How to prepare for UPSC Prelims a Step by Step Prelims Strategy For UPSC Aspirants

Author: Youth Destination

The IAS exam is the most prestigious in the country. Every year a lot of candidates participate in this exam to become IAS officers. Some candidates join the best IAS coaching in Delhi. They jump into the marathon of UPSC preparation making their dream come true to become an IAS officer. They dedicate their precious years of youth to get success in this exam.

Therefore, it becomes quite important to know various facets of this exam including the syllabus to the exam pattern and every step that you will have to take to clear this exam. If you don’t have enough understanding of the basic aspects of the civil service examination then you cannot crack it.

We will guide you about these aspects so that you can prepare and qualify for this exam easily. The preliminary examination is the first and most important stage of the UPSC civil service examination.

Format of Prelims exam

The Civil Service exam is conducted in three stages which the first is a preliminary examination and the second is the main examination. After qualifying both 2 stage candidates are called for an interview round.

A preliminary exam is a qualifying exam and candidates can appear in the mains exam after qualifying for the prelims. The candidates who perform well in the mains and interviews are shortlisted for the final merit list.

The preliminary examination consists of two objective-type papers.

-General studies paper 1

-General Studies Paper 2 (CSAT)

General studies paper 1

This paper consists of a hundred questions and every question carries 2 marks. Negative marking is also applicable for the incorrect answer (one-third of the marks allotted to the question)

General Studies Paper 2 CSAT.

This paper consists of 80 questions with 2.5 marks for each question. Like general studies paper 1, UPSC will deduct one-third of the marks allotted to the question on every wrong answer. It is essential to appear in both the papers of the IAS prelim exam for a candidate.

Candidates will have to score at least 33% marks in the GS paper 2. The cutoff for prelims is prepared based on the number of seats in that year and the aspirants’ performance in the GS paper first. Candidates who qualify prelims are invited for the Mains examination.

Syllabus of the prelims examination

General studies paper 1

This paper consists following topics in the syllabus

  • Current events of national and international importance
  • History of India and Indian National movement
  • India's World Geography
  • Indian Polity and Governance
  • Economic and Social Development
  • General issues on Environmental, Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change
  • General Science

General Studies Paper 2

  • Interpersonal skills and communication skills
  • Decision making and problem-solving
  • Logical reasoning and analytical ability
  • General Mental ability
  • Basic numeracy and data interpretation

Some useful suggestions for prelims examination

Know the syllabus and exam pattern

Go through the UPSC prelims syllabus 1st. It helps candidates to know the demand of the question and prepare accordingly. Without a basic understanding of the UPSC Prelims syllabus, candidates can get lost in the flood of books and study materials that are available for the civil service exam in the market.

Get familiar with the syllabus so that you can pick up the important information from various study materials. It is also helpful in linking various topics of the syllabus and ensuring clear concepts.

Make your preparation strategy

Generally, candidates should start their preparation around one year before the preliminary examination. Start your preparation with reading one newspaper like ‘The Hindu’, Indian express, and NCERT books. After this, you can cover static subjects like Polity, History, and Geography, etc.

Make plans for weak and month

It is necessary to make a proper plan to handle the pressure of a vast syllabus and diverse suggestions from many people. Make short goals for a week and month and try to complete them within a time-bound manner.

Start your mains preparation together

Start your preparation from the perspective of both preliminary examination and the mains as well in the initial months. Check the UPSC mains syllabus before starting preparation.

You should start dedicated preparation for prelims around three months before the Prelims exam. It is advisable to cover optional subjects comprehensively before starting prelims preparation.

Don't ignore the CSAT exam

Candidates should prepare for CSAT even if they belong to a science background. Solving previous year question papers and mock tests will be helpful in time management and the basic understanding of the syllabus and the demand of the paper.