How to Prepare for UPSC Civil Services: A Beginner’s Guide

Understand UPSC Exam - Aspirants preparing for the UPSC exam without coaching must have complete knowledge about the exam like the UPSC exam pattern, the UPSC exam syllabus, the UPSC marking scheme, how to choose optional papers for the UPSC exam, etc.

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Time Table for Revision - Being regular is a great way to start your study technique. Combining this with a variety of USPC books and academic subjects throughout the day will allow you to have more variety in your day. Also, set daily, weekly and monthly goals for yourself to track your progress toward the exam.

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Plan your work and then work on your plan - It is important to have a timetable for your preparation as there are many things to study. Making a proper plan is especially important for self-study.

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Make notes and revise - Making proper notes is an important part of good preparation. You must make clear and relevant notes while studying for the exam whether it is from newspapers or standard textbooks. Also, make sure you revise what you have learned regularly. The more you revise, the more you retain.

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Practice a lot of old papers - Most successful UPSC experts suggest the following approach: Practice as many previous year papers as possible for UPSC 2023 exam. A great way to get familiar with a topic before revising it extensively is by checking previous papers.

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Limited Resources - Keeping your resources to a minimum and following the best available sources is one of the important steps in using your time effectively. Start with NCERT basics for each subject and as you progress - limit yourself to only one standard book per subject until you really master that one book.

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Measuring progress - To make sure that while covering sub-topics, you are still on the right track at the right pace, you need to test yourself and understand where you are lagging. This is by far the most important step in your preparation because without testing yourself, you will be moving randomly without thinking.

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Make use of online sources - The Internet is a treasure trove of study material for the UPSC exam. The best thing about online sources is that they are available 24×7 and candidates can get immediate help at any time of the day. If you are not going for any coaching, then the best way to get success in the UPSC exam is by watching online videos.

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Join test series - Students preparing for UPSC without coaching can consider joining the test series. In the test series, there is a well-defined timetable that increases your consistency. Also, several questions in the test series help you gain more knowledge.

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Be confident and stay motivated - It takes a lot of courage to go it alone in your IAS preparation. But if you are regular in your studies and plan well, you will surely succeed. Work hard and smart and never lose focus.

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Gear Up Your UPSC Exam Preparation With Top Recommended Books, Study Notes, Test Series & More..

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