Do you want to crack the civil service exam? Do you want to become an IAS officer. If yes, then you are at the right place. We have come up with the “How to Crack Civil Service Exam.” This article will help you to crack UPSC in the first attempt.
CSE stands for civil services examination, held every year by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The UPSC provides recruitment to people who have passed the CSE exams.
The posts of various fields in civil services are given to people based on their ranking all over India. This includes posts like IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, etc.
However, this CSE exam is not a child’s play; this national level examination is known for its standards of toughness. Only people with good intellect and perseverance can crack through this examination.
Posts offered by UPSC
All India Services
1. IAS – Indian Administrative Services
2. IPS – Indian Police Services
3. IFoS – Indian Forest Services
Rank A services
1. IFS – Indian foreign services
2. IRS – Indian revenue services
3. IIS – Indian information services
4. IAAS – Indian Audit and Accounts services
5. ICAS – Indian civil accounts services
These were some most appreciated posts all over India and A level services offered by the UPSC. So let’s talk about what can be done to get into these posts.
If you want to get into these posts, you need to clear the CSE exams. As I said earlier, cracking these exams is not that easy. Proper strategy and hard work are the real deal here.
How to Crack Civil Service Exam
1. Focus
First, focus on the thought of why you want to crack the UPSC examination. Make a rule not to get distracted by anything that comes your way while preparing for the exam.
Remember, you’ll have to work hard to pave your way to the top. This cannot be done without hard work and strong willpower.
When you get entirely focused on your goal, then you are ready to enter the next step.
2. Go Through the Entire Syllabus
Check the entire UPSC syllabus before starting your preparations and note it down so that you can see the syllabus daily and mark the topics in books accordingly.
Writing down the syllabus will also help maintain your limits of reading things because you have to focus more on reading stuff given in the syllabus only.
Sometimes many people read things that are not in the syllabus and get overconfident, which is of no use to get through the exams. So going through the syllabus is one of the most important hack to crack the civil service exam.
3. The NCERT
If you are from a CBSE background, then you are well aware of the NCERT books for UPSC preparation. Those who don’t know NCERT are unique books required for almost all entrance exams in India. Get a strong command of the topics of these books on all subjects.
Read NCERT books of class 6 to 12 in all subjects because these books will strengthen your foundation and help you develop an understanding of the core subjects.
4. Note It Down
Note down all the important points while you’re reading a book. This will help you when you are revising when only a few days will be left for exams.
Making notes also helps to keep your information handy. Suppose you are going out somewhere and have some spare time. Then you can take out your notes and start revising them.
5. The Optional Subject
Choose your optional subject wisely; select the subject so that you don’t have to give much time to it, which means the subject you have chosen as an optional should be the subject you are strong at.
The optional subject is also important in comparison with the main subjects. The difference is you can choose the subjects here other than the main subjects, which can be your strength.
6. Read Newspapers Daily
Reading a newspaper should be your priority before doing anything else in the morning. Newspapers are a boon for people from the preparation point of view as it gives daily information of the ins and outs of the country.
Read More: How To Read Newspaper For UPSC
You must read at least two newspapers, one in English and the other in a language suitable to you. Try to note down important dates of significant events held in the country.
7. Previous Years Question Papers
The previous year’s question paper is an essential tool in building a strategy for the upcoming exam. Many experienced teachers and toppers always use the term “solve the previous year papers.”
These papers convey the examiner’s thoughts and help to trace an outline of how frequently questions from a particular topic are being asked, so take your time to solve these papers.
8. Writing Practice
Keep practicing your writing skills, as this will be needed when appearing for the mains paper. As you guys know, mains paper is an extended essay-based exam.
There you’ll have to write down answers in a theoretical manner. Practice writing well in advance so that your hands don’t get fatigued at exam time.
Many people say writing practice is such a drag and underestimate this essential thing of practicing and face problems at the time of examination!
9. Join Test Series
Join best IAS coaching for test series; don’t neglect these test series.
Test series not only make you realize your mistakes but also help in improving your mistakes so that you don’t repeat them. The best thing is this coaching also gives a detailed explanation of the questions asked in the exam.
A detailed analysis of your paper includes questions attempted, correctly answered questions, and wrongly answered questions with an explained answer. I will highly recommend you to join the test series by The Thought Tree.
10. Overall revision
Keep revising from the notes you have made, the newspaper contents, main subjects, and the optional subject. Don’t give yourself a chance to look back and tell yourself that you could’ve done better.
Revision is the only option, even if you’ve completed your syllabus. Keep revising it again and again till you find perfection in yourself.
Well, don’t get too involved in preparing for the interview. It needs attention only after clearing prelims and the mains.
Study Tips
So here were some other study tips on How to Crack Civil Service Exam.
1. Smart Study
Hard work is also essential but try to study efficiently.
○ You should take 5 min breaks after studying each subject. In these five minutes, try to relax your body.
○ This does not mean scrolling down Instagram. You can do any activity like 5 min nap, meditation, flexing, etc
○ Space out you study might make you forget some things, but reading again can be recovered.
○ But ultimately, it will help you cover topics and help in revising the topic repeatedly.
○ You can also join an IAS coaching. It will help you to stay ahead of other students.
2. Test Yourself
○ Keep testing yourself as far as preparation for the preliminary is concerned.
○ Take up the daily test by yourself and find solutions to them on your own. ○ Do this with all the subjects and try to find out where you are lacking
○ This is the same as when the teacher asks questions to students and takes this as a daily activity.
Read More: IAS Eligibility Criteria
3. Learn From Mistakes
○ Try to find your mistakes, as I said earlier.
○ Mistakes boost understanding, according to leading scientists
○ Even if you make mistakes, try to cover them up by revising and making a mistake correct there and then.
4. Use a Pictorial way of Understanding Things
○ For example, if you are studying geography, then mark all the important places with geographical, historical, and most important locations on the map
○ This helps in covering three-four topics at the same time
○ This can also be done for subjects like chemistry, biology, history, etc.
5. Make a Timetable
○ A timetable is a must before preparing for an event here UPSC examination. This helps us to arrange the tasks which we will be doing in the day.
○ At the end of the day revising the topics, you have studied throughout the day.
○ Always work precisely according to the time written on the timetable.
○ Don’t deviate from the schedule you’ve made for yourself. This will be of no use if you don’t follow your plan of studying.
6. Don’t keep pushing yourself
○ There is a need to work hard, which does not mean compromising your health for it.
○ Have a proper diet of breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
○ Many students push themselves too far that make them sick at the time of examination
○ Follow all your daily study schedule only and don’t skip your meals.
These were some study tips that you must keep in your mind while preparing for the UPSC exams. In this article, I have covered
● What are CSE and UPSC
● Post offered by UPSC after clearing CSE exams
● How to crack the state civil services exam.
● Tips and habits to crack the exam
● How to study for the exam
I hope you find the article interesting and informative. You must have found the answer of your question “How to Crack Civil Service Exam”, and I’m sure you would crack the exam if you are entirely into the preparation.
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