Every year more than 10 lakh candidates apply for UPSC Civil Services Exam with the aim of becoming IAS, IPS, IRS, IFS. To prepare for this specific Civil Services Exam, candidates must have a proper preparation strategy, timeline, and plan to prepare for UPSC Civil Services Exam.

To provide an overview, in this article we have provided basic tips for UPSC preparation which includes monthly preparation strategy for UPSC and preparation tips to crack IAS exam. By consulting with the best upsc coaching in indoretoppers and mentors.

UPSC Preparation Timings & Scheduling

It is important to stay focused and committed towards the ambition of becoming an IAS officer. It is one of the toughest exams to crack and requires undivided attention. Experts say that a candidate needs at least 12 months of continuous hard work to prepare for UPSC.

Beyond the stipulated time limit, it is imperative to have a practical strategy that covers the number of hours a candidate puts in preparing for various subjects in the UPSC syllabus. Since questions in IAS exam are from class 6th to 12th books, many students, who have a good academic record and who follow a concept-based approach to study, will fare better than others. Such candidates may require even less preparation time, perhaps an average of 8 hours per day, to clear the test in the first attempt.

Can average student clear the UPSC exam and become IAS or IPS officer

Tips and Techniques for IAS Exam Preparation

1.     Before starting UPSC preparation, it is recommended to dig into the facts of the IAS profession, if this is the career path you want to pursue, and what it takes to become an IAS officer.

2.     It is important that the aspirant has a clear objective and remains focused and motivated.

3.     The candidate should be extremely thorough with the exam pattern, should be able to understand all the technicalities to reach the three stages of UPSC exam.

4.     Prelims is an objective type test based on the general studies knowledge and aptitude of the candidate. On the other hand, Mains exam is subjective and requires academic skill proficiency.

5.     Candidates should build their own repository of knowledge base with the help of best general studies books, study material, newspapers, magazines etc.

6.     Go through the upsc previous year question papersto get a closer understanding of the IAS paper format and read up on relevant topics.

7.     Always make sure to have a strong understanding of the fundamentals and basic concepts. There is no need to go beyond the basic concepts and understand more than the basic concepts. Remember, the goal is not to become an award winner in any one field.

Importance of previous year papers in UPSC preparation

1.     It is important to understand the exam pattern and the best way to do it is to know the paper format.

2.     The syllabus for UPSC preparation is huge and it can appear difficult unless one knows exactly how the questions of each subject are formatted in the paper.

3.     Going through the archives will help a candidate to determine the number of hours for each subject and will help in assessing the right approach to prepare for each subject. In this way, time and effort can be invested in UPSC preparation systematically and inclusively.

4.     After practicing through UPSC Previous Year Question Papers, candidates will realize that questions are never repeated. So, there is no point in mangling the answers. The approach should be to clear the basic concepts first and then practice as much as possible.

Also read: Preparation plan for UPSC prelims exam for new aspirants

Tips to prepare for UPSC exam from home

·        Self-discipline is important for effective UPSC preparation. It's okay to study hard for hours of pre-meditation, but mastering a personal approach and approach is more than just a few hours. This can be done by cultivating self-awareness and seeking help.

·        At every stage of UPSC preparation, a candidate has the privilege of accessing a vast base of UPSC preparation resources online. These include counselling, advice and guidance on any subject for which they need assistance. For example, the need for mock tests and online study material, which is an integral part of UPSC preparation.

·        Mock tests are like real tests and help in tackling questions in precise format and stipulated exam timing to boost confidence dramatically.

·        Based on the format of the question paper, one needs to be careful with the negative marking pattern. To avoid any kind of panic or unnecessary answering, it is important to practice mock tests every day.

·        Online study material is important as online IAS coaching helps in live interaction with qualified coaches to help an individual to know where he/she stands in UPSC preparation.

Month Wise IAS Preparation Strategy for UPSC 2020 Exam

The exam cycle tentatively starts in the month of June and takes one year to complete all the stages. So, like, you will be busy preparing for some stage throughout the year. Smart students realize that there is significant overlap in the syllabus of Prelims and Mains exam. Therefore, it makes sense to have a holistic preparation strategy as opposed to a platform-specific approach.

June to October:- Focus on the preparation of UPSC optional subjects. General Studies for Prelims and Mains should also be done simultaneously.

October to December:- Complete Syllabus of Static Part of GS for both Prelims and Mains.

January to February:- Practice answer writing for Mains as well as optional subject.

March to May:- Devote these last three months extensively for Prelims- for both Paper 1 and CSAT. Practice mock tests and revise as much as you can.

June to October:- Revise optional subject and appear in test series for Mains, Essay as well as optional subject.

If you are doing full time preparation for UPSC exam you can follow this month wise preparation plan without any question. But if you are working professional then plan may vary for you if need any help feel free to contact UPSC coaching in indoreSharma Academy.

UPSC Prelims exam is the first hurdle to leap in your journey of securing the IAS tag. The competition is the most intense in the first round as only a fraction of those who take the prelims will qualify for the IAS mains exam.

Here we have talk with the team of UPSC coaching in Indoreand come up with topic-wise preparation strategy for Civil Services Preliminary Exam which candidates can refer and if they think they have missed then it is not too late and they are eligible to include in their preparation.

A well-organized preparation strategy along with favourable time management will surely give aspirants an edge over others. Given below are some topic-wise tips that will guide the candidates in making their UPSC Exam preparation strategy.

Planning for Current Events

Current Affairs questions are asked from the core disciplines or say subjects, for example, science and technology, Polity, History, Geography, Economics, and environment. So we must give importance to current affairs from all perspectives, i.e. subjects, Prelim, Main and Personality Test.

These questions can be asked based on Government Initiatives/Policies, Policies of India which have international importance- Look East Policy, International Institutions- IMF, WB, UNSC, etc. International Agreements- Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), etc. Human Rights Issues, Social Sector Initiatives, Sustainable Development, etc.

To bring in more clarity on this aspect, we would illustrate ate with a few examples.

For example:
Current Events – Geography
Q.1   With reference to ‘Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)’ sometimes mentioned in the news while forecasting Indian monsoon, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1.  IOD phenomenon is characterized by a difference in sea surface temperature between tropical Western Indian Ocean and tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean.
2. An IOD phenomenon can influence an El Nino’ s impact on the monsoon.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1.     (a) 1 only

2.     (b) 2 only

3.     (c) Both 1 and 2 

4.     (d) Neither 1 nor 2

5.         Solution: (b)

Can average student clear the UPSC exam and become IAS or IPS officer

ART and CULTURE

Over a period, this subject has gained its own place in the UPSC Exam and has become important both for prelims and mains exam. Areas to focus on this subject would be architecture, dance forms, folk cultures, paintings, martial arts etc.

Books to refer

• 11th standard NCERT- Introduction to Indian Arts
• NIOS book on art and culture
• CCRT website to prepare this subject thoroughly

Of course, not to forget the current affairs, make a note of the art and culture that were in the news and if possible, make as many questions as possible compared with the previous year UPSC Questions Papers.

It is also advised to candidates not to spend too much time on this subject to get a fair idea about the questions asked in this subject it is advised to candidates to go through the previous year question papers.

HISTORY

History has not seen much change until now as the UPSC exam patternas seen.

Focus should be on

Ancient and Medieval History

• Indus Valley Civilization, Jainism, Buddhism, Mughals, and southern kingdoms are important from ancient and medieval history

Modern History

• Main Congress sessions with the year, president, and important resolutions
• Significant viceroys and their period with important decisions
• The government of India acts 1909, 1919, 1935 and charter acts

GEOGRAPHY
Focus areas for prelims should be on

• Indian geography
• Map reading is more than enough under world geography
• Focus should be on areas which were in news recently in map reading
  For example, Kaveri Dispute
  South China Sea due to Island issue
• Map reading is also important in Indian Geography, as at least 1 question is asked in Geography paper based on the Indian map.

Sources to refer

• NCERTs of 8th to 12th standard
• Certificate Physical and Human Geography by Goh Cheng Leong

Also read: Preparation plan for UPSC prelims exam for new aspirants

POLITY
Special emphasis should be on the Constitution while preparing for polity

Under Indian Constitution areas to give importance is:

• Fundamental Rights
• Directive Principles on State Policy
• Fundamental Duties
• President and Parliament are the most important

Focus on

• Issues in news and should relate them to the provisions in the constitution
• Government schemes and policies

Books to refer

• Laxmikant Indian Polity
• Subhash Kashyap
• PM Bakshi

ECONOMY
Focus must be on basic concepts, international organization, current affairs etc.

The most effective way to cover the economics subject would be to links the recent issues in news with the basic concepts of economics.

Books to refer

• 11th and 12th standard NCERTs
• Major newspapers, RBI and Government initiatives

ENVIRONMENT and ECOLOGY
This subject became prominent since 2013, when Indian Forest Service prelims exam was merged with Civil Services Prelims Exam.

• Must be aware of basic concepts related to ecology and environment
• This section mostly covers the recent issues in the news

Focus should be on

• location of national parks
• wildlife
• sanctuaries
• endangered species in India and their habitat
• various international conventions on climate change

Books to refer

• Class 9th and 10th ICSE board books on Environmental Education
• Major Newspaper for current events

SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY
Focus on basic concepts

current events – issues in news related to-

• Space-related news
• India’s achievements
• Revolutionary innovations and Nobel prizes

Sources to refer

• NCERT books of 11th and 12th standard of Physics, Chemistry and Biology
• Major News papers

PLANNING FOR UPSC PRELIMS PREPARATION

Every aspirant has first question that how to start for upsc prelims?

First, know the eligibility criteria of the IAS exam. The aspirant should be a Graduate in any subject. To apply the age of the applicant should be between 21 – 32, if general categories.

Find your best time of learning

Before scheduling your exam preparations, decide which time suits you for contented learning, either a day time or the peaceful night time. Additionally, allot your peak timings for crispy topics, so that may increase your memorizing level and parallel saves your revising time.

Decide whether, you are morning person or an evening person. If Morning, then prepare for hard and difficult subjects in the morning. Leave your upsc coachingor revision activities for the evening. Give your best at that time when you feel the most productive.

At a complete stretch no one can be attentive in our planet for more than 2 hours. for every half hour, relax yourself and utilize your time resourcefully. Give yourself in between breaks. Also, if you feel that you cannot give more then try to utilize that time by either feeling refreshed or watching some informative videos. Which could help you in the exam.

After making so many works to the edge of success. Have you ever known what pulls you down when everything is perfect? Probably it could be the time management. Hence decide to try time management and you can achieve your targets by knowing time management build up. As per your upsc coaching in indoremanage your time and see the difference in your preparation and topics covered.

Tips & Planning for General Studies Paper-1 

For facing Prelims Ganeral Studies Paper I, they need to be aware and well help them in attempting many questions. It involves both clarity about the basics as well as abreast of current affairs and contemporary developments. It includes areas like Indian National Movement, Indian Polity, Basic Economic Understanding, Current Affairs, Science and Technology, etc. While the dynamic part includes Current Affairs, GK has no proper definition and syllabus making it quite vast subject. Since the syllabus does not give much detail of the topics to be studied under each subject it is expected to gain knowledge of them that should be slightly below the graduation level but above the high school level.
There are about 100 questions to be answered in two hours, each question carries two marks. It means there is about 1.2 minute to answer each question. So, speed and accuracy are essential to tackle this examination. While the correct answer will fetch 2 marks, a wrong answer a loss of 0.66 marks i.e. 1/3rd from the correct tally of score.

The 100 questions in Paper I can be grouped into three categories:

1.     Multiple Choice Questions-Single response correct

2.     Multiple Choice Questions-Multiple response correct

3.      Multiple Choice Questions-Matching type

The number of questions asked from different sections varies each time and there is no fixed rule for this. The nature of questions asked are generally on basic principles, their application, factual information and current affairs. Some questions are based on applied aspects of principles and factual information. It has been found that many of the questions overlap with more than one section of the syllabus.
The answer to the question requires analytical bend. So mere reading of NCERT high school text books is now insufficient for the preparation of the prelims and in depth reading is required to handle such question. The best way should be to adopt an integrated approach for preparation combining it with Mains, and one should make efforts to understand the principles and then strive to find their applications in daily life.
Considering the nature of the examination the tactics must be to focus on greater rather than intensive coverage. On is expected to know everything at the same time. However, only basics of each of the discipline are needed, so aspirants study basic concepts and facts as possible, avoiding the in depth preparations at Prelims stage.

Tips & strategies for GS/CSAT Paper 2

The Prelims Paper II (CSAT) assesses comprehension, abstract reasoning, analysis competency, problem solving ability, judgment and decision making ability of the candidates. Unlike paper 1 where quantity of questions is a major determinant for the static section, paper 2 cannot be tamed without solving dynamic questions that requires on the spot mental ability.
Paper-II Syllabus comprises of seven subjects and is in the nature of Aptitude Test.

• Comprehension.
• Interpersonal skills including communication skills,
• Logical reasoning and analytical ability,
• Decision making and problem solving,
•  General mental ability,
•  Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.),
• Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc.).

There are simple preparation tips to score well in the CSAT (Prelims)-PAPER II:

• Identify strong areas of comprehension and aptitude the aspirants have in.
• Solve these questions first to ensure that they get the answers right.
• Do not waste too much time if get stuck in a particular question.
• They should at least be 70% sure of the answer if do not want to lose too many marks in negative marking.
• Practice as many mock tests as possible to be aware of what kind of mistakes they make while solving different kind of problems or aptitude questions.
• Practice questions on Permutations & Combinations, Logical Reasoning and Probability.

To begin with, I must admire you for being firm in your decision to NOT join a coaching, And Searching for steps on How to Prepare For UPSC Civil Services Examination Without Coaching? That’s the first and the very right step. Not many have this clarity. When I started preparing, I thought only coaching can save me. I’m here to help you with your UPSC Preparation.

Problems Faced By The UPSC Aspirants

• The attribute of the Civil Service Examination that makes it utterly difficult is the vast syllabus. Hence, the lack of proper resources and expert guidance is one of the key problems faced by students who prepare without any formal upsc coaching in indore. 
• Students find themselves at sea when it comes to relevant booklist or study materials. Bookshops and internet resources are filled with materials that are never-ending. Hence, fresh aspirants always get in “too many books and too little time”!
• The strategy is the key area when it comes to covering the entire syllabus. There are many topics that can be skipped, many topics that are extremely important and scoring. Fresh aspirants may feel overwhelmed with the vastness of syllabus and free resources and may end up wasting a lot of time aligning the same.
• Next is proper time management. Coaching’s help in preparing a schedule for the aspirants. And hence, in lack of it, it is difficult to manage time efficiently. 
• You may also need help with your difficult areas, without upsc coaching it becomes quite impossible to meet this requirement.
• Furthermore, the evaluation of descriptive answers is something that no aspirant can do by himself. But does that mean it is absolutely necessary for a UPSC aspirant to join upsc coaching in indore? Well, still, the answer is no! But, there are some of the key factors one should consider while preparing for the IAS Exam without coaching. Let’s see what are they!

Stage I: How to start UPSC IAS Preparation

Please do read and finish your NCERTs in the least of times. They are essential but not sufficient. They help you assess where you stand, what you lack and what needs to be done.
After NCERTs, focus on standard textbook like GC Leong, Laxmikant, Spectrum, Shankar and Nitin Singhania notes. Here is also a difficult part. Do not be lured by your other friends who are reading different difficult books. The exam is cracked not by reading too many books but by reading same book, many times.

Then you must develop a habit of reading newspaper daily. Either the Hindu or Indian Express. This is very important. Current affairs are 60–70% of the question paper at all the three stages- Prelims, Mains, Interview.
By now you are also expected to have finalized on your optional. Be very careful here. Optional can make or break it for you. Please don’t be egoistic here- “MAin toh college topper tha maths mein, toh maths hi lunga” ( I will take Maths optional. Afterall I was the college topper). Despite my love for English, I did not have the courage to take English Literature optional because its performance ain’t good.
Over the time, also practice answer writing. And do solve previous years question papers.

One of the most challenging examinations conducted in our country is UPSC Civil Services exam. It is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission which is a central recruiting agency. The task of cracking UPSC 2021 Civil Services exam is not a piece of cake. The aspirants need to a lot of hard work in order to succeed.
This article will be giving some tips 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.

The first thing you should 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. Check the Eligibility Criteria for UPSC Exam in the linked article.

The next thing which you should know is the exam pattern. The UPSC conducts civil services examination in three stages. They are:
I :- Prelims
II :- Mains
III :- Personality test

The Prelims examination is objective and the General Studies Paper II is qualifying in nature. The question paper is set in English and Hindi. The UPSC IAS Prelims examination consists of two papers.
• General Studies Paper-I
• CSAT Paper-II

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

When a candidate clear prelims exam, they must fill up a form called “Detailed Application form” (DAF). Mains examination consists of nine descriptive papers including one optional subject (2 papers). This is considered as the crucial stage which decides an aspirant fate.
Candidates who qualify the mains exam, are called for the final round, i.e., personality test or interview. This round decides your rank in the final list. To read more on the UPSC Exam Pattern, check the linked article.

Many candidates wrongly believe that they cannot crack the UPSC IAS exam without upsc coaching. If approached with the right strategies one can crack this exam in the very first attempt. Firstly, one needs a combination of both hard work and smart work for cracking this exam. One must make a study plan which works the best for him/her. They can start their preparation by reading NCERT books which are considered as the indispensable part of UPSC IAS Exam and an authentic newspaper like The Hindu.

We have already come up with the study plan and complete list of books including NCERT for UPSC civil services Examination.

1. Read NCERT and other standard books
2. Also Read a newspaper and make notes
3. Practice writing answers daily for UPSC Mains exam
4. Choose and excel in the optional subject for Mains examination
5. Practice UPSC previous year question paper as well as the mock test
6. Groom yourself for interview

To begin with, I must admire you for being firm in your decision to NOT join a coaching, And Searching for steps on How to Prepare For UPSC Civil Services Examination Without Coaching? That’s the first and the very right step. Not many have this clarity. When I started preparing, I thought only coaching can save me. I’m here to help you with your UPSC Preparation.

Problems Faced By The UPSC Aspirants

• The attribute of the Civil Service Examination that makes it utterly difficult is the vast syllabus. Hence, the lack of proper resources and expert guidance is one of the key problems faced by students who prepare without any formal upsc coaching in indore. 
• Students find themselves at sea when it comes to relevant booklist or study materials. Bookshops and internet resources are filled with materials that are never-ending. Hence, fresh aspirants always get in “too many books and too little time”!
• The strategy is the key area when it comes to covering the entire syllabus. There are many topics that can be skipped, many topics that are extremely important and scoring. Fresh aspirants may feel overwhelmed with the vastness of syllabus and free resources and may end up wasting a lot of time aligning the same.
• Next is proper time management. Coaching’s help in preparing a schedule for the aspirants. And hence, in lack of it, it is difficult to manage time efficiently. 
• You may also need help with your difficult areas, without upsc coachingit becomes quite impossible to meet this requirement.
• Furthermore, the evaluation of descriptive answers is something that no aspirant can do by himself. But does that mean it is absolutely necessary for a UPSC aspirant to join upsc coaching in indore? Well, still, the answer is no! But, there are some of the key factors one should consider while preparing for the IAS Exam without coaching. Let’s see what are they!

Stage I: How to start UPSC IAS Preparation

Please do read and finish your NCERTs in the least of times. They are essential but not sufficient. They help you assess where you stand, what you lack and what needs to be done.
After NCERTs, focus on standard textbook like GC Leong, Laxmikant, Spectrum, Shankar and Nitin Singhania notes. Here is also a difficult part. Do not be lured by your other friends who are reading different difficult books. The exam is cracked not by reading too many books but by reading same book, many times.

Then you must develop a habit of reading newspaper daily. Either the Hindu or Indian Express. This is very important. Current affairs are 60–70% of the question paper at all the three stages- Prelims, Mains, Interview.
By now you are also expected to have finalized on your optional. Be very careful here. Optional can make or break it for you. Please don’t be egoistic here- “MAin toh college topper tha maths mein, toh maths hi lunga” ( I will take Maths optional. Afterall I was the college topper). Despite my love for English, I did not have the courage to take English Literature optional because its performance ain’t good.
Over the time, also practice answer writing. And do solve previous years question papers.

One of the most challenging examinations conducted in our country is UPSC Civil Services exam. It is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission which is a central recruiting agency. The task of cracking UPSC 2021 Civil Services exam is not a piece of cake. The aspirants need to a lot of hard work in order to succeed.
This article will be giving some tips 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 patternand the preparation tips.

The first thing you should 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. Check the Eligibility Criteria for UPSC Exam in the linked article.

The next thing which you should know is the exam pattern. The UPSC conducts civil services examination in three stages. They are:
I :- Prelims
II :- Mains
III :- Personality test

The Prelims examination is objective and the General Studies Paper II is qualifying in nature. The question paper is set in English and Hindi. The UPSC IAS Prelims examination consists of two papers.
• General Studies Paper-I
• CSAT Paper-II

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

When a candidate clear prelims exam, they must fill up a form called “Detailed Application form” (DAF). Mains examination consists of nine descriptive papers including one optional subject (2 papers). This is considered as the crucial stage which decides an aspirant fate.
Candidates who qualify the mains exam, are called for the final round, i.e., personality test or interview. This round decides your rank in the final list. To read more on the UPSC Exam Pattern, check the linked article.

Many candidates wrongly believe that they cannot crack the UPSC IAS exam without upsc coaching. If approached with the right strategies one can crack this exam in the very first attempt. Firstly, one needs a combination of both hard work and smart work for cracking this exam. One must make a study plan which works the best for him/her. They can start their preparation by reading NCERT books which are considered as the indispensable part of UPSC IAS Exam and an authentic newspaper like The Hindu.

We have already come up with the study plan and complete list of books including NCERT for UPSC civil services Examination.

1.     Read NCERT and other standard books

2.     Also Read a newspaper and make notes

3.     Practice writing answers daily for UPSC Mains exam

4.     Choose and excel in the optional subject for Mains examination

5.     Practice UPSC previous year question paper as well as the mock test

6.     Groom yourself for interview

In the second wave of COVID-19 across the country, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has postponed the Civil Services 2021 preliminary exam date to 10 October. This delay in the examination process has triggered different reactions from UPSC candidates as they must once again change their preparation strategy. The Civil Services Examination is broadly divided into three successive stages - Preliminary, Main and Personality Test. Candidates need to qualify in all the three stages to make place in the final merit list.

Preliminary Exam Pattern & Syllabus

The first phase, known as prelims, consists of two papers: GS I and CSAT. General Studies I is an amalgamation of several subjects, which include History, Post-Independence era, Geography, Indian Polity, Economics, Environment, Science and Technology and Current Affairs. Whereas, Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) tests the analytical and aptitude skills of the candidates. It includes questions based on English Comprehension, Maths, Logical and Analytical Reasoning

Candidates will have to compulsorily appear in both the papers for evaluation. Both the papers carry a maximum of 200 marks. While GS I is a merit-based exam, CSAT is a merit test and candidates are required to score a pass to pass the paper. Prelims cut-off is based on GS I only. However, the marks obtained in the preliminary stage are not counted in the final merit list. GS - I question paper consists of 100 questions and CSAT paper consists of 80 questions in Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) format. There is a negative marking for each wrong answer in both the papers. 1/3 of the total marks allotted to a question is deducted for each wrong answer. Candidates must complete each paper within the allotted time of two hours.

Since the exam has been postponed, the candidates will have to work out a new strategy for the next four months. You can join any online revision batch for upsc coaching in indoreto brush-up.  Apart from modifying the static syllabus, candidates should also pay attention to the current events of the next three months. With the extra time available, candidates can study all the subjects with equal importance. Some additional important books which may be mentioned while reviewing is:

·        Certificate Physical and Human Geography by GC Leong,

·        Textbook for Environmental Studies by Erach Bharucha,

·        A New Look at Modern Indian History by BL Grover,

·        Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh

NCERT is the best source to understand the basic concepts related to any subject of any subject. It is necessary that students see all the above-mentioned books only after revising the books prescribed for NCERT and all subjects in general. The main thing should be that more attention should be paid to quality than quantity of study material.

Main Exam Pattern & Syllabus

Once a candidate successfully clears the prelims stage, the next stage is to appear for the main exam. The main examination consists of nine papers, out of which seven are merit-based papers and two papers are of qualifying nature. All the nine papers are descriptive and are to be completed within the time limit of three hours. All papers except Language Papers A and B can be answered in English or any of the languages ​​listed in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India. Optional papers can be answered in English even if no other paper in English language has been answered by the candidate.

The Civil Services main syllabus is diverse and covers different subjects in a single paper. General Studies 1 paper covers topics like India and Indian National Movement, freedom struggle, world history, Indian and world geography, Indian heritage and culture, social development and current events related to all these subjects.

General Studies II focuses on governance, constitution, politics, social justice, and international relations. It also includes topics such as welfare schemes by the government, various international institutions, and bilateral relations.

Whereas General Studies III deals in many disciplines including economics, environment and ecology, agriculture, internal security, disaster management, science and technology. It also includes topics like infrastructure, land reform, military force.

General Studies IV focuses on ethics, integrity and competence. This paper is divided into two sections where section A deals with theoretical questions and section B has questions based on case studies.

Apart from four general studies papers, the main examination consists of an essay paper, two elective papers and two language papers qualifying. The essay question paper consists of two sections, each containing four essay topics. Candidates need to attempt one topic from each section. Whereas, for optional papers, UPSC offers 25 subjects and 23 language literature subjects to choose from. Paper V and VI are based on selected optional subjects.

Writing skill is must to clear mains exam of upsc the questions asked in the exam are descriptive. If it is your first attempt of upsc then you need some directions in answer writing which comes by the experience and you can find this in some good upsc coaching in indore.  

Personality test

On passing the main examination, the selected candidates are called for a personal interview. This stage is conducted by the UPSC board to evaluate the suitability of the candidate for a career in civil services. The board assesses the mental ability, reasoning, and decision-making skills of the candidate by asking questions based on the information provided by the candidate in his/her Detailed Application Form (DAF). The personality test is of 275 marks.

The rank of a candidate in the UPSC Civil Services Final Merit List depends only on the marks obtained in Main and Personality Test together. The cut-off is calculated based on total 2025 marks.