How to begin preparation for IAS when I had opted to study at home? Will I be able to crack the exam without taking any coaching? How to initialize the preparation while studying at home?
How to start the learning process? Will it be sufficient to clear the IAS exam after studying at home? How shall I pace up my preparation mode for IAS exam while studying at home?
Once you have decided to become an IAS officer, you have entered into the zone of hard work and dedication accustomed with loads of confusion as well. Here, confusion arrives on account of the above type of questions which are natural to come to your mind.
Shall I be able to crack the IAS exam without taking any help from renowned coaching institutes? Well, it’s not always necessary to take up some or the other help from those coaching centers unless and otherwise, you feel so.
Does that mean that self-study approach is enough to reach to the prospective results? Yes, of course, if you are dedicated enough to handling the self-preparation module, you can crack the IAS examination and that too after studying at home.
As you know, the IAS exam is one of the country’s toughest exams that require an exceptional level of intelligence. As an aspirant, you need not to be hard-working. Rather, a smart workable approach is required on your behalf. Throughout the examination, you have to be attentive towards the general knowledge, ethics, and aptitude and communication skills, which are a must to top the UPSC exam.
Get ready for the journey
You can achieve success by following a self-paced study method which will make you study without the help of any mentor or teacher. For this, you have to prepare yourself both physically and mentally. You have to understand that the journey to the goal of becoming an IAS officer can be tedious.
You have to be physically and mentally fit for the position of an IAS officer and so as for the exam. Set out your goals and timeline your schedule effectively. To prepare for the IAS exam, you can begin with the below-mentioned suggestions.
Be updated on the exam dates. That’s the foremost thing; you must follow before starting off with the preparation module. You should know about the important dates related to the stages of the IAS exam.
Prepare a timetable and follow it rigorously. As you are aware, you are planning for the most disciplined position of an IAS officer. Thus, you have to think and behave like one. Like an office follows a well-organized routine, you have to prepare a timetable and act accordingly. If you are still thinking about ‘how should I start my preparation for the IAS exam’, then you should immediately begin with the preparation of timetable.
Make a habit to read an English newspaper daily. You can’t ignore the fact that the UPSC exam check out the office like quality in students having sufficient general knowledge. For this, you should make a habit to read either of the English Newspapers from The Hindu or The Indian Express. While reading such newspaper, you must concentrate on the relevant topics and article related to your subject selection.
While continuing this habit, avoid the unnecessary columns such as film gossips, sports heads or even political issues. Just focus on your subject related matter and add to common sense in your reading and writing style.
Know what to study for IAS exam. Now that’s what we call the soul of the exam. Unless and until you are aware of the syllabus associated with the preparation, how come you can begin your preparation? You need to be aware of the complete syllabus for the Prelims and Mains exam and that too in an elaborate manner. Once you are accustomed to the detailed syllabus, you can pick the relevant learning material and prioritize the subjects.
Make a habit to write short notes during the preparation tenure. It’s important to make short notes while you are learning the things. Though, the notes provided in the books and reference materials are up-to-mark, but you have to prepare your own notes to help you with quick revision tasks followed just before the main exam.
Revising short notes makes you adaptable of the current affairs and lessens down the last minute stress.
Practice more and more about how to write the IAS exam. To write the IAS Mains exam, you have to practice more and more on how to write the answers effectively. While practicing, you need to think in an analytical manner and conceptualize the answer to present it in a flawless manner.
Also, you need to check the time limit available to finish off the paper. Thus, make a habit to write one answer daily within the given time frame and improve your writing skills.
With the above tips, you can somehow rise up your learning and writing scale and improves your chances of success in the IAS exam. In case, you find yourself in the midst of confusion, you can take the help of a mentor or Best IAS coaching in Delhi for a better and interactive approach. There is no loss in taking expert advice. But, if you feel like you can prepare the things yourself, move ahead with a dedicated and smart working approach.