How should I prepare for my GS Prelims/Mains?

An extensive study is required for preparing GS Prelims. Start your preparation with NCERT books of 10th and 12th standard on various subjects like History, Geography, Polity, Science, Indian Foreign policy & International Relation etc. and then go through other books recommended for G.S. It will be better to prepare G.S. mains first and then for Prelim. In Preliminary exam, multiple choice questions are asked and these can be answered on the basis of facts you have remembered while reading the books on various subjects. One should also try to develop the capacity of answering multiple choice questions as quickly as possible because you have only 120 minutes for answering 100 questions in exam (i.e. less than one minute for each question. This can be achieved only through rigorous practice.

For GS Mains start you preparation with recommended books, magazines and newspapers. Here, one should be very careful about the word limit because you have to answer the questions in limited number of words. This also can be achieved through practice. There should be any introductory remark while answering the questions of G.S Mains. Try to write the answers to the point.

Should I join some coaching Institute for my preparation of Prelims/mains?

It is very difficult to answer this question. It depends on the capacity and capability of individual. But sometimes a person having quite enough knowledge to get through the CSE fails in his attempt because he does not know how to utilize this knowledge. A little hard work in right direction can open the UPSC gate for you. A good coaching institute provides guidelines i.e. in which direction one should apply his energy of knowledge to get through in this exam.

What about Essay Preparation?

For preparing Essay, one must be aware of day-to-day happenings around the world, because most of the topics asked in this paper are of current importance. Besides these traditional topics like socio-economic problems, environmental problems etc., are also asked. One should be very careful about the grammatical mistakes. Your essay should be in simple and expressive language because this reduces the chances of grammatical mistakes. One should also enrich his word power. A written practice is must for scoring higher marks in this paper.

Should I join some coaching Institute for my preparation of Prelims/mains?

It is very difficult to answer this question. It depends on the capacity and capability of individual. But sometimes a person having quite enough knowledge to get through the CSE fails in his attempt because he does not know how to utilize this knowledge. A little hard work in right direction can open the UPSC gate for you. A good coaching institute provides guidelines i.e. in which direction one should apply his energy of knowledge to get through in this exam.

Does the medium of expression matter for success in CSE?

It is a very common question which is often asked by the candidates. There is no doubt in it that medium of expression never counts for success in CSE. One should prefer the medium in which one can express oneself satisfactorily.

Is it necessary to join a coaching Institute for Interview?

In fact interview is the test of your personality and not the knowledge. It is a well known fact that personality of a human being can not be developed within a week or a month. The coaching institute teaches about the basic manners, etiquettes to be followed during interview. By arranging mock interviews an institute breaks your hesitation.

What is the role of NCERT for preparation of G.S?

It gives you basic content before studying anything else whether students are preparing on their own or planning to attend class. It familiarises the students for study.

What is the strategy to study General Studies for Prelims Examination?

We are sitting in 2020 and most of you will take your first Prelims examination in 2021. So you have a good amount of time to prepare for the examination. Thus, you must take a holistic approach to clear the UPSC Prelims and Mains both the examination.

Many subjects overlap in both examinations so don’t study any subject for any particular purpose. Please try to read it thoroughly.

News Paper Reading – You see most of the subjects are about what is happening daily in life. Thus, Reading good News Paper is very important.

Magazine Reading – Magazine reading is very crucial for the UPSC examination. Therefore, Magazines like Yojana and Krurukshetra are must for the UPSC preparation.

Previous Years Question Papers – If you miss on studying previous year question papers then you will not be able to understand what kind of questions will be asked in the exams. Though, UPSC changes its exam pattern very frequently yet this strategy makes a good impact on the result outcome.

Avoid Negative Marking – Since 2007, this change in UPSC exam is changing the dynamics. Many students each year become victims of Negative Marking. Understand how negative marking works and how to calculate your negative marking system in the Prelims exam.

Note Making – If you study and don’t prepare your own notes then you are most likely to make a big mistake. However, there are also exceptions to this fact. Generally, making notes is a good practice because making notes let you decide what is important for you to study.

Test Series – Once you complete the syllabus, it’s important to test your knowledge. Even if you don’t take UPSC coaching, you can take the Mock test. It is provided by many UPSC coaching and you can buy it paying a very nominal fee.

What is the strategy to study General Studies for Mains Examination?

Since General Studies marks are very important to qualify for the Mains examination. It’s imperative for the students to have a good command over Mains GS subjects. Strategy should be as follows:

Essay Writing Practice – You will be asked to write long answers to the questions asked by UPSC. Thus you should practice more and more. Practice and more practice is the only kew.

Remember, it says “Practice maketh man perfect” but in my experience “Right practice maketh man perfect”

Speed Test – The other thing you are going to keep in check is your speed to answer those questions. You are given only 3 hours to answer all the questions. Therefore, take as many tests as possible.

Opening Statement – Opening statement of your answer should be interesting enough. Grabbing the teacher’s attention is very important to get a good score. Don’t write cliche answers.

Credible Sources – Don’t trust any source. Always write answers by giving reference to good books or credible sources. This is a good way to score marks. The teacher who is checking your paper should be impressed while checking your papers.

Write in your own way – Many students make mistakes here and they imitate other students. However, this strategy doesn’t always work. Answer checkers are looking for some unique answers. They check almost 10,000 copies and to make it unique you should always follow your instinct.

Final Question, Can I make it to the IAS?

With strong will power, dedication and a little hard work in right direction. You can make it to the IAS. Open Booklist.