How to Crack the UPSC Exam – Who is eligible for UPSC?

How to Crack the UPSC Exam

The UPSC is known as one of the world’s toughest exams. However, with proper guidance and hard work, students can crack it. The exam covers a vast syllabus and requires comprehensive knowledge of different subjects. It also has a negative marking system that can deduct marks for wrong answers.

There are a lot of aspirants who want to join the civil services. But the competition is so fierce that it becomes difficult for even well-educated candidates to clear the exam. Some candidates even fail to make it into the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), which is the most coveted position in the government.

The UPSC Exam has three impassable levels – Prelims, Mains and Interview. The first one is the prelims which consists of two general-topic objective papers. After qualifying this level, candidates will appear for the mains exam which consists of seven subjective papers. This level also involves a personal interview with a panel of experts who assess the candidate’s skills and personality.

The massive syllabus of the Civil Services Exam can be overwhelming for aspirants. The diversity of subjects demands long study hours and a strong determination to succeed. Additionally, the presence of negative marking can make things even harder for aspirants. The framing of defective questions can also lead to increased anxiety among candidates, affecting their preparation. To overcome these challenges, aspirants should focus on their own preparation by establishing a study plan and focusing on regular revision. They should also develop a strategy to deal with current affairs by reading newspapers and practicing mock tests.

How to Crack the UPSC Exam – Who is eligible for UPSC?

In order to succeed in the Civil Services Examination, it is essential to dedicate a considerable amount of time for the preparation. However, the study time that candidates spend needs to be carefully evaluated to ensure that it is not counter-productive or overwhelming. It is important to remember that UPSC requires a deep understanding of a wide range of subjects and is not just about memorizing facts and figures. This requires a significant time commitment that can be difficult to balance with other obligations such as work and family.

Moreover, studying for several hours every day can be mentally exhausting and lead to a lack of interest in the subject matter. This can make it challenging for aspirants to continue their long-term studies. Aspirants often feel lost during their UPSC preparation due to lack of feedback and review mechanisms. This makes them sceptical about their preparation strategy. It is also hard for aspirants to determine if they are making progress or have gone off track. A comprehensive revision schedule can help aspirants keep track of their progress and ensure that they cover the entire syllabus.

The final result of the Civil Services Examination is not known until the last interview is held. This makes it difficult to predict the success of a particular candidate, especially for those who score well in the mains and interviews but aren’t selected. The uncertainty also discourages some candidates from attempting the exam again. This is a serious issue because the vast syllabus requires long study hours and dedication to succeed.

Moreover, the uncertainty is compounded by the fact that only around 1% of students get into the IAS or IPS or any other service. This is due to the number of vacancies vs the number of aspirants, skewed gender ratio in engineering colleges, lack of time management skills in aspirants, societal pressure etc. However, it is important to note that despite being a difficult exam, the UPSC is not an insurmountable task for anyone with the right approach and mindset. It is possible to clear the exam even without top marks from a college or IIT, provided you have the right strategy and execution skills.

The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) has three tiers: Preliminary, Main, and Interview. The first two tiers are multiple choice-type papers that test your understanding of the subjects. The questions in these exams cover a variety of topics, including current events, India’s history and culture, world geography, Indian polity and governance, economic and social development, and environmental ecology.

Negative marking in the preliminary exam is an attempt to discourage guessing answers and promote accurate and informed responses from candidates. This is why it is important to practice and understand the syllabus thoroughly before the exam. It is also a good idea to solve previous year question papers and take mock tests regularly.

During the exam, remember to use the process of elimination when answering questions. Also, try to avoid making random guesses. Instead, select the answer that you are most sure of and leave out the ones for which you have no clue. This will help you reduce negative marks and improve your score. Moreover, it will also save you valuable time for the questions that you are confident of answering correctly.

The UPSC exam has been designed in a way to test the candidates in diverse fields. It also demands constant self-assessment and revision to understand the changes in the syllabus. A consistent hard work and disciplined study schedule are the keys to cracking the highly competitive examination.

In the past, the questions in the UPSC prelims were simple and predictable. They could be easily prepared from various competitive exam magazines and current affairs books. However, the question pattern has changed significantly over the years. Today, the questions are more direct and require candidates to use their intelligence, skills, and smart learning techniques. This has reduced the importance of mugging up and has made it important to focus on understanding rather than memorizing facts.

Moreover, the questions in the UPSC CSE (Civil Services Examination) are more analytical and require the ability to identify important issues and develop a sound opinion on them. In addition, the interview round assesses a candidate’s communication skills and overall awareness of contemporary national and international issues. In addition to the Civil Services Examination, the Union Public Service Commission conducts the IPS (Indian Police Service) and EPFO (Employees’ Provident Fund Organization) Examinations.