“Rome was not built in a day,”

they say, and neither your UPSC preparation will be done in one day. If you need to understand the extent of the preparation required for this marathon of an exam, you need to look at it like you are building a city with a defined date of completion.

Now since the task is so huge and the date for the exam is fixed, you need to map your progress and stick to it. This is why you will need to create, adhere to and finally make adjustments to both your daily Timetable and Study Plan.

Now waste no more time and let’s check out the best UPSC study timetable that one can follow.

Importance of Daily Time Table

The human body has a clock of its own and functions best if it knows what to expect in advance. In other words, we are creatures of habit and habit makes certain tasks easier. Now you need to make preparation, recall and presentation a habit for your brain. A habit is so ingrained that it becomes second nature to it.

Here comes the importance of a daily Timetable. Sticking to a daily timetable will prepare your body and brain for sustained preparation for the UPSC exams. Additionally, with time built in for revision and mock tests, you will also be building your brain capacity for recall and presentation.

So let’s take a look at why we need to have a Daily Timetable along with a study plan, in more detail.

The Syllabus

Click here for the entire syllabus for UPSC.

The Time Taken to Prepare

Typically aspirants take about 1 to 1.5 years to prepare for UPSC and it is very difficult to keep up the motivation and resolve without the habit of studying daily and the plan to mark the progress.

Also Read: Syllabus for UPSC CAPF and UPSC CSE Prelims: Know the Similarities and Differences

How to Make a Study Plan for UPSC?

Here is a sample timetable for aspirants, that should be kept in mind when one prepares their own study plan.

Time What to do? How and Why
5:00 a.m. Wake up Try it, it helps!
5:00 – 5:30 a.m. Have tea/coffee, do your morning yoga or exercise Improves blood flow and concentration.
5:30 – 6:00 a.m. Freshen up, have a bath Get you started for the day.
6:15 – 7:45 a.m. Read the newspaper. Make notes while reading.
7:45 – 8:30 a.m. Breakfast + travel if required A full breakfast will give you fuel to carry on for the rest of the day. Make sure you eat healthy and right.
8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Revision Start with revising what you learnt the previous day.
9:30 – 11:00 a.m. Study Take up the topics that you feel are toughest for you since your mind is fresh and can absorb a lot.
11:00 – 11:30 a.m. Break Take a break.
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Study Resume your studies. Try changing subjects if the subject is dragging you down.

Afternoon Time Table

1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Lunch Pack in a light lunch. It is better to avoid a daytime siesta.
2:30 – 4:00 p.m. Test Time This is a time when our mind is at its lowest efficiency. Try doing mock tests or writing at this time.
4:00 – 5:30 p.m. Resume your studies Try something lighter at this time. A subject that you like or something that interests you.
5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Break Have your tea/coffee. Meet positive people. Play or move around. Hit the gym if you are in the habit. If you are not traveling, all the more time for you to study!
7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Study Take up something moderate at this time. As you would already be tired from the day’s work.
8:00 – 9:00 p.m. Revise and Consolidate Revise and consolidate your notes.
9:00 – 9:30 p.m. Supper Avoid heavy meals to get a good sleep.
9:30 – 10:00 p.m. Watch news/discussions Watch quality news discussions on UPSC-relevant issues.
10:00 – 10:30 p.m. Unwind (no TV) Relax and de-stress your mind. Listen to music, talk to your family and friends, but don’t watch TV
10:30 p.m. Hit the bed Get a good sleep. Avoid any screen time before bed (mobile etc.)

1 Year Study Plan for 2021-22

An aspirant should begin by learning the material for the prelims and mains exams, as well as reading the newspaper on a daily basis for current events. Reading the newspaper should take at least one hour.

Mid of June

In one and a half months, complete the initial reading of recommended NCERTs from grades 6 to 12.

After reading the NCERTs, students should check past year questions for each topic to see if there are any questions that are not covered in the NCERTs. This will assist you in deciphering the UPSC’s prelims question pattern.

July to December

These months will consist of a three-pronged strategy: revision using NCERT test series, advanced concepts study via an online GS Foundation course, and completion of an optional for the UPSC Main examination.

While every applicant should read the standard books, they should also participate in any prelims test series to keep track of their progress and ensure that their studies are aligned with the expectations of the UPSC CSE exam. During these months, one should also practise composing Mains answers, particularly for optional courses.

Benefits

Students will benefit much from taking an integrated PCM exam series because it will make their preparation easier, increase their production, and allow them to make the best use of their resources.

January and February

Every aspirant taking the IAS test should be finished with their optional courses and have completed 80% of their GS courses by now. Following that, an aspirant must use the following two months for optional completion and revision of the GS Course.

March and April

During the CSE preliminary assessment, these two months are important for preparation for this competitive examination. The application forms are made available in February.

As a result, candidates typically have almost two to three months to begin preparing. It entails at least two revisions of standard literature, a year-long review of current affairs, and the beginning of complete mock exams.

By the end of April, every aspirant should have completed over 8000 MCQs. However, simply practising MCQs is insufficient. In the month of April, aspirants must also revise these MCQs as rapidly as possible.

May

The month leading up to the prelims exam is the most significant since it will determine the fate of the majority of candidates. Every candidate must complete at least two rapid revisions of their whole course and roughly five full mock examinations.

Also Read: Best Strategy for UPSC CSE Mains: Tips to Ace History as UPSC Optional Subject

IAS Study Plan for Weekends: 8 Hour Study Plan

Remember to add a few hours of study on the weekends since you’d be having more time on those days. Once in a while, you could also spend the time doing something that doesn’t take up much time like watching a movie or going for dinner with friends or family.

Of course, the time table for IAS preparation for working professionals will be quite different for those who are engaged in a job, with many more commitments and much less time for studies. You might in that case need to give it you’ all on the weekends and keep a 3 to 5-hour study schedule on the weekdays.

Benefits of UPSC Study Time Table

Why is it important to follow a schedule? How does it help? Let’s find out now!

Create a Habit

A timetable creates a habit in you. If you design the timetable well, it will create habits of understanding, retaining, recalling and presenting the information.

Beat Stress

Because you will build in breaks and times to relax in your timetable it will make your breaks optimum for relaxing and de-stressing.

Creates Higher Efficiencies in Your Brain

By constantly engaging your brain consciously in a few specialised activities over a long duration (1-year minimum), your brain will create new efficiencies for the activities you need to repeat in order to be successful, like understanding, retaining, recalling and presenting.

Enjoy Other Activities

The timetable also helps you to both enjoy other activities, by giving you time to indulge in them and to restrict the time spent on those activities.

Also Read: Which Magazine is Best for UPSC Preparation? Know the Best Magazines for Current Affairs

IAS Timetable Followed with a Study Plan for UPSC Mains and Prelims

When used with the study plan, the timetable gives you a sense of direction and helps you to chart your progress in accordance with the UPSC calendar. It also helps to keep you motivated by giving you a clear picture of what has been covered. It also helps you to assess yourself periodically and if required, readjust your schedule. You can also customize according to your own study pattern, focus, and requirement.

Also Read: How do I Schedule Time Table for UPSC Preparation? Know the Strategy for Prelims and Mains

UPSC 2022 Exam Calender

The aspirant should always keep the exam calendar in mind before starting the preparation.

Name of the Exam  Date 
UPSC CSE 2022 Notification release Date 2nd week of February 2022
Date of Application form availability February 2022
Online Application form Last date Submit March 2022
Prelims Exam Admit Card June 2022
UPSC IAS 2022 Prelims Date June 2022
Preliminary exam result August 2022
Admit Card for Main Exam September 2022
Exam Date (Main) September 2022
Final result Announced January 2023

Also Read: UPSC 2022 Exam Date Calendar: Latest Updates and All-Year Round Calendar

UPSC Preparation Strategy for 2021-22

One should keep these strategies in mind for 2021-22.

Read NCERTs

NCERTs from eighth to twelfth grades are excellent sources of information, particularly for novices. They are significant not only because inquiries are directly addressed to them, but also because they are brief but instructive. So, begin by reading and rereading NCERTs to acquire an overview of each subject.

Read Newspapers

Newspapers like The Hindu and The Indian Express should be read on a regular basis! It will assist you in keeping up with current events while also improving your reading, writing, and comprehension abilities. As an outcome, don’t forget to read the newspapers.

Kurukshetra and Yojna, for example, are monthly periodicals that should be on your reading list. Even if you don’t have time to read it from cover to cover, read its analysis or overview to ensure you don’t miss any crucial articles!

Read Standard Books

Make sure you don’t add to the number of resources; instead, concentrate on editing one resource several times. It is critical to examine maps while preparing for Geography.

When it comes to IAS Preparation, maps are yet another significant and scoring area. Both the UPSC Prelims and Mains have map-based questions. As an outcome, memorize to bring maps with you on your IAS Preparation journey.

Understand the Union Budget

UPSC Prelims are held in the last week of May or the first week of June every year. And questions about the budget, which is announced in February, always appear in the preliminary exams. If you have a solid comprehension of the budget, you can use the snippets in your Mains responses to make them look more detailed and relevant.

Start Preparing for CSAT

Don’t take the CSAT for granted, even though it is a qualifying exam. To be eligible to write the Mains, you must score higher than 33% or 66 points on the CSAT. As an outcome, continue to educate for the CSAT at the same time.

Aside from that, two crucial pillars of UPSC preparation are answer-writing practice and revising. Without mock-test-based preparation and answer-writing practise, no IAS preparation method is complete.

Know About UPSC Notifications

Every year, the UPSC issues notifications with all of the exam’s specifics, including the exam fee, exam dates, scheme, timetable, complete curriculum, and more.

The UPSC issues notification for the Civil Services Exam a year in advance so that candidates who wish to sit for the exam can plan ahead of time and ensure that they have enough time to cover the UPSC Syllabus.

Get the Right Resources

The most crucial thing for any IAS aspirant to understand before beginning their preparation is to choose the correct sources. Because most IAS experts advise candidates to focus on a few key books rather than reading a large number of books, aspirants must carefully select books to study for the IAS test.

Also Read: Best Weekly Magazine for UPSC Preparation: Know the Ways to Prepare for UPSC

How to Follow Daily Timetable for UPSC Preparation?

It is easy to create a timetable and a study plan, but what will it take to follow through on each and make the most out of them?

Below are the personality traits that will help you stick to the timetable and IAS study plan.

Honesty

Be honest with yourself about your studies. If you are not focusing on your work at hand, you might as well be doing something else that you enjoy.

Seriousness

This is something that shouldn’t even be talked about. Have you heard of a marathon runner who wasn’t serious? They won’t even be able to finish the race, let alone win.

Discipline

Any long preparation needs the discipline to bring success. This is no different. Your discipline will make the timetable effective, not the other way round.

Perseverance

Perseverance is the capacity to push on in the face of difficulties. Don’t give up. Persevere.

Goal-setting

This is especially important in following the study plan and reviewing your progress. Every once in a while, don’t forget to sit back and measure your progress, both in terms of what has been covered and what is left.

Concentration

Practice concentration. Leave out all distractions and start focusing on your work. Nothing should disturb you. Slowly learn to disengage from outside noise and learn to concentrate even in the worst conditions.

Maintain Your Health

Don’t forget to maintain your health as you are starting off on this preparation. Remember, if your health fails you during the exam, you would have wasted all this time and effort for nothing.

Wake up Early

Even though the body clocks of different people work at different levels, it has been seen that the brain performs at a peak level early in the morning.

Enjoy the Process

Last, but not the least, enjoy the process. No great deed was accomplished without enjoyment. Only if you enjoy learning will your brain help you by retaining information efficiently.

Also Read: Last 10 Years Question Paper of UPSC with Answer Guide: Your Salvation

Conclusion

To conclude, your UPSC study timetable is your personal map to reach your destination. Create your own practical rhythm and try not to deviate too much. Remember to stick to the study plan and the timetable both.

Keep an eye on this page for more guidance that will help you clear the UPSC IAS prelims, mains and as well as personality round.

Also Read: Year Time Table for UPSC Preparation: Latest Time Table for Prelims and Mains

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UPSC Study Time Table 2022: The Ultimate UPSC Preparation Schedule to Crack the Exam
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UPSC Study Time Table 2022: The Ultimate UPSC Preparation Schedule to Crack the Exam
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Thinking about how to start studying for UPSC 2022. How to make a study plan for 2022? How to make 8 hours daily for UPSC preparation? Get all the answers here with an appropriate study plan.
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UPSC Pathshala
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Shilpa

Shilpa is a professional web content writer and is in deep love with travelling. She completed her mass communication degree and is now dedicatedly playing with words to guide her readers to get the best for themselves. Developing educational content for UPSC, IELTS aspirants from breakthrough research work is her forte. Strongly driven by her zodiac sign Sagittarius, Shilpa loves to live her life on her own notes and completely agrees with the idea of ‘live and let live. Apart from writing and travelling, most of the time she can be seen in the avatar of 'hooman' mom to her pets and street dogs or else you can also catch her wearing the toque blanche and creating magic in the kitchen on weekends.

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