The prelims exam is the first destination in the long journey called UPSC. Lakhs of people appear for UPSC Prelims every year with a dream of becoming an IAS, IPS or IRS officer. The pass percentage of prelims is so low that only a few thousand make it to the next level of the upsc. The prelims exam is objective in nature and the total duration of exams is 2 hours.
Prelims paper consists of two papers :
- General Studies 1
- General Studies 2
The questions in general studies 1 are mainly related to History, Geography, Economics etc while the questions in general studies 2 consist of questions to test the logical reasoning and decision making skills of a candidate.
UPSC Prelims Exam Preparation Strategy
UPSC is like a game with multiple levels. Like a game, a candidate can go to the next level only if he completes the previous level. Prelims is one of the first levels of the UPSC exam. The vast syllabus of the prelims can make it a challenge for aspirants to crack the exams in one go. A lot of aspirants take multiple chances to crack the prelims. But if you have a solid preparation strategy and commitment to stick to the strategy, you can pass the prelims with flying colors.
Understand exam pattern and syllabus
The first and foremost step of your UPSC Prelims preparation is to understand the syllabus and exam pattern. Prelims exam has a vast syllabus and it consists of topics from a wide range of varieties. Candidates are also required to stay updated to the current affairs
Building a solid foundation
Having a solid foundation is vital to crack exams like the UPSC. A major part of the UPSC aspirants prefer NCERT books to begin their preparation for the prelims examination. NCERT books are a great source to build a solid base for general studies paper.
Make a study plan and stick to it
After getting clear on the syllabus and the pattern of the exam, you need to make a study plan. Study plans should be made in such a way that all topics are covered in the required time. Aspirants can consider creating both short term and long term plans.
Study plans should consist of an adequate amount of daily studies to make sure that you can complete the whole syllabus in a few months.
Aim for conceptual clarity
One of the main mistakes that a lot of candidates make is to memorise the content instead of understanding it. Many students tend to forget the fact that conceptual clarity is vital to pass competitive exams.
To get conceptual clarity of subjects, keep in mind the below points:
- Refer NCERT books to study as the language is very easy to understand and learn.
- Discuss difficult topics or concepts with your friends to gain a clear picture of the concept.
- Make short summary notes to understand the concepts better
- Instead of memorising, take your time to understand the concept fully.
Give preference to Revision
The syllabus of prelims is vast. It is normal for a candidate to forget the past studied topics after a certain period of time. This problem can be tackled only by revising topics from time to time. When you make a study plan, make sure that you’ve allocated enough time for revising previously studied subjects or topics. Candidates can keep in mind the below points for revision :
- To make revising topics an easy job, make short summary notes for every single topic.
- Allocate the necessary amount of time for revision every week.
- Allocate at least 20-30 days only for revision. The last month should only be used for revision.
Practice mock tests
Practicing mock tests is the ultimate way to find your strength and weakness and know where improvement is needed. Mock tests can give you an idea about what type of questions to expect for the prelims exam. Apart from finding your strengths and weaknesses, mock tests can help you improve your speed of writing and also help you to manage your time efficiently.
Aspirants also need to go through the past year questions to understand the type and pattern of questions asked. Solving past year questions can increase the confidence of the candidates.
Prepare your own notes
After referring to NCERT and other study materials, prepare your own short and crisp notes. The notes should be so short that you should be able to cover it in a few hours.
Additional Tips for UPSC Prelims exam
- Join study groups
- Eat healthy food to maintain your physical and mental well being.
- Make it a habit of taking breaks after a few hours of studying.
- Aspirants can consider implementing time management techniques to manage time effectively.
- Don’t let negative thoughts ruin your preparation. Stay positive and stick to your plan.
- Make it a habit to revise topics every week instead of waiting for the last month.
- Read the newspaper daily to stay updated about what’s happening around.
Mistakes to avoid while preparing for Prelims
- Poor time management : Time management is a key aspect when it comes to competitive exams. If you can’t manage your time effectively, there is a high chance of you failing to complete the exams on time.
- Skipping revisions : Poor time management by aspirants results in not having adequate time to revise the whole syllabus.
- Ignoring physical and mental health : Many students tend to spend too much time studying and forget to take care of their health. Ignoring health can affect your focus and can even result in you failing to retain the information.
- Not reading newspapers to stay updated.
Conclusion
Prelims is only one of the steps in the UPSC journey. Since it is one of the very first steps, the pass percentage is high compared to mains. But that doesn’t mean passing prelims is a piece of cake. It requires proper planning and consistent effort. With the right planning and strategy even an average student can crack the prelims exam.
