Self Preparation for IAS

Self Preparation For IAS (UPSC CSE)

Every year lakhs of candidates appear in the UPSC Civil Services exam. This exam is conducted in three stages and the second stage, i.e., the mains exam begins generally in the month of September or October. Although many candidates take guidance from coaching institutes, there are some who want to prepare through self-study. In this article, we bring you some tips on how to prepare for UPSC by self-study.

For an exam that can give you an envied career for life, the preparations have to be massive. Your IAS Preparations have to be dedicated, and half hearted attempts will get you nowhere. With lakhs of students competing for around 900 posts, its a tough cookie to crack. If you think that its like any exam that you have cleared so far, beware, it simply isn't. The IAS exam is like no other in scale and approach and therefore your preparations have to be very different and very wide based. Just knowledge of a subject will get you nowhere. It has to be combined with a jack-of-all-subjects kind of approach.

The preparation of Civil Services examination is one of the most grueling tasks. It is spread to almost 365 days. The candidates after writing the Prelims have wait for a month or so to know the results. Those who qualify get about three months to write the main exams. The result of the main exams comes after three months. The qualified students get about a month to appear for the interview/ personality test. The final merit list is announced after a month of the interview. So it's a long haul. So a good planning and sound strategy is essential for qualifying the Civil Services exam.

In this scenario self preparation for IAS becomes very tough. SO if you are planning to do self study, understand the exam well. We have given you a lot many links below to get to know the exam very well. Once you have done that things should be more clear. Usually the point of going to a coaching center is to find other people to study and compete with. But if you feel you prefer solitary preparations you are most likely right. SO follow your heart and do not waste time and energy in going to a coaching center.

We hope you will indeed take your IAS Preparations very seriously. The first step towards that is obviously the choice of subjects. Do choose them wisely.

How to start preparation for IAS without coaching?

Step #1: Know the UPSC CSE

If you know your target better, you will be able to figure out a plan. Understand the UPSC civil services exam eligibility and pattern. You should first check if you are eligible or not. Check UPSC exam eligibility. The pattern of the examination must be clear to you. As mentioned before, there are three stages to the exam.

Step #2: Internalize the UPSC syllabus

UPSC Syllabus happens to be one of the biggest challenges for an aspirant. You need to know the syllabus in detail and it is very vast. Select your optional subject for the mains exam by going through the syllabus. It is important to internalize the syllabus because when you start preparing, you must be able to understand and relate what you read in the newspapers, magazines and other current affairs sources to the syllabus.

Step #3: Plan your work and then work your plan

Once you have acquired information about the pattern and syllabus, now your focus should be to make a plan for yourself that works the best for your preparation. It is important to have a schedule for your preparation because there is a great deal of stuff to be studied. Making a proper plan is especially important for those who do self-study. When you don’t have guidance from a coaching institute or a mentor, it is important for you to follow your plan. When you are engaged in self-study, you should instill discipline like never before. You should avoid all sorts of distractions.

Step #4: Make notes and revise

Making appropriate notes is a significant part of good preparation. You must make crisp and relevant notes when you study for the exam whether it is from the newspapers or from the standard textbooks. Also, ensure you revise regularly what you have learnt. The more you revise, the more you retain.

Step #5: Get help whenever needed

There are many aspirants like you who may not have opted for coaching. The internet is a good source for you to find like-minded individuals. So whenever you are in a difficulty, get in touch with them and clarify your doubts, etc. You can also share notes and opinions. This actually strengthens your preparation and also increases your pace of progress.

Step #6: Use online sources

The best IAS Self Study Material is available here at Self Preparation for UPSC | Best Website for Self Preparation

The internet is a treasure trove of study material for the UPSC exam. You can visit Insights IAS daily and get the best notes and study material for the IAS exam. They update current affairs for UPSC exam every day in the form of our Comprehensive News Analysis (CNA), Topic of the Day (TOD) and PIB sections. They also offer NCERT notes on history.

Step #7: Remember to take breaks

After long hours of study, you must take short breaks to refresh your mind. You must allow your mind and body to rejuvenate at regular intervals in order to keep going. Whenever you find some free time, indulge in your hobbies. Socialize with friends and family selectively.

Step #8: Have faith and stay motivated

It takes a lot of guts to go solo in your IAS preparation. But if you are regular at your studies and plan well, you will surely get success. Work hard and smart, and never lose focus.

Step #9: Choosing Optional Subject

The new shift in Civil Services Main examination has not resolved the dilemma of choosing the optional subject. The candidates keep on asking what subject they may take as optional in order to score more marks. The first step towards that is obviously the choice of subjects. Do choose them wisely. The popular choices among candidates are; Public Administration, Sociology, Geography, History, Political Science and Philosophy. More than 80% of the Civil Service aspirants opt for these subjects. This is because all these subjects overlap with general studies and students find them convenient to handle. Among them Public Administration is the most popular choice among the students.

Numbers Game

The Civil Services aspirants should know the number game in this competition. Just take the statistics of 2012. There were about 5, 36,506, candidates applied for the prelims exam in 2012, out of which 2, 71,422 candidates actually wrote the test. Out of that about 13,092 candidates qualified for writing the Civil Services Main exam. Of which 2,674 candidates were selected for the personality test. Finally, 998 candidates found place in the merit list.

Importance of Prelims

All this intends to say that preparing for the Prelims is equally important as preparing for the mains examination. The preparation of both has to be done simultaneously because the two Prelim papers overlap with the mains GS papers.
Notwithstanding the facts, a minimum of 90 days has to be given exclusively for the preparation of the Prelim examination. This because qualifying Prelims is must to write the Civil Services mains examination.

IAS Exam Preparation

The Indian Administrative Services is an important government service for a country because it works for the perfect functioning of administration, law and order. However becoming an IAS officer is not so easy. Every year many IAS aspirants compete for close to 1000 vacancies, making it one of the toughest exams to crack. But with the right approach and strategy, any aspirant can crack the examination in his/her first attempt. It is highly essential for aspirants to know and understand the requirements of the examination such as the UPSC syllabus, pattern, eligibility criteria, application procedure and other such significant details before preparations.

The UPSC consists of three stages namely, the Preliminary Exam, the Mains Exam, and the Personality Test/Interview. A detailed preparation and a long term strategy is needed to clear the UPSC exam. Depending upon the individual capability, a candidate may clear the exam in few months of preparation or may require several attempts to make it to the selection list. But, the fundamental quality is to have a focused approach, strong commitment and determination.