Things to Keep in Mind during IAS Exam Preparation!

1. Read Less but Read Well

Do not collect all the material available in the market and make your own library. Read a book/notes only if you will read the same 1-2 months before the exam.  Even if you read one topic per day and one current affairs news a day, that should be good enough, provided you read and remember well. Virginia Wolf rightly says, "No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody but oneself".

2. Do Not Waste Time in Attending Coaching

No matter how many hours of coaching classes you attend, you won't clear the exam until you sit and read the contents mentioned in the syllabus. You need to find time to sit and study with focus so that you understand and remember the contents of the syllabus.

“Be your own lamps. Be your own shelters. Hang on to the truth as a lamp. Hang on to the truth as a refuge.” - Buddha


3. Read Newspaper with Interest

One should read newspaper without worrying about number of hours to complete. Read news with curiosity, analyse the news with your own mind, make short notes of the news for revision before the exam. Do not depend on the current affairs compilation prepared by coaching institutes because you will miss many things like small news/analysis/facts.

4. Always Think Exam is Easy

Do not listen to anyone who say, the UPSC CSE is most difficult exam in the world. Exam is conducted by UPSC, which is a constitutional body and UPSC gives level playing field to all aspirants from different socio-economic backgrounds. UPSC makes questions by looking at the syllabus provided for the exam. Anyone can clear the exam, who sticks to the syllabus and practices writing the essay type answers, which is crucial in the Mains Exam.

5. Do not believe in what Toppers say

The unhappiest people in this world are the people who care the most about what everyone else thinks. Every successful candidate undergoes all types of ups and downs during preparation. After clearing the exam, they would give few tips which may not work with your way of preparation. Many toppers would say things which may be difficult to implement also. You should find your own way of preparing for the exam, just like the way you prepared for other exams in your college/school. Do not adore people who have cleared the exam. Successful candidates are not super natural humans. They will continue to have same human weaknesses even after clearing the exam. Be yourself always.

"Don't blindly believe what I say. Don't believe me because others convince you of my words. Don't believe anything you see, read, or hear from others, whether of authority, religious teachers or texts. Don't rely on logic alone, nor speculation. Don't infer or be deceived by appearances. Find out for yourself what is true and virtuous." - Buddha

6. Stop Giving more Mock Tests without Preparation

There is no use of mock tests unless you complete the syllabus. Complete the Mains and Prelims syllabus well and then take the mock tests for prelims/mains to check your preparation. The will to win is worthless if you do not have the will to prepare.

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe" - Abraham Lincoln

7. Be Yourself

Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. Confidence is the key to clear this exam as preparation takes 12-18 months. It is important to believe, you can clear this exam provided you study consistently everyday. Do not listen to others who creates doubts in your mind. When people undermine your dreams, predict your doom, or criticize you, remember, they’re telling you their story, not yours. If you can read/write well, there is no reason you can't clear the exam. People who used to fail in their schools, people with poor hand-writing, college drop-outs etc have already cleared this exam. So, never doubt your ability to clear the exam, if you believe you can. The past has absolutely no power over the present moment. True purpose has no time limit. True purpose has no deadline. Don’t worry and stress yourself out. Just do the one thing you can right now.

8. Stop Day Dreaming

Do not think about results of the exam always. Do not think you will get Rank 1. Do not think about training, media publicity, power, money etc while preparing for the exam. Be motivated by the fact that civil service is a job, through which you will help the government to run its business. You are just implementing the public policies of the government to make the society better. You will not get power, money, servants etc in civil service unless you become corrupt. Being corrupt is same as being a bank robber and for which you need not clear IAS exam. So, live in the present and focus on your preparation. Don't mistake activity with achievement. Thoughts do more. Words to much. Actions do much more. Nothing is born into this world without labor. Stop day-dreaming!

9. Think Long Term, Act Short Term

Your life will not takeoff once you clear the exam. Never allow your short term temperament to affect your long term decisions. There are 24 different types of jobs which you may get after clearing the exam. Be clear what you want in civil service. Have a long term goal say in 5 years or 10 years. Think about the kind of lifestyle you would like to have. Think whether civil service job can provide such lifestyle or opportunities. Do not focus all energy on just clearing the exam. Most civil servants get dissatisfied with their choice after working for 4-5 years in civil service. Many go for higher studies, start business, go to private sector etc once they realise, civil service is not their cup of tea. The most damaging aspect of contemporary living is short-term thinking. So, be clear what you want in life.

10. Civil Service is Not Everything

Never think clearing the UPSC exam is your life. Or you will be biggest failure on earth if you fail to clear the exam. Majority of the civil servants are dissatisfied in their life. Just clearing the exam will never solve all your problems in life. You need to work on your image, relationships, finance, career etc seriously with a logical mind instead of expecting civil service to solve all such problems. Always have a Option B ready and never regret if you are made to embrace Option B. Your life is far more precious than an exam/job.

“The fanatic emphasis on ‘Plan B’ that professionals talk about is not a coward’s fall-back system. It serves a purpose, a purpose that a strategist has envisioned and planned before the need for an alternate solution surfaces.” - Andy Paula

Wish you all the very best. Email ynharish@gmail.com for any queries. 

Best Regards,
Harish