The UPSC exam is considered one of the toughest in India because of various factors – the rather large UPSC syllabus, the intense competition, the eclectic nature of the subjects involved, and also, the unpredictability attributed to the Civil Services Exam papers. There are some, of course, who have been able to get through the competition in their maiden attempts. If you are a newbie to the UPSC exam world, there are certain parameters which you cannot afford to miss. You, as a candidate, would have to be a little extra attentive to certain things if you are serious about your IAS aspirations.
This article will talk about those prime things missing on which will make your UPSC preparation incomplete and can have ill effects on your dream to become an IAS Officer.
6 Important Factors Without Which Your UPSC Preparation is Incomplete
- Not making notes – One should never fail to make their own notes be it handwritten or online. The activity of making notes should be followed diligently on a daily basis. Without making personal notes on a regular basis, it is impossible to remember each and every piece of information and write the answers in a clear and lucid manner on the day of the examination.
- Not managing time properly – The most crucial aspect of UPSC preparation is the management of time during preparation, as well as in the examination hall. Without time management, covering the vast syllabus of the examination would be extremely difficult. Hence, one needs to manage time by allocating the time needed for different subjects; it would vary, keeping in mind the complexity of a topic. Without refreshing your mind, productivity will always come down; hence, keep in mind to allocate time for refreshing your mind.
- Not working on speed – Candidates would be horrified looking at the sheer volume of syllabus they have to read for Civil Services Exam preparation. Speed can be your saviour here. Good speed is a crucial component of clearing any exam and not just the UPSC. To achieve the optimal speed, it is pertinent for aspirants to keep practising writing answers very vigorously during the preparation phase. This will help in increasing the speed, as well as improve the handwriting.
- Not doing regular revisions – Revision of the topics making up the syllabus of this coveted exam is one of the most important parts of preparation. As you will move to an advanced stage of the preparation, it would not be easy to recollect all the pertinent information needed to answer the questions in the exam if you are doing revision on a routine basis. Aspirants should make sure that their revision plan corresponds with their study plan. It means that when an aspirant sits to study one topic, they should not forget the revision of previous topics.
- Not giving importance to previous years’ papers and mocks – To sharpen your answers and prepare you for the most important day, mocks and previous years’ question papers play a crucial role. To guide your preparation and ensure that it is on the right path without fail, you are required to practice at least 10 to 15 previous years’ question papers. A lot of revision also depends on practice; hence keep practising as many mock tests as possible and spot your weak areas.
- Not keeping a proper diet – Between attending classes, reading study material, making notes, revising, practising mocks and question papers and scouting for current affairs material, aspirants of the UPSC exam hardly have the time and inclination to take care of themselves. It is only when an illness takes over that a candidate’s attention is veered towards their health. Remember this: only you are responsible for your health. If you don’t take care of it, it won’t be long before you become afflicted by illness, lethargy, and a lack of energy to even sit up. Therefore, always stick to a healthy diet and increase your water intake capacity. Only if health is in good condition the mind will function at an optimum level, and one will have the energy to put in long hours of preparation, which is imperative for the UPSC exam.
Keep the above pointers in mind and lead ahead in your exam preparation. Also, keep track of the UPSC exam date to plan well for your preparation. All it takes to ace this exam is the inner motivation, so always keep a positive mind because being negative will hamper your performance.
