If your goal in life is to become an IAS officer then this is the right blog for you. This is a short guide on how to boost your preparations for the UPSC exam as a beginner.
Most beginners go wrong in this step. Most people believe that they have to get all kinds of materials and books to score well and miss out on the smaller steps.
It is recommended for you to first target your dates. This will help you create a timeline of events. A timetable is very important for you, this will create a sense of discipline within you and should motivate you to practice daily.
Preparing to Attack
Once you have a time table, your next step will be to start preparing. Takedown the UPSC syllabus and understand it well. Break down the syllabus into various segments depending on your strengths and weaknesses.
You will be able to get better results if you work harder on the weaknesses of the UPSC syllabus. An IAS officer is required to have a good amount of knowledge in every field. So, be ready to prepare for every major subject.
Focusing on Current Affairs
Focusing on current affairs is a very important aspect of preparing to become an IAS officer and for your UPSC exams.
As seen from previous years’ papers, current affairs are given around 25% weightage in the UPSC exam. Reading well-established newspapers and well-reputed blogs will be the key to score well in this area.
Current affairs upon thorough and daily practice will help you get better results for your UPSC exam.
Also Read: Check-out the Best Timetable to Ace the Upcoming UPSC IAS Exam
UPSC Books and Materials
A lot of times, people tend to give a lot of importance to the number of UPSC books and materials. This is a very bad decision as books and materials do not substitute the value of hard work.
As a beginner, it is important to go through good quality materials as it will help you get a better understanding of your subjects. It is very important to have NCERT books since most questions are based on topics from NCERT. NCERT books cover subjects from the basic level and are also published by the government.
You can find great blogs online to help you understand concepts and keep you up with current affairs.
Practice, Practice, and More Practice
Your exam results will only depend on your hard work. No matter what you do, only practice will help you. As they say, practice makes you perfect. Keep working hard and smart.
Keep practising and spend time turning your weaknesses into your strengths. Give yourself enough time to practice on a daily basis. Write a lot of practice tests as this will help you get used to the questioning pattern in UPSC exams.
Previous year papers are very important as they will help you practice and will clear any doubts in your exam pattern.
Optional Subject
Choosing an optional subject is very important as it will help you boost your score. You can choose from a list of various optional subjects. It tallies for 500 marks in total marks scheme.
So, be very careful when you choose an optional subject. It is recommended to choose a subject that you like, you have an interest in, or are good at. This is supposed to be a scoring subject so making the right decision is very important.
Take your time before choosing your optional subject. Make pros and cons lists and do not take recommendations from someone else about this. It should depend on your strength alone!
Personal Interview Round
If you clear the written exams, you will be selected for a personal interview round that is of 275 marks.
It will be based on your personality that will include a Psychometric test and an assessment test. Academics will not be your friend here. You will have to have sharp speaking skills and quick thinking.
Questions in this round are known to be tricky, so all beginners should try and challenge themselves and work on thinking outside the box.
Conclusion
It may seem very confusing on where to start your IAS preparations as a beginner but don’t worry, with this article it should become a lot easier. Even if you are writing UPSC 2020, you can use this to help boost your performance.
Keep in mind the tips and tricks and use your own variations to this. The goal is to help you score higher in the UPSC exam and become an IAS officer. Always remember to keep your mind and body healthy too.
All the best in your exams and preparations!
Also Read: How to Start UPSC Preparation from Zero Level?
