How to Become PCS Officer: The Ultimate Guide to become a PCS Officer

PCS or Provisional Civil Services is one of the most desired services among the youths in India. It is a Civil Service examination that is conducted by the State level service commissions bodies. If you are willing to become a PCS officer, you must be well aware of the PCS exam educational qualification, age eligibility, and how much salary you can expect.

PCS Officer Exam Tips and Tricks

Here are a few tips and strategies to prepare for the PCS examinations:

• Be updated on the PCS syllabus that is vital for your preparation. Break down each portion of your syllabus and track the progress of your syllabus each week.
• Create goals and targets for completing the syllabus individually.
• Stay updated with the latest news and current trends in the country and world. Newspapers and TV news are the best sources for the same.
• Do not forget to check the previous year’s question papers, and you will eventually learn how to complete the question papers.
• Also, try to complete as many mock tests as possible in a small time frame to cope with the exam situations.
• If you have passed the prelims and mains, you must be familiar with the specific state’s regional language where you are appearing.
• Lastly, try to complete the syllabus as early as possible. It is always advisable to keep the last few months of exam for thorough preparation.

What are the PCS Exam Eligibility Criteria?

One might have a question, i.e., “who is eligible to give pcs exam?” The PCS eligibility criteria include the age limit, viz. 21 years to 40 years. However, you may also get the advantage if you are from the reserved category, you might get a relaxation of up to 5 years.

Furthermore, you need to have specific educational qualifications as well. A candidate must hold at least a Bachelor’s degree from any central or state-recognized university. There is no marks restriction to apply for the PCS exams.

Besides these essential eligibility criteria, a candidate must also be eligible for certain physical and mental standards. The candidate must also be a citizen of India or a subject of Nepal and Bhutan.

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What is the PCS Exams Procedure?

PCS exams are held in two stages – Preliminary and Mains examination. We have given an insight into the preliminary and mains examination in the later section.

Once you have successfully cleared the preliminary examinations, you will be called for the mains examinations. After clearing the Mains examination, the candidate will be called for the Viva Interview followed by the medical tests.

Once you have cleared the medical test, you will be appointed at the Deputy District Collector post after the training.

Are there various PCS Officer Positions?

Yes, depending on the educational qualifications, the state government has divided this post into various divisional ranks.

If you haven’t planned out about the PCS officers rank yet, this section might help you a bit:

• District Administrative Officer – Post Graduation.
• Assistant Prosecuting Officer (Transport) – Law Graduate
• Controller Legal Assistant – UG in Science with Physics or Mechanical Engineering
• Labor Commissioner – UG degree in Arts and Commerce/Economics.
• Revenue Commerce Officer

You can get further information about the PCS officer ranks and the educational qualification on each state government’s site.

PCS Exams Preparation Strategy

If you are serious about preparing for the PCS examinations, you must consider some important tips and strategies in mind. Also, you must be diligent and disciplined in your approach and focus on the goals.

Breaking Down the Syllabus

Before starting, it is important to keep track of each part of your syllabus and, more importantly, break it down into different parts.

There is a common misconception that History and Geography are more weighed than subjects like Environment, Ecology and other subjects. Thus, it is really important to give equal importance to each part of your syllabus.

Previous Year Question Papers

Before starting, it is also important to look at the previous year’s question papers and understand the nature of exams. You can get the previous year examination paper up to 20 years old on the Internet. This way, you will also get a deep understanding of the most essential portion of your syllabus.

Focus on Few Materials

You might get baffled by the number of study materials and books available on the Internet for the PCS examination preparations. It is recommended to refer to relevant and limited study resources and revise them rather than referring to a lot of sources. It is always advisable to stick to only a few sources of information rather than focusing on all at once.

Find the Reason to Become One

Do not start your preparation before setting up your goals and motives. The road to prepare for the civil service examination is a tough one and you need to be firm enough to walk on it.

The first thing is to know about why you started in the first place and then write down why to be in services with the perks. Do not leave the journey halfway and find the right inspiration to become the PCS officer.

PCS Officer Ranks

Besides the posts given above, a PCS officer may also hold some ranks at various levels. The appointed PCS officers start their career as SDM’s. SDM is the in-charge of the subdivision of the state and can be promoted further. On promotion, the officer becomes the ADM or Additional District Magistrate. ADM acts as the District Magistrate and enjoys the same benefits as DM under the given rules. Lastly, ADM might retire after serving 15-20 years or get promoted to the post of DM which is equivalent to the IAS post.

Conclusion

It is always advisable to start with the goals and targets on your mind. The perks and the salary of PCS officer ranks is always a plus. If you have to pursue your goals as an IAS officer, you can also appear for that particular state’s PCS examinations. As the old saying goes, “When You Feel Like Quitting Remember Why You Started,” stay focused, and you will surely achieve success.

Stay tuned with us to read more about tips and guidelines for the civil service exams.

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