERT texts.

For better conceptual clarity we have a specialized programme “NCERT for Beginners” Here.

Finish your optional subject

If you have decided your optional subject after analyzing UPSC syllabus and previous question papers, start to collect materials on the same and try to finish optional subject first, as this will definitely give you an edge. Detailed strategy for your Optional.

Test yourself

Once you are thoroughly done with your basics start testing your knowledge by giving daily, weekly or monthly prelims test. As you may know, only when tested in an exam atmosphere with negative marking, you can improve the ability to deliver in the actual exam hall. Try Aspire IAS UPSC Prelims Test Series to integrate your learning with regular test-taking.

Regular Study Schedule

Maintaining high motivation levels is easy, but maintaining it for over a year at a stretch is difficult. Our PT Planner allows aspirants to have a regular study schedule that would help in keeping the preparation on track.

Students must never try to memorize the subject while reading. They must try to develop mnemonics, mind-maps and find their own way which works for them. It is advised to students to revise all the subjects at least 2 times before their examination. The more time students spend in revision, the better their performance can be. The best way is to adopt an integrated approach for preparation that is combining Prelims and the Mains study together. One should make efforts to understand the concepts and principles and then strive to find their applications in various fields.