Road to Success: Clear UPSC Exam Easily
Cracking the UPSC Mains pattern on your first attempt is a challenging feat. Every year, lakhs of aspirants appear for the exam, but only a few make it to the final list. The exam is considered one of the world’s toughest exams, and cracking it requires months of hard work, dedication, and discipline.
In this blog, we will share the tips to crack this challenging exam on the first attempt itself!
Table of Contents
- Tips To Crack UPSC Exam on the First Attempt
- Know the Exam Pattern
- Create a Study Plan
- Choose the Right Books
- Read the Newspaper
- Practice Mock Tests
- Revise Regularly
- Focus on Current Affairs
- Improve Your Writing Skills
- Stay Motivated
- Take Care of Your Health
- Introspect
- Stick to the fundamental NCERT Books
- The Optional Conundrum
- Use Internet Wisely
- Wrapping Up
- FAQs
1. Tips To Crack UPSC Exam on the First Attempt
If you are an aspirant preparing for the UPSC exam, this article is for you. This article will discuss top-notch tips to help you crack the exam on your first attempt.
2. Know the Exam Pattern
The first and foremost tip to crack the exam is understanding the exam pattern. There are three parts to the exam: the preliminary, main, and interview rounds. Whereas the Mains test is a subjective exam, the Prelims exam is a quantitative exam. Knowing the exam pattern will help you plan your preparation accordingly.
3. Create a Study Plan
The next step is to create a study strategy when you have comprehended the test format. Your study schedule should be thorough and include all of the subjects included in the UPSC curriculum. Make sure you give each subject ample time and revise frequently.
4. Choose the Right Books
Choosing suitable study material is crucial for exam preparation. Numerous books are available in the market, but not all are relevant for the UPSC exam. It is recommended that you choose books that are specifically designed for the exam.
5. Read the Newspaper
Reading the newspaper is one of the most important things you should do when preparing for the exam. The newspaper will help you stay updated with the latest happenings and improve your comprehension skills, which are crucial in cracking the UPSC paper pattern.
6. Practice Mock Tests
Practicing mock tests is essential to exam preparation. Mock tests will help you understand the exam pattern, improve your time management skills, and identify your strengths and weaknesses.
7. Revise Regularly
Revision is an essential part of the UPSC exam preparation. You should regularly revise to retain the information you have learned. Make sure you revise the topics you have already covered at least once a week.
8. Focus on Current Affairs
Current affairs are crucial in the exam. Make sure that you stay updated with the latest happenings in the country and around the world. You can read newspapers, watch news channels, or follow online sources to stay updated.
9. Improve Your Writing Skills
Writing skills are crucial for the Mains exam. Make sure that you practice writing regularly and improve your writing skills. You can take help from online resources or join writing workshops to improve your writing skills.
10. Stay Motivated
exam preparation is a long and tiring journey. It is essential that you stay motivated throughout the journey. You can join online forums or connect with other UPSC aspirants to stay motivated.
11. Take Care of Your Health
Taking care of your health is crucial when preparing for the exam. Make sure you get adequate rest, eat well, and work out frequently. A healthy body and mind are essential to prepare for the exam well.
12. Introspect
Create the habit of thinking about connecting a specific topic or subject to other problems. Cross-questioning is common during interviews, so a solid understanding of any subject beforehand is helpful. For instance, if a news story mentions the Public Accounts Committee, it must remind the candidate of the committee’s existence and any relevant material previously addressed in class, such as its role and activities.
Also, the candidate must be able to link the two ideas. This approach also produces a lasting memory of the subject, making it simple to recall during the exam and the interview.
13. Stick to the fundamental NCERT Books
Adhere to NCERT books to lay a strong foundation in the subjects during the initial phase of exam preparation. NCERT books ranging from Class 9 to Class 12 provide a valuable resource for clarity and an excellent grip on various subjects.
The exam aims to test fundamental knowledge across a broad spectrum, analytical skills in the Prelims, and writing and presentation abilities in the Mains instead of assessing specialized knowledge. Despite this, UPSC aspirants tend to overload themselves with content by consulting multiple books simultaneously. Therefore, it is advisable to concentrate on a limited number of books simultaneously, including the NCERTs’ and one or two other books per subject as recommended by professors. Rather than the number of books, a thorough understanding of the content is crucial. Repeatedly reading the same book can help one comprehend the material better. To stay focused, studying only the topics mentioned in the syllabus is essential.
14. The Optional Conundrum
Many candidates are still determining the elective they wish to select. While selecting the optional topic, many people ask for recommendations from others. Instead, one should choose an optional subject they are both confident and at ease with. Moreover, avoid focusing on how candidates performed on the optional while choosing it. Choose an option you are comfortable with and where you can get ample reading material and direction.
15. Use Internet Wisely
The Internet plays a crucial role in staying informed about current events. It is a highly effective means of staying up-to-date, especially concerning optional subjects. However, finding and relying on a reliable source is essential, as consulting ten different sources at once is less beneficial than consulting one source multiple times.
Concerning current affairs, there often needs to be more clarity about what to read and how many newspapers to read. Some may wonder if reading just one newspaper is sufficient or if they should devote several hours to this activity. Additionally, people may need clarification about whether or not to take notes on what they read.
16. Wrapping Up
In conclusion, cracking the UPSC exam on your first attempt is challenging. It requires months of hard work, dedication, and discipline. The above tips help you plan your preparation and improve your chances of cracking the exam on your first attempt. Remember to stay motivated and never give up on your dreams.
17. FAQs
How can one study for the UPSC Exam with NCERT?
Candidates should fully study the NCERT books for classes 6 to 12, which encompass a broad variety of subjects pertinent to the exam, to prepare for NCERT-based exam questions.
Can NCERT-based questions alone help you pass the UPSC CSE exam?
While NCERT-based questions are an important component of UPSC preparation, they cannot ensure test success. Candidates should also study current events, better their analytical skills, and practice answering questions to improve their odds of passing the test.
Road to Success: Clear UPSC Exam Easily