How to prepare for civil services examination?

IAS Aspirants should formulate a well-set strategy comprising of the both flexible and rigid plan of action for the civil services examination. As of now there is time for the examination. In this time, you can set the well-defined strategy that can do wonders in your preparation. Aspirants should identify their key subjects (stronger and weaker subjects) as what they needs to do and how they can cover these subjects in, limited frame of the time.

Civil services examination is one among the attractive and prestigious job in our country. Lakhs of aspirants flock come to civil service preparation hub also called the Mecca and Medina i.e. Delhi.

Aspirants who has already decided that they are going to give an examination in the year 2023.  They come across one very common but important question that; how they can start preparation of UPSC. Through this article, GS SCORE is explaining everything that a fresher must do to kick-start their preparation journey.

Strategy for UPSC Civil Services Examination 2023:

Find out dates of the exam: 

• UPSC generally publish the schedule calendar at least 1 year before the actual examination date. Aspirants can get to know the exact exam date 1 year before but you should take cognisance of this matter that every year UPSC conduct certain examination in certain month only until and unless something extraordinary happens. In this scenario, aspirants should plan their time frame accordingly.

Ask yourself, why you want to prepare for Civil services Examination?

• Preparing for Civil Services Examination is like running marathon. If, you have decided that you will prepare for IAS Examination then find strong purpose to kick-start this journey of yours.
• This journey of Civil services preparation will be not smooth, you will fell turbulent as some point of time for sure, in this situation remaining calmness and have strong faith in your ability will ace you through this examination. Hence it is important to have enough reasons to keep yourself motivated throughout the preparation journey.

How to Approach Your Study?

• For these sort of question, there is no fixed answer as these are person-specific questions which should be tackle by aspirants him/her self.
• It depends on person-specific strategies. It doesn’t matter, whether you are an experienced candidate or fresher, you have to formulate one workable plan for sure. Although, candidates preparing from few years will have a fair bit of idea about different subjects and how much time can you can give and how will you approach your study on daily basis.

Develop base Infrastructure:

• Your first priority to clear this examination is to develop your base as you are going to give your examination in the year 2023 so read NCERT first and know what all are topics from which questions are being asked and how NCERT can be utilised and to what extent in solving problems of the actual examination.
• Aspirants can rely on NCERT from 8^th to 12^th, as these are wonderful sources of information, especially for beginners. They are important not only because questions are asked directly from them but also because they are very introductory yet very informative steps in creating knowledge base.

Develop Habit of Reading Newspaper:

• To start your preparation, aspirants should read newspapers on daily basis very carefully and build thinking pattern on the concerned topic. Students should read monthly magazines in the likes of Kurukshetra and Yojna must make a place in your reading list Aspirants can read newspapers such as the Hindu or the Indian Express. Aspirants can also go through government websites on selective basis.

Prioritise your Areas to work upon:

• Trace out your key areas that need your attention, then delinquently target that specific key portion. For example, if any aspirant know that he/she is weak in particular subject then he/ she should start working on that from the very first day.
• Those who are being selected in UPSC Examination has also committed many mistakes but, those who are being selected has this art of identifying their mistakes and rectifying it in due course of time.

Work on yourself, acquire new skill and not only “go through this examination process but, also grow through it”. Good luck.