Unlike two decades back, people start to think about their career from a very early stage. Thanks to the internet, they also get a clear idea about the available options. Parents are pretty clear these days about the future of their kids. Among the various options available, many want to appear for the UPSC civil services exam.
Thousands of students get inspiration from watching civil servants who are in their families or live in their localities. They develop respect for them and also earn the same for themselves. This is from where the thought and dream of becoming a civil servant appears.
Even though as per UPSC’s notification the candidate has to be of minimum 21 years old, when should I start preparing for UPSC? When should we start preparing for UPSC? These are the most common questions asked by students who want to serve the country. So let’s talk about it. Keep reading on to find out everything you must know about UPSC preparation for beginners.
Right Age to Start IAS Preparation
There are many examples of IAS toppers who have always dreamt of becoming that. Some of them started preparation for IAS during graduation, some even started from their school-going age. It is important to know and identify the right age to start IAS preparation because everybody is different from each other and the required time may differ for each.
How to Start Preparing for UPSC from School Level?
If you are searching for how to start preparing for IAS from class 11? Then you have arrived at the right place. Here you will get to know what are measures one can take while still being at the school that will help them in UPSC preparation.
School students have got enough time before they come to the right age for appearing on the exam. They can utilise this time for completing their school education and should focus on it more because even in the UPSC civil services exam, they will come across things that were taught to them in school. So focusing on studying is one of the UPSC preparation strategies for beginners.
UPSC Preparation Strategies for Beginners
Class 10th students who have completed their exam have ample time and can use that for understanding the IAS exam pattern and the basic requirement to qualify on the UPSC civil services exam. Starting UPSC preparation from zero levels gives them enough time and scope to develop a strong foundation for this competitive exam.
Though it’s not suggested to study books for UPSC at such an early stage one can really start making a habit of reading newspapers regularly. They can also start newspapers helpful for UPSC and follow the procedure for reading those.
By doing this from an early age will certainly benefit the student when he/ she will actually be preparing for the exam.
Also Read: Best Current Affairs App for UPSC: Prepare Online with the Best Teaching Method
How to Start Preparing for UPSC in College?
Students who are in the last year of their graduation can start preparation for IAS during graduation without compromising their studies. One must understand that to start preparing for IAS, he/ she should focus more on his/ her graduate studies because he/ she can get extra chances for cracking the UPSC exam but for graduation, they won’t get enough chances.
For students who are looking for how to start preparing for UPSC? Well, you can begin with the current affairs section. Strong knowledge of what’s going around you will help you immensely in the UPSC civil services prelims and mains papers.
And if you are wondering how to start preparation for IAS without coaching? then you must know that if you start from such an early stage, you will get enough time to make your own IAS preparation strategy thus eliminating the need to get into any coaching. But if you are really focused and want to crack the examination without attempting too many times, you can definitely get enrolled in some renowned coaching for UPSC.
Also Read: Best App for UPSC Preparation: Top 7 Apps to Crack the UPSC Exam
How to Start UPSC Preparation from Scratch?
One of India’s most prestigious exams is the UPSC Civil Services Exam. Every year, tens of thousands of people attempt it across the country. Only a small percentage of them, however, are able to achieve their IAS goals.
The IAS exam is difficult not only because of the length of the syllabus but also because of its high degree of unpredictability.
Being a bookworm will not help you pass the UPSC exam. The personality test round is the final stage of the UPSC exam process, in which the UPSC board interviews the candidate to assess his or her personality and suitability for a career in the services.
Apart from academic knowledge, this necessitates an individual’s overall development.
Tip 1
So if you have decided that UPSC is the exam that you want to crack and want to join the civil services then the first thing you have to do is make a well-planned strategy for your IAS preparation.
Plan your preparation process properly and try to make your strategy as realistic as possible so that you can adhere to it. After understanding the process and pattern of the UPSC civil services examination, aspirants must create a plan consisting of short term goals.
Also Read: What Relevant Topics Should be Read from the Newspaper? Know How to Manage Time
IAS Preparation Strategy for Beginners
Every aspirant understands that preparing for the IAS Preliminary is a difficult task that necessitates a lot of hard work in addition to time. Many aspirants put their dreams on hold as the exam date approaches due to a lack of time.
The final stage of preparation is critical to achieving a high score on the Civil Services Examination. Aspirants should be aware of the Civil Services Preliminary preparation strategies in the last 10 days, which range from revising basic concepts to taking a mock test.
Tip 2
Aspirants who are starting from an early age are not necessarily required to invest a lot of money in buying study materials. They can rather start with class 6 to 12 NCERT books and can try to collect two books per topic and start going through those.
Tip 3
Do many aspirants wonder how to start IAS preparation at home? Is it possible to start preparation for IAS without coaching? Well, the answer is yes. You can stay at home and start the preparation with or without coaching. Make use of the internet, collect information, make notes and do self-studying.
UPSC Preparation for Beginners
The UPSC examination is regarded as one of the most prestigious and difficult in the world. Every year, more than 8 lakh people apply for this exam, but only a few hundred people pass. It is even more difficult due to its extensive syllabus and unpredictable nature.
Before making this decision, the most important thing to do is to research every aspect of IAS preparation, from the exam pattern to the syllabus to previous year’s question papers. Because of its highly unpredictable nature, there is no guarantee that the candidate will succeed in one attempt, and in many cases, this process becomes sluggish as a result of repeated failures.
Tip 4
Look for previous year papers, sample papers and mock tests and try solving those while you keep on preparing for the exam. This will help you to analyse your performance level and you will also be able to find out your strengths and weaknesses.
Tip 5
Understand the syllabus well. Understand the marks division process, the pattern of questions asked, what are the techniques of writing an answer, etc. Also, take a look at the optional subjects and the syllabus of those. If you find a subject that was/ is in your school/ college, then put extra focus on that paper from now on because this will definitely help you in the future.
Also Read: Isha Khosla Biography: Get the Opportunity to Learn from an Incredible Woman IAS Officer!
When Should I Start Preparing for UPSC?
Making the right choice at an accurate time brings the desired result. Considering the fact that the UPSC exam is huge and the three stages of clearing the examination is definitely not a cakewalk, one can start the preparation from an early age.
If you start preparing from the age of 18, then you will have 3- 4 years more to complete the graduation and throughout this period, you can keep on preparing for the competitive exam along with your academic syllabus. Things get tough when you start working and also keep on preparing, so it’s better to prepare while you are still a student.
By starting early, you can at least develop a strategy for your future preparations and you will also get habituated to studying for long hours. And as an added benefit, you also get ample time to find out the best UPSC coaching which you can get enrolled in future for achieving your dream of becoming an IAS officer.
Conclusion
Even though there is no specific or right age to start IAS preparation, after learning about many IAS topper’s journeys, it can be said that starting early is obviously a plus point.
Aspirants should keep in mind the upper age limit for the exam and should also consider his/ her abilities to complete the syllabus in time. And one should also understand that completing the syllabus is not enough, he/ she should revise the whole syllabus at least 3 times before appearing for the exam.
Hopefully, this article will clear your doubts about the right age to start IAS preparation and will also show you the path in the right direction.
Also Read: Is the Study of BSc Medical Beneficial for UPSC Preparation? Best Optional Subjects for BSc Students
