The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released the UPSC 2023 annual calendar on its official website. It comprises information pertaining to the important dates of upcoming exams conducted by the UPSC. IAS aspirants who wish to prepare for the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2023 should start their preparation at the earliest!
Before starting the IAS exam preparation, aspirants should go through the previous year’s CSE notification released by the UPSC on its website. The CSE notification contains all relevant information that a candidate should know, be it the exam pattern, syllabus, Online UPSC application process, examination fee etc. Once candidates have understood the exam pattern, marking scheme etc., they should make a study plan and strategise. CSE aspirants should consider the following while preparing for the exams.
1. One-size-doesn’t-fit-all
A candidate who plans to write the UPSC Civil Services Examination should understand that the strategy or study plan followed by everyone may not always work for them. Therefore, every candidate should try to understand their strengths and weaknesses and then devise a strategy or study plan.
2. No, you don’t have to study everything under the sun!
The Civil Services Exam syllabus is indeed vast, but it clearly indicates what an aspirant should study in order to prepare for the exam. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has provided a syllabus for the Preliminary and Main exams in its notification. Candidates should definitely go through the syllabus and past papers carefully before starting their preparation.
3. Two inexpensive guides: Syllabus and previous years’ question papers
UPSC aspirants should understand the importance of the syllabus and past years’ papers. These two tools guide a candidate and point out what to study and what not to study. Hence, candidates who are planning to write the Civil Services Examination next year must go through the CSE syllabus and past 5-10 years’ papers given on the official website of the UPSC.
4. Mock test is the game changer
Mock tests given in ‘exam-like conditions’ can benefit each and every aspirant. These tests not only assess an individual’s performance but also teach them what mistakes they should avoid in the actual exam. Candidates should write mock tests and analyse them thoroughly and should not take them lightly!
5. Remember and understand
Studying many textbooks to prepare for the UPSC CSE will not help in the long run. Candidates who wish to write the Civil Services Exam should read limited and relevant textbooks keeping the syllabus in mind. Cramming a lot of information will not be of any help to candidates. Given that the Civil Services syllabus is vast, candidates should ensure that they revise multiple times after studying a topic. Aspirants should not depend on rote learning. Understanding a concept or theory is highly imperative to ace this exam.
6. Better to sweat in peace than bleed in war
Hard work done smartly is the key to cracking this exam. Studying for infinite hours without revising or writing mock tests will not yield any results. UPSC CSE is a rigorous process, and the exam is highly competitive; therefore, aspiring candidates cannot substitute hard work with anything else. Moreover, there are no shortcuts to acing this exam.
UPSC aspirants should keep the aforementioned points in mind while drawing up a study plan for themselves. A good strategy and study plan followed religiously will be of immense help to every candidate.
One year of intensive preparation can help aspirants crack the CSE in their first attempt. Every aspirant should aim to clear the exam in the first attempt as it saves their precious time, resources and prevents unnecessary stress. Therefore, if you are a Civil Services aspirant who wishes to write the UPSC CSE 2023, then check the UPSC exam date on the Commission’s website and accordingly devise a strategy and study plan to ace the exam.
CSE aspirants should start their preparation early and make the best use of the time available to them.
