Time management
For working professionals, time is a constraint and when it comes to preparing for the Civil Services exam after a long day at work, most of the aspirants get perplexed. A working professional should resort to smart preparation, which means keeping some study material always handy and reading through it while commuting, during lunch hours and so on.
See pattern & study
It’s not advisable to spend time reading and cramming something that is not in the syllabus. It is imperative that you be attuned to the pattern of the exam and study only what is essential. Be selective in your approach and spend lesser time on topics that are of lesser relevance.
set a routine
Adopt a more focussed approach. Map out a routine for yourself. Regular study of two-three hours a day will be helpful. Adherence to routine will allow you to focus and prepare the syllabus in time.
be regular
If you have a plan in place and are following it religiously, then you would certainly be doing regular study. If your preparation is faulty or you take shortcuts to your preparation, it won’t yield a positive result. The best way to prepare well for the exam is to be regular with your studies, magazines and newspapers.
Choose subjects wisely
Most candidates commit mistakes while choosing subjects. The subjects you think you can easily prepare and score more in should be picked.
Stay updated with gk
General knowledge and aptitude is tested in the Preliminary exam for Civil Services. Therefore, it is essential to keep yourself updated with geography, history, mathematics, economy, science, sports and, most importantly, current affairs to get through the exam, easily done by reading newspapers regularly.
Prepare notes
Preparing notes helps retain information. These personal notes will be your quick bites in the last few days of preparation, when recollecting what you have studied is very important.
solve Sample papers
Before sitting for the exam, it is necessary to test your knowledge to gain confidence. Solving previous year question papers and other sample test papers available on the internet and in books will endow you with enormous confidence.
Have a will to do it
Coherent and wise approach to preparation is all it takes to clear the exam. If you have determination and focus, and have backed it with a good preparation, then you don’t have to fear anything.
Don’t leave your job
The biggest fear that haunts the mind of UPSC aspirants is insecurity. But as a working professional, you won’t feel the blunt of failure so much. So, abandon the idea of quitting the job, your job is a blessing in disguise for you.
The writer is A K Mishra, director, Chanakya IAS Academy