UPSC CSE FAQs

Civil Services Exam is considered as one of the most challenging and toughest exam in India. It is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission which is a central recruiting agency. Cracking UPSC Exam without coaching is an uphill task and hence a comprehensive strategy is most sought to crack this exam. The aspirants are supposed to possess traits like diligency, consistency, patience and to the point approach for success in this exam. There are certain steps required that you must be familiar with to become an IAS / IPS officer without investing money in the hands of coaching giants. IAS Exam aspirants will also get to know the eligibility criteria of the exam, UPSC Exam pattern and the preparation tips.

Eligibility:

To Crack UPSC Exam without coaching, first thing aspirant do before starting your preparation is to know whether you are eligible for taking this exam. The aspirants must be a graduate and their age should fall under the given age limit.

Exam pattern:

The next thing which one should be aware with is the exam pattern and UPSC syllabus. The UPSC conducts civil services examination in three stages. They are:

• Prelims
• Mains
• Personality test

The Prelims examination is objective with General Studies Paper II is qualifying in nature. The question paper is set in both the languages English and Hindi. The UPSC IAS Prelims Examination consists of two papers:

• General Studies Paper-I
• General Studies Paper-II

The General Studies Paper I comprises of Geography, History, Economy, General Science, Environment and ecology, and current affairs. The General Studies Paper-II comprises is aptitude paper which has quantitative aptitude, logical reasoning, and comprehension skills.

When a candidate qualify the prelims exam, a “Detailed Application form” (DAF) need to be filled. Mains examination consists of nine descriptive papers including one optional subject with 2 papers. This is considered as the crucial stage as the marks obtained in this stage of exam determines your final selection.

Candidates after qualifying the mains exam, get summoned for the final round i.e personality test or interview. This round decides your rank in the final list.

How to prepare for UPSC IAS Exam

Many candidates have a wrong notion that they won’t be able to Crack UPSC Exam without coaching. With proper approach and right strategy, one can crack this exam in the very first attempt. This exam demands not only hard work but smart work also. One need to have a solid strategy regarding studies that will help him to Cracking UPSC Exam without coaching in first attempt. The most judicious way to prepare for this exam is to start with NCERT Books that are considered as the indispensable part of UPSC IAS Exam and an authentic newspaper like The Hindu. 

In a nutshell

• Thoroughly Read NCERT and other standard books
• Regular reading of a newspaper and making notes
• Answer writing practice on daily basis
• Choosing a right optional and obtain mastery in this
• Scan previous year papers and practice mock
• Get acquainted with the interview process and prepare yourself for the same