The Civil Services Examination is considered one\nof the most toughest examinations of our country. This examination takes place\nin three stages i.e. Preliminary, Mains and Interview. Thus a detailed strategy\nis required to ace the examination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the Preliminary level, a detailed strategy\nis required to tackle the multiple choice questions and the Civil Services\nAptitude Test (CSAT). For General Studies Paper I, a thorough reading of basic\nNCERTs is required. The booklist should include all the NCERTs from Class VI to\nClass XII. Along with this a detailed reading \nof standard books such as Indian Polity<\/em> by M. Laxmikanth, Physical\nGeography<\/em> by G.C. Leong is required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next input required for Prelims paper one is\nregular reading of the newspaper such as The Hindu<\/em> and competitive\nmagazines such as Competition Success Review<\/em>. A reading of such\nmagazines gives an edge in the examination. As the Preliminary level is\nfocussing on current affairs, acquaintance with it is a must.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Along with self-study, a regular practice of\nmock test papers is required. Practising questions for prelims helps in\nstrategising the elimination technique.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Competition Success Review<\/em> magazine\nprovides mock test papers of various coaching institutions. Thus a regular\nfollow-up of these questions helps to minimise negative score and optimise the\npositive marks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To improve score at Prelims level, a regular\npractice from a standard Atlas is also required. To tackle CSAT paper, a\nrevision of Class X Maths syllabus is required. Along with it a regular\ncomprehension practice is also required. The CSAT paper also checks the logical\nand analytical abilities of a candidate. Along with this it also checks the\nproblem solving and decision making ability of the candidate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To perform well on these parameters, a regular\npractice of decision making is required. This can be done by discussing daily\nproblems with friends and family. Following such a strategy helps to take\ndecisions in lesser amount of time. Along with this, practice of data and graph\ninterpretation questions is also required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After preparing for Prelims level, the next\nstage of preparation is the Mains level. It is the most important stage of this\nexamination. A candidate\u2019s writing skills, time management and analytical\nskills are checked at this level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Further this stage of examination consists of\none Essay examination, four papers on General Studies and two papers on the\nOptional subject. To prepare for essay, a generalist approach is required. The\nessay should be written in simple language and should consist of diverse\ninterpretation of a given topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The best strategy to prepare for essay is to do\nit with the General Studies preparation. Along with this a regular essay\nwriting practice is also needed. To tackle the four papers of General Studies,\na step by step strategy is required. The syllabus of GS I, II and III papers is\noverlapping with the Prelims preparation. So along with reading of books, an\nanswer writing practice should also be done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To write answers in a good format, the answer\nshould be divided into 3 parts i.e. the introduction, the body of the answer\nand the conclusion to the answer. Also, writing answers in point form gives the\nanswer a very pleasant appeal. Answer to a given question should always contain\nsuggestions on a positive way out to a given problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Writing good answers in the examination requires\na regular practice. This can be done by solving previous years\u2019 papers. Also\nmock test series are also helpful to write good answers. The General Studies\nPaper-IV is the paper on ethics, aptitude and integrity. The syllabus of this paper is quite different\nfrom the pattern of other papers in the Main Examination. The GS-IV Paper is\ndivided into two parts i.e. theoretical part and case studies part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To score good marks in Part A of the ethics\npaper, a basic study of all the terms of the syllabus is required. After\nfamiliarising oneself with terms such as leadership, compassion etc., their\napplication is required in day-to-day-life of a civil servant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Part-B of GS-IV Paper deals with case\nstudies, which involve decision making powers of an aspirant and also his or\nher problem solving ability. To answer case studies well, the question should\nbe read 2 to 3 times. Along with it a\nhighlight of key terms should be done. The answer to case studies should take\ninto consideration all the stakeholders involved in a given situation and also\nall the possible solutions to a given problem should be listed down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eventually the best alternative should be\nselected by the candidate, which should be backed with a logical argument. Thus\nthe key to master General Studies paper is memorisation of important areas of\nthe syllabus, focus on current events and answer writing practice. This allows\nbetter time management in the final examination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, to prepare for Optional subject, a\nslightly different strategy is required as compared to the General Studies\nportion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The most basic hurdle for Optional preparation\nis the selection of optional subject itself. One should select such an optional\nsubject with which one is familiar and most interested in. UPSC offers more\nthan 20 optional subjects, so to make a rational choice, one should understand\nthe syllabus of a given optional and also the kind of questions which are asked\nin the examination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After taking into consideration all the above\nfactors, a serious candidate should begin Optional preparation in a gradual\nmanner. Firstly basic reading of NCERTs on the given Optional should be done.\nPost that advanced study should begin along with note-making on all the areas\nof a given Optional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A sincere preparation of the Optional would\nrequire 5 to 6 months of self study. So, to keep oneself motivated during this\ntime period, a general interest should be cultivated in the Optional subject.\nAlong with time, linkage of theory with current life events is also required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Answers to Optional papers in the Main\nExamination should consist of relevant examples backed with theoretical\nexplanation. Proper use of flowcharts and diagrams in the answers make them\nobjective and consumes less time while answering them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thus the key to perform well in Main Examination\nis hard work, along with a disciplined strategy. Answer writing is the most\nimportant part of this level of the examination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The final step of Civil Services Examination is\nthe personality test or the interview. As it is a test of personality, thus a\nrequirement of a pleasant and impressive personality is a must for the\ninterview. This stage of examination does not focus on knowledge test but only\non the personality test of an individual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The only area which can be prepared for the\ninterview is the detailed application form. As this form consists of all the\nnecessary details about the candidate, it should be filled with utmost\nsincerity and honesty. The candidate should prepare on all the facts and\ndetails given in the form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A special focus for the interview preparation\nshould be given on the graduation subjects, optional subject and the current\nnational and international events. The interview board can ask questions on any\nrelated area of the background of the candidate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The best strategy to prepare for the interview\nis to develop communication skills, which can be done by speaking with friends\nor practising in front of the mirror. Confidence-building activities should be\ndone. As interview primarily focusses on the speaking skills of the candidate,\nso the answers to the questions should be to the point and in simple language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The candidate should remain calm in the\ninterview and should stay positive, even if he or she does not know the answer\nto a particular question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The situation-based questions asked during the\ninterview should be answered in a manner which is not polarised or anti-state\nin its orientation. Display of your true intentions and personality in the\ninterview can help fetch great marks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thus, to conclude I can say\nthat Civil Services Exam is a real check of patience and perseverance of a\ncandidate. So to stay motivated during the preparation, the candidate should\nfocus on the strong areas and such areas in which he or she can score well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ultimate key to clear this\nexamination is hard work and discipline. Prepare a study plan for yourself and\nstick to that till the end of your preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Further, never lose\nconfidence in oneself and \u2014 Ms. Anuj Malik, IAS Topper 2016-17 (16th Rank) The Civil Services Examination is considered one of the most toughest examinations of our country. This examination takes place in three stages i.e. Preliminary, Mains and Interview. Thus a detailed strategy is required to ace the examination. For the Preliminary level, a detailed strategy is required […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.competitionreview.in\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.competitionreview.in\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.competitionreview.in\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.competitionreview.in\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.competitionreview.in\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=230"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.competitionreview.in\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":233,"href":"https:\/\/www.competitionreview.in\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/230\/revisions\/233"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.competitionreview.in\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.competitionreview.in\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.competitionreview.in\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nnever stop believing that you can clear this examination with flying colours.\nAll major events begin with a
\nthought, so always keep positive thoughts in your mind. Bear in mind that ultimate goal is to serve the nation and\nCivil Services is just a medium to achieve that goal in
\nour life. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"