10 Tips to Clear UPSC IAS Prelims in the First Attempt

UPSC IAS Prelim Exam is the first and the most difficult hurdle to clear in the whole process of the exam. Each year Lakhs of students appear for the exam and only a handful are able to clear even the prelims. This exam requires consistent hard work, correct smart work, persistence and patience, right plan of action, time management, and others to get through the first path to success.

But how to prepare for the prelims? Here is the list of 10 MASTER TIPS to help the candidates with their ongoing preparation for Civil Services Prelims.

1. SYLLABUS:

Go through the entire Syllabus for UPSC IAS prelims first. Understand the difference between prelims syllabus and mains syllabus because the approach in the two is different. Candidates can take it in a print form and read it whenever they are starting with a new subject and make themselves aware of all the topics.

In the Static portion, the major part remains unchanged unless and until notified. For this Basic books are available. And no hard research has to be done with subjects if one remains honest with the syllabus and the good sources.
For Dynamic Portion (Current Affairs and the recent happenings), sources can be less or many depending on the material and the knowledge of the topics. Newspapers, Rajya sabha TV, current affairs magazines and websites and web sources etc can be covered to learn the vast and dynamic current events.
Both Static and Dynamic needs INTERLINKING. Recent questions have been seen with the mix of both with two options of static and two of current events linked with the topic. So their study has to be done in a holistic way.
For GS 2- CSAT/APTITUDE, Solving previous year papers, practising the basic questions and having the hold on mathematical formulas would definitely help you to clear this paper.

2. PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION PAPERS TREND ANALYSIS

Before starting any preparation, one must be aware of the type and the way in which the exam is conducted. The level -low, moderate or high, of the questions. Previous Year Question Paper becomes very crucial here.
One must also focus on the areas which are asked more and which are asked less comparatively. This exercise is necessary to demarcate the time which has to be allotted to the specific subject or the areas concerned.
One must have to be good at this math to differentiate the time and energy to produce the maximum results.
We also should analyse the changes in the pattern UPSC does from time to time.
Do the basic mental workout on these points and also on others which you feel are important for the preparation beforehand.
Understand what UPSC is demanding out of these questions.
Practice and solve them (Last 10-15 years) in the due time and this will help the aspirants a lot before going into the examination hall.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself beforehand, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles”.

3. SOURCES

The most common issue with the aspirants is that they opt to many different sources which leads them into confusion and in the end, are unable to remember anything more clearly.
For basic learning -the NCERTs of all the subjects is a must. This is because you will understand the basic concepts from which arises the various technicalities.
For advanced learning- go through the basic books which are available in the market or in the digital form.
Make the handy notes which are always available to you. Both types are accepted – Comprehensive notes which need a bit of digging up and proper research and deep understanding of the topic and those Brief Notes which are based on facts and figures which you need to see often to mug up the learning.
Several free/paid lectures are available online which can be utilised for the dynamic coverage of the topics.
What so ever be the sources or notes, the basic rule is to complete the entire syllabus efficiently, which are easy for your understanding, which are trusted with their knowledge and which you can revise often. Make sure you revise the entire prelims exam portion at least twice before appearing for the main exam.

4. PLANNING/STRATEGY

Planning is one of the most important parts of the preparation which helps in optimising time management by using them more effectively. It lets you prepare the sequence of steps to achieve that specific goal. A PLAN IS LIKE A MAP and we must use it accordingly. Starting with-

Plan your day. Every hour of which has to be divided in a judicious way which will incorporate both the hard work and the smart work.
Get disciplined and plan out your daily routine.
Try to cover it in a way that is feasible and comfortable for you.
Stick to the strategy.
Read it. Complete it. Revise it. Practice it.
It is the only way in which you can complete the huge syllabus in a timely manner and also revise it.

5. REVISION

The revision has been and always will be the prime key to success. We tend to read a lot from various different sources available it is more so also because of the nature of this exam. But if not revised, the human mind will tend to forget it.
The exam time of 2 hours with 100 questions does not offer a lot of time to sit back and recall the facts.
To utilize the time(every second of it) in the exam hall, one must be very active in choosing the correct options to get a lead in the exam. For this one must lead in his/her learning too.
REVISE in the due intervals of preparation. Select the particular day in a week or an hour in a day and go through what you have learned before.

6. NEGATIVE MARKING

To successfully clear the UPSC prelims, one should analyze the demand of the merit from the very beginning. Prelim is an exam of elimination. Therefore, one must limit their negative marking and choose wisely whether to answer any question or not.

To get a clear picture – if one attempts 70 questions right then can definitely afford to get 30 wrong and still be in the race. If questions which completely known are less than this number may be the 60s-50s then one can not afford the negative marking much, as he or she will be out of the game then. The merit lasts in between 100-110, with taking the margin of +5 and -5. Therefore, to get away with the fear of negative marking practice lots and lots of mock tests.

7. CSAT TEST

CSAT need good practice. Covering the major aspects of language comprehensions and logical reasoning, one must be accurate and speedy in solving the mental ability questions.
Many candidates do not have the maths and the science background, so they need to practice more aptitude tests.
This is qualifying in nature and needs only 66 marks to get correct but this should never be taken lightly as losing here can cost a lot.

8. MOCK TESTS

To assess your preparation level properly you need to solve enough number of questions before.
Time your mocks in accordance to your study time table. For example- after covering any subject and current affairs, one can immediately go for the subject mock test. Many are available in the market and online, you can practice any but time constraint should be fixed. And leave the test after two hours whether complete or incomplete.
Stay strict and in tune with UPSC exam format.
It helps in multiple ways: Revision, understanding the weak/strong areas, time management etc.

9. AVOID ANY SORT OF DISTRACTIONS AND NEGATIVITY AROUND, STAY CONFIDENT

The entire process of the UPSC Civil Services Exam is quite long and hectic which at times can become very overwhelming for the aspirants. Here, the most important thing for the aspirant is not to let their distractions and negativity overtake their preparation process.
Civil Services Exam demands some level of discipline and regular hard work along with patience, so you have to be more positive and motivated to keep yourselves going in such tough times.
Engage yourselves with some kind of Hobby which is refreshing as well as productive.
Don’t cut yourselves completely from social life but be mindful of distractions in them.
Do regular exercise or any outdoor activities for one hour or so, as it helps you in keeping your mind fresh.
Avoid negative thoughts and go with healthy preparation. Confidence is the key to crack this tough exam.
Stay motivated and positive throughout the journey irrespective of the consequences.

10. MINDFULNESS TECHNIQUES

Mental consciousness and awareness are of utmost importance in the exam room which many people tend take lightly. Just high- level preparations will not reap fruits but also the mental ability to handle the stress.

Do not lose your appetite. With a healthy body comes a healthy mind.
Remove any sort of anxiety. Do the meditation, yoga, walking or exercise which brings you mental peace
Do not ever rush up always opt for a balanced approach. Read daily and don’t leave anything for the last hour. Avoid reading any new topic last moment in a hurry.
Have a calm and peaceful mind. Keep all the worries of the results apart.
Sleep properly. 7-8 hours a day. Else you will not be able to remember what you studied the entire day and eventually it will all be a waste.
Lastly, be easy with yourself and stay composed and collected and just stick honestly to your preparations and daily study schedule.

All the best!

Pankaj Pathak

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