Guideline for preparation of UPSC exams during graduation
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Vijay GarG
If you are pursuing your graduation and wish to serve in the country’s civil services, you would probably be wondering whether to start your IAS preparation now or wait till you finish your graduation. If you indeed feel ready to commence your UPSC civil services preparation right away, think no more. There is no better time than now. You are young, in touch with studies, and carry a novel dream. If your question is “How to start preparation for IAS during graduation”, here is the answer!
IAS Preparation Tips for Beginners
“It’s what you do right now that makes a difference.”
Everything you should know about UPSC
The first thing that you need to do is to know what exactly the UPSC is all about. UPSC stands for Union Public Service Commission and it is the body that conducts many exams including the civil services examinations (CSE). The CSE is conducted by the UPSC to recruit officers for the various central services in India like IAS, IPS, IFS, Indian Postal Services, Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Indian Information Service, etc.
Know the UPSC Examination Date
Once you know about the UPSC, the next step is to get the UPSC exam schedule and plan when to give the exam. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announces the exam schedule a year prior.
UPSC Civil Services Exam Pattern
The UPSC CSE is conducted in three stages. Each stage eliminates those candidates who fail to clear the round. The three stages are:
1. UPSC PRELIMS
Here there are two exams.
i) General Studies Paper I
ii) General Studies Paper II (CSAT)
Both papers ask multiple-choice questions only. Both the papers carry negative marks for wrong answers. To know more about UPSC marking scheme in the prelims and how to beat negative marks click below.
The CSAT paper is a qualifying one and you have to score a minimum of 33% in it. Only then will your GS Paper I be evaluated. So, the merit ranking for eligibility to mains will be out of 200 (from the GS Paper I prelims)
2. UPSC MAINS
If you qualify in the UPSC prelims, you can take the mains exam. Here there are 9 papers and all are descriptive in nature.
The papers are:
1. Paper A
Modern Indian Language – 300 marks
See the list of Indian languages for UPSC Paper A here.
2. Paper B
English – 300 marks
3. Paper I
Essay – 250 marks
This paper can be written in the candidate’s medium of the exam or a language of his/her choice.
4. Paper-II
General Studies I – 250 marks
Topics: Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society
5. Paper III
General Studies II – 250 marks
Topics: Governance, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations
6. Paper IV
General Studies III – 250 marks
Topics: Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management
7. Paper V
General Studies IV – 250 marks
Topics: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
8. Paper VI
Optional Subject Paper I – 250 marks
The candidate is allowed to take up literature as an optional subject without the condition of having it at the graduation level.
9. Paper VII
Optional Subject Paper II – 250 marks
The English and Indian language papers are of qualifying nature and their marks are not counted for the total tally in the mains ranking. So, the mains total is out of 1750 marks.
3. UPSC Board Interview/Personality Test
If you qualify in the UPSC mains, you will be called for the UPSC interview. Here, a panel will interview you and assess your knowledge, personality, aptitude, leadership qualities, clarity of expression, grasp of narrative or argument, reasoning ability, appreciation of different viewpoints, awareness and concern for socio-economic problems, range and depth of interests.
Check your eligibility
Before you embark on your IAS journey, ensure your eligibility to take the IAS exams.
Know and understand the vast syllabus of UPSC
If you want to crack the UPSC exams, you need to be well-versed with the UPSC syllabus. As understanding the UPSC Syllabus and knowing each and every topic and sub-topics of the subjects almost covers 20% of your preparation for Civil Services Exam.
(To be contd)
If you are pursuing your graduation and wish to serve in the country’s civil services, you would probably be wondering whether to start your IAS preparation now or wait till you finish your graduation. If you indeed feel ready to commence your UPSC civil services preparation right away, think no more. There is no better time than now. You are young, in touch with studies, and carry a novel dream. If your question is “How to start preparation for IAS during graduation”, here is the answer!
IAS Preparation Tips for Beginners
“It’s what you do right now that makes a difference.”
Everything you should know about UPSC
The first thing that you need to do is to know what exactly the UPSC is all about. UPSC stands for Union Public Service Commission and it is the body that conducts many exams including the civil services examinations (CSE). The CSE is conducted by the UPSC to recruit officers for the various central services in India like IAS, IPS, IFS, Indian Postal Services, Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Indian Information Service, etc.
Know the UPSC Examination Date
Once you know about the UPSC, the next step is to get the UPSC exam schedule and plan when to give the exam. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announces the exam schedule a year prior.
UPSC Civil Services Exam Pattern
The UPSC CSE is conducted in three stages. Each stage eliminates those candidates who fail to clear the round. The three stages are:
1. UPSC PRELIMS
Here there are two exams.
i) General Studies Paper I
ii) General Studies Paper II (CSAT)
Both papers ask multiple-choice questions only. Both the papers carry negative marks for wrong answers. To know more about UPSC marking scheme in the prelims and how to beat negative marks click below.
The CSAT paper is a qualifying one and you have to score a minimum of 33% in it. Only then will your GS Paper I be evaluated. So, the merit ranking for eligibility to mains will be out of 200 (from the GS Paper I prelims)
2. UPSC MAINS
If you qualify in the UPSC prelims, you can take the mains exam. Here there are 9 papers and all are descriptive in nature.
The papers are:
1. Paper A
Modern Indian Language – 300 marks
See the list of Indian languages for UPSC Paper A here.
2. Paper B
English – 300 marks
3. Paper I
Essay – 250 marks
This paper can be written in the candidate’s medium of the exam or a language of his/her choice.
4. Paper-II
General Studies I – 250 marks
Topics: Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society
5. Paper III
General Studies II – 250 marks
Topics: Governance, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations
6. Paper IV
General Studies III – 250 marks
Topics: Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management
7. Paper V
General Studies IV – 250 marks
Topics: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
8. Paper VI
Optional Subject Paper I – 250 marks
The candidate is allowed to take up literature as an optional subject without the condition of having it at the graduation level.
9. Paper VII
Optional Subject Paper II – 250 marks
The English and Indian language papers are of qualifying nature and their marks are not counted for the total tally in the mains ranking. So, the mains total is out of 1750 marks.
3. UPSC Board Interview/Personality Test
If you qualify in the UPSC mains, you will be called for the UPSC interview. Here, a panel will interview you and assess your knowledge, personality, aptitude, leadership qualities, clarity of expression, grasp of narrative or argument, reasoning ability, appreciation of different viewpoints, awareness and concern for socio-economic problems, range and depth of interests.
Check your eligibility
Before you embark on your IAS journey, ensure your eligibility to take the IAS exams.
Know and understand the vast syllabus of UPSC
If you want to crack the UPSC exams, you need to be well-versed with the UPSC syllabus. As understanding the UPSC Syllabus and knowing each and every topic and sub-topics of the subjects almost covers 20% of your preparation for Civil Services Exam.
(To be contd)