How to Preparation for IAS Tips 2020
IAS 2020 Exam Preparation Tips
Mock Test Papers or IAS Question Papers
Right Choice of IAS Preparatory Books
GS Paper 1 is the key: Deep study of every subject
IAS Prelims cum IAS Main Approach
Mental Peace is the key
Time Management
Important Books for IAS 2020 Exam
IAS 2020 Exam Pattern
Best Books and Preparation Material for UPSC Civil Services exam
| Preliminary Preparatory Books | Mains Preparatory Books |
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IAS 2020 Exam Pattern Prelims
- In UPSC Prelims exam there are 2 compulsory papers namely the General Ability Test (GAT) and the Civil Service Aptitude Test (CSAT) to test the analytical skills of the candidates.
- Each paper is of 200 marks and carries a total of 400 marks.
- The papers are objective in nature with multiple-choice questions.
- One-third of the marks is deducted for every wrong answer.
- Duration of each paper is 2 hours.
- Blind candidates are allowed an extra time of 20 minutes for each paper.
- IAS Question Papers are bilingual i.e. they are set in both Hindi and English language.
IAS 2020 Exam Pattern Mains
- There is a total of 9 papers in the Main Exam as per IAS Exam Pattern.
- There are 7 merit papers of 250 marks each and 2 qualifying language papers of 300 marks each.
- The merit papers include two optional papers that the candidates have to select.
How to prepare for the UPSC CSE Exam
Watch your Routine
IAS 2020 Preparation Tips FAQs
Plan a Structured Study
Practice Testing
Revision is a Priority
Updated Current Affairs
Stay Healthy and Engaged
IAS Reference Books
It is never bad to follow certain IAS Preparation Tips to prepare for UPSC Examination. IAS is conducted in two successive stages – UPSC Prelims which is Objective type in nature and UPSC Main Exam which is both subjective and objective in nature. IAS 2020 prelim and main will be conducted on May 31 and Spet 18, 2020 respectively.
UPSC sets a certain syllabus for Civil Services Main examination. A candidate can prepare properly by following IAS Preparation Tips related to the exam. A candidate can study the important topics mentioned in IAS Exam Syllabus and continue his/her preparation in the direction. There are 9 sets of papers in the Main exam out of which two are qualifying language papers. Check IAS Exam Pattern
UPSC Prelims is the basis for the selection of candidates for IAS Main that is a written descriptive exam followed by Interview, the final stage of IAS Selection Process. After reading the IAS preparation tips, candidates must take a look at some of the recommended books to prepare for IAS 2020 Exam.
IAS Exam is believed to be the toughest government examination in India. But, if a candidate is serious enough, embraces the right strategies, guidance and study material then even self-study is enough to get through IAS exam. Given below are some major IAS Preparation Tips which a candidate can follow to score high in the exam:
Mock Papers are an essential part of regular preparations for successful candidates. By reviewing the attempted tests you get a chance to identify your mistakes and the area where you lack knowledge. Writing mock tests not only helps you to revise your IAS Syllabus but also helps to increase your speed to solve the exam in time. There is always a crunch of time in IAS Exam, one has to be very fast in writing questions. Mock test papers help in increasing the speed of mind to make calculations.
It is of utmost importance to pick up only recommended books and the right study material for IAS Preparation. NCERT books are always highly suggested and are considered as a must-read by experts as well as successful candidates, as they clear up doubts at a fundamental level and help candidates in scoring higher scores at IAS Main level. Although there are a number of books available for IAS in the market one needs to select only the best out of them and should prepare for only a few best ones.
Till 2014, scoring high in GS Paper 2 was the easiest way to clear UPSC Main. Putting less effort as compared to GS Paper I, aspirants used to score high and clear prelims. But, with changes in the IAS Exam Pattern from 2016 onwards, this strategy does not work anymore. On the basic level, covering every subject of IAS Main Exam is the best approach to clear the Prelims test. It's not recommended to give priority to any particular book or area thinking that questions will come from that source. Likewise, one must not miss the easy questions from traditional subjects like Polity, History, Geography, History, and Economics. Current affairs are also important to prepare as they are definitely asked, other than that latest schemes and bills launched by the government are also valuable.
Even though the type of questions asked in UPSC Prelims and Main are different, but there are also many areas where one can find some kind of similarity in the questions. For GS Paper I, an ideal strategy suggests covering GS Main and Prelims syllabus in detail first that gives the concept clarity about all major topics. Good knowledge of overlapping and non-overlapping areas in the IAS Syllabus of General Studies for Prelims and Mains certainly fetches you more score than others.
All your efforts and hard work go in vain if you lose your cool on the doom day. It's very much important to read IAS questions carefully and make sure that you do not make silly mistakes. And that can only happen if you are in a relaxed state of mind, otherwise, you get confused and selects the wrong answer and even takes more time in solving a question then what is actually needed. So, all you need is to keep your calm and stay confident.
All you need to do is to manage your time in a way that you can easily cover your decided syllabus and gets proper rest and sleep at the same time. Distribute available time according to the sections you have to cover. One must note that you do not need books or notes on bulk to completely go through but only a limited no. of good books and a deep study of that study material. It is very must important for a student to get proper rest and sleep. Your mind needs to break and rest to work on full force again.
It is very much important for a candidate who appears for IAS 2020 to choose the right and useful IAS Preparation books. It is not important to study a large number of useless books but to read a few but actually useful books that cover all the topics effectively of IAS Syllabus.
The exam for both the phases of IAS is different. Candidates can get a clear idea of the same from the details provided below:
Given the general substance of the syllabus, there could be hundreds, if not thousands, of books that could be potentially claimed as preparatory material. However, this could lead to a dangerous consequence of too many books and too little time.
It is best to follow some of the known study materials and brush up on your high school texts, and follow daily current affairs in India and the world in daily newspapers. It is essential to keep a regular reading, and writing habit. It develops a focused effort towards training your brain to understand and analyze information.
Here are some known books recommended by previous toppers and other sources.
Both papers are of qualifying nature. The marks obtained in the qualifying papers are not counted in the formation of IAS Merit List. The questions in UPSC Mains Exam are set to test a candidate’s general awareness of a variety of subjects, which have relevance for a career in Civil Services. The scope of the IAS Syllabus for optional subject papers (Paper VI and Paper VII) for the exam is broad of the honors degree level. In the case of Engineering, Medical Science and law, the level corresponds to the bachelors’ degree.
Here are some tips to crack the UPSC Civil Services Exam and become an IAS, IPS or IFS officer.
One of the biggest roadblocks for the CSE is the time management. The exam is conducted over three stages – the Preliminary, Main and the Interview. Each has a pretty large syllabus and the exam extends over a year. Most aspirants are full-time students or office-goers who have to schedule their preparation within the time they can manage outside of their regular routine.
Being serious about the exam requires a steady focus, and thus a separate time-table to ensure a consistent approach towards assimilating the vast amount of information for the exam. This time management is only possible if the candidates are able to set up a schedule and fix deadlines for when they intend to cover the various portions of the syllabus. For instance, studying and making notes for at least a few hours every day for 10 days to cover the basic concepts of Geography.
The process and the individual timelines may vary but working out the strategy for time management is essential to everyone. Last minute cramming has hardly, or rather rarely, worked for most CSE candidates. It is also important to realize that a lot of the time to study will actually involve revisiting concepts you have already studied. So, set aside time for regular revisions and workout your brain regularly.
Ques: I am planning for IAS 2020. From where should I start my preparation?
Ans: The candidates should include all the major topics or subjects in his daily preparation routine. Current affairs is one such topic that needs to be covered on a daily basis. After that candidates should revise the NCERT books to clear all the basics. This way you can divide the subjects and plan your preparation for IAS.
Ques: How many hours should I study and prepare for IAS in a day?
Ans: You must give 6-8 hours to your preparations daily. Candidates should also take small breaks in between to relax a little. The right choice of books is very important during preparation.
Ques: How much time is required to complete the syllabus of IAS?
Ans: It totally depends on the preparation plans of a candidate. There are candidates who have successfully qualified the exam after the preparation of 6 to 8 months.
Ques: Is coaching necessary for cracking the IAS Exam?
Ans: The decision of joining a coaching center is subjective. Not every candidate feels the need for coaching while for some caching Institue brings a disciplined or planned study routine. Coaching centers help candidates to understand the structure of the exam. The idea of coaching differs from candidate to candidate. Check IAS Exam Pattern
The volume of information, towards an exhaustive preparation, may seem intimidating. Therefore, it is easier to structure the study plan concentrating on building on the basic concepts, usually from the recommended NCERT books.
Some topics may require a follow up with more specialized books. Read our article on How to prepare for an IAS Exam to take a look at the books previous competitors have referred to.
It is a good idea to find multiple source materials, while not overwhelming your schedule with too many books. Candidates often even refer to online material for information.
The secret, as many veterans have mentioned before, is to comfortably understand the basic concepts without taking the aid of rote learning schemes. ‘Coz memorizing may land you in trouble by virtue of the vastness of the syllabus.
It is essential to keep up a regular habit of writing, reading, analysing, and examining, a content. Many successful candidates have stressed on the importance of having regular discussions and debates with their friends and colleagues, on topics associated with the syllabus and current affairs. It provides an excellent practice for logically presenting your views while also helping you to understand the depth of your insights.
There are many free mock tests available online to examine your preparation in a timed fashion. These can help in getting all your gears in action as required on the day of the exam.
The UPSC website has a storage bank for previous year question papers here. Although the exam coordinators are known to almost never repeat questions from previous years, the previous question papers do provide a glimpse of the type of questions preferred by them.
You can judge the difficulty level, relevance to the prescribed syllabus, depth of required understanding, analytical and logical complexity, and scoring, by revising your performance on questions that have been asked before.
The length and breadth of the CSE exam requires regular revisits to the study material. Your preparation schedule should cover the time needed to revise the read topics multiple times.
It is often useful to highlight important passages, or make notes, for a quick look close to the exam date. Make sure you have such a provision for the sake of efficiency.
A lot of questions are associated with the candidate’s general awareness of topical affairs in the world, with emphasis on the happenings in India. Get in the habit of reading a multitude of daily newspapers to stay abreast of current topics.
Various sources recommend The Hindu, Economist, The Indian Express, All India Radio News, Parliamentary discussions, regional language newspapers, and magazines like Yojana, India and Manorama Year Books.
Finally, set aside time to look up from your books and interact with other people. The CSE exams are taxing on not just the candidate but also the people around them. It is important to not ignore your communication skills and your general emotional well-being. Eat and sleep well, engage yourself in other activities, and don’t let the weight of the exam stress you out.
The UPSC CSE exam is designed so that a candidate’s efforts, dedication, strategizing, planning, logic, analytical powers, and overall quick thinking, are rewarded. In that sense, every candidate’s life experiences also play a role in their preparation.
How else would you explain a syllabus that essentially tests the ability to absorb the political, cultural, historical, and geographical, environment that one lives in?
The actual CSE preparation then simply boils down to polishing on the knowledge that you would have anyway imbibed as a student and a citizen of the country. So, don’t dwell on the vastness of the syllabus but rather concentrate on how to get to know your world a little better.
Meanwhile, here are some useful links.
Sources:1 | Image courtesy: www.upsc.gov.in
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