Pulse Phase

How to Prepare Current Affairs and GK for UPSC

UPSC preparation requires an aspirant to be well abreast with the current happenings and have good general awareness. In recent times, the questions in both the UPSC prelims exam as well as mains examination, have shifted the focus from static syllabus to current affairs.

The questions from the static syllabus also have an influence on the current events. In such a scenario, current affairs preparation becomes an integral part of the preparation. But, a candidate may have multiple questions like “How to prepare?”, “Which sources to refer to for daily current affairs?”, “How to make notes?”. To find answers to all these questions and to find out how to effectively cover current affairs topics for IAS exam, read on.

  1. Cover the Newspaper thoroughly:

The newspaper is the bible for UPSC aspirants! The questions asked at all the three stages of examination require you to have knowledge of the current happenings. To be able to write a good essay, one needs fodder, which comes from reading the newspaper.

You do not have to read multiple newspapers. Choose one newspaper of your choice, and read it thoroughly. Skip the sports news, political news, advertisements, entertainments, etc. which are of less or no importance with respect to the UPSC syllabus. Cover the editorials intensively and make small notes which will help you at the time of revisions.

  1. Read magazines:

Magazines are a supplement to the newspaper reading and are not a substitute. You can choose any magazines like Pratiyogita darpan, Kurukshetra, Yojana, etc. to get in-depth knowledge of certain topics related to the syllabus. You can either buy the copies or download them. Add the pointers from these magazines to the short notes that you have jotted down from the newspaper.

  1. Refer to websites:

There are a lot of blogs and websites that assist you in your IAS preparation. Veterans and experienced teachers analyze the topics and publish comprehensive articles.

The infographics and flowcharts will help you connect various issues and remember them easily. These articles can be referred to in order to get fodder points. But DO NOT treat them as a substitute for the newspaper.

  • Cover the current affairs, for 18 months prior to your exams. i.e., start reading the newspaper religiously 18 months before your exam date and do not give it a break until you are done with your exams.
  • There are a plethora of resources online. Do not overwhelm yourself with all the materials and websites. Select a few that you are comfortable with and follow them religiously.
  • Many websites publish daily quiz, take such quizzes to test the level of your preparation. Again, remember to use internet judiciously. Do not waste your precious time reading unnecessary articles.
  • Revision is the key! When there are a lot of issues, it becomes necessary to revise in order to be able to remember it for the exam. Make sure your first revision is within a week after reading the topic and the second revision within a month from the date of second revision. It is important to remember certain relevant facts as this will help in answering many Current affairs IAS questions.
  • There are a plethora of options to prepare for current affairs for the Civil Services Examination. Following many sources without revision will not yield desired results. An aspirant must choose and stick to a few sources, prepare thoroughly and most importantly, revise those topics in order to remember them well during the examination. With a good strategy and consistent preparation, one can clear the exam in the very first attempt.

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