Here are some basic tips that will help in cracking and scoring well in the exams:
To get started with IAS preparation you should first have some idea about the service itself. This will ensure your IAS preparation efforts are channelized in the right direction. The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is a career nonpareil – one that cannot be compared to other jobs or services. True, it doesn’t offer the best salary; still the salary of an IAS officer is nothing to laugh at.
But people aspire to IAS for reasons much more than just remuneration. For instance, the IAS is a means to perform noble deeds like serving the nation and humanity at large. Now how many jobs or careers provide this opportunity? Along the way, there are attractive privileges, perks and career goals that you can achieve. In fact, the IAS is the perfect harmony of social good, an opportunity, that only few careers can provide. Be inspired.
But to aspire for this golden service you need to prepare for IAS smartly, persistently, and patiently which are the 3 golden tips for IAS preparation. You may have heard a thousand and one times from friends, IAS exam veterans, mentors and assorted coaching institutes that you require smart hard work to crack the IAS. But exactly is smart hard work?
IAS Preparation Tips 1 – Work Smart Not Just Hard
Smartness could mean different things to different readers. It could mean reading selectively but reading well, making micro notes, proper time management, taking mock tests and so on.
Smart work is all this and more. In fact smartness is the approach you adopt in a particular situation. To prepare for IAS smartly requires you to be flexible as opposed to rigid, to plan ahead as opposed to the short term only.
The first step when you begin your IAS preparation is to get familiar with the syllabus. Doing this you will know exactly what you need to cover within a time frame to crack the exam. Then the next step is to have knowledge on previous year question papers.
Once you know the syllabus and having the knowledge on previous year question papers get doing with the actual preparation. Obviously everyone can’t prepare for 10 hours, particularly working people. But even working people can crack the IAS. The exact time is not important here. Some can achieve in 6 hours what others can in 10 hours. It depends on you.
IAS Preparation Tips 2 – Try Single-tasking it’s more efficient than Multi- tasking
Yes, you need to prepare history, geography, current affairs, mental ability etc. Only thing is don’t prepare all at once. Sort it down. Pick one subject, let’s say Polity and combine it with current affairs which you should cover for some time every day. Current affairs preparation consists of reading the newspaper, a good current events magazine, India year book and most importantly recent Economic Survey of India.
You can read a good newspaper like The Hindu, magazine like Yojana, Kurukshetra and any one civil services coaching institutes monthly current affairs magazine which you feel better Schedule a particular time for newspaper reading, but in any case, don’t read the newspaper for more than an hour. It’s not required.
Whichever topic you choose get the right books only. Don’t refer more books than are absolutely essential. You don’t want a PhD in General Studies, just need to clear it.
But before you start with the topic get the past at least 5-year’s solved question papers and combine it with the syllabus as the question papers and syllabus are your best guide for IAS preparation.
Once you have started with polity or any other topic see it through completion. Don’t try to multi-task. Mixing polity with history and geography will lead to loss of concentration and may lower your output. Besides it will make your progress lower but try to combine or merge the topics of one subject with another. On the other once you’ve covered a topic, in full, you will gain confidence as you’ve pocketed x number of marks before hand. Revise again and again the syllabus and topics which you have covered.
Preparation for IAS Strategies
Well formulated strategy along with optimum time management is the only two ladders for your dream goal. It's very important to formulate your own strategy as it pays to be yourself. However for the general guidance to tackle Civil Services examination, here are some of the guidelines which will help the aspirant to achieve success.
1. Familiarity with the optional syllabi: Get yourself well informed about the content of the syllabi and the topics it covers. A thorough familiarity with your optional reduces your mental burden at the first sight itself.
2. Thorough insight of the question papers: It is the most important part of your strategy as investing your time skillfully will reap rich dividends. Go through the question papers of past ten years to identify the pattern and select the topics which are asked very frequently. Simultaneously, identify those topics which are particularly useful for conventional essay type questions. Once you have clearly demarcated the topics for the conventional and the objective types, the rest will be an easier task. A thorough insight of the past papers will therefore solve two of your purposes. It would boost your confidence level initially as you come to know the standards of the question asked and secondly it guides constantly through your preparation.
3. Selection of books: It is advisable not to go through a lot of books, instead go through one quality book on each topic which clarifies your basic concept. Standard books not only save your precious time but also guide you as a perfect teacher. So always rely on standard good books.
4. Prefer your own notes: It is always advisable to make notes of the related topics. A well crafted note solves two purposes. On the one hand the aspirant goes through the syllabus once and on the other hand it is of immense help on the eve of examination.
5. Never neglect CSAT – though the CSAT is just a qualifying paper many aspirants loose their attempt because of negligence on CSAT. Prepare CSAT topics both verbal and non verbal from the initial days of preparation.
Some more important points:
- As already said, always rely on yourself prepared notes. Go through your short notes rigorously.
- Prepare short notes of important topics with relevant points and just before the examination rely solely on it.
- Always rely on revisions.
- Never neglect CSAT and medieval history.
- Take test series as much as possible, though you take many institute test series study the solution of at least one set of complete test series and revise it again and again till the exam.
- Take a good sleep on the eve of examination. It is most important for your brilliant performance.