The UPSC Civil Services Exam is perhaps the most challenging exam in the country, with intense competition. You need a good preparation strategy and great motivation to crack the UPSC examination. A qualitative approach establishes a thin line between hardworking and clever working candidates. Even if you only have one attempt, better preparation strategies can help you reach your UPSC goal. 

You can also join a good IAS coaching institute for better preparation in a limited time. The coaching institutes have expert faculty members who have years of teaching experience. They know the paper pattern of UPSC very well. You will get the benefit of UPSC coaching in the long run.

Every fresh UPSC candidate finds themselves in a relatively unexplored region when strategizing and studying for the UPSC exams. The majority of them have inquiries such as “How to start UPSC Preparation?” “How to Pass the UPSC Exam?” and “What is the Best UPSC Exam Preparation strategy?” In this article, we attempt to answer these questions and assist you with them.

How to Start UPSC Preparation

1. Develop Knowledge Incrementally

This is the first step you need to take a while; preparing for the UPSC exams. You need to have a thorough understanding of the foundational knowledge of every subject. We suggest you get hold of NCERT and a few state board textbooks. Read all these textbooks to develop a base and gain confidence in yourself. 

Once you develop a strong foundation, start reading advanced books on history, geography, civics, science, technology, and socio-economic domains. Search for important books that should also be simple to understand initially. As your subject knowledge strengthens, you can read more technical and advanced books to become subject matter experts. 

2. Keep Up with Current Affairs

It should be a routine for every UPSC aspirant to keep themselves updated regarding all the major developments across the world. Reading news should be your primary activity of the day. You should diversify your news sources to have an unbiased coverage of such topics. We suggest aspirants also look for news from all domains and not a few specific subjects. 

Make news reading or watching a routine habit and make it synonymous with everyday entertainment. Don’t just read the news but also read an in-depth analysis of such events from renowned journalists or experts. Current affairs are one of the most important topics for UPSC prelims and UPSC Mains Exam and have enough weightage to them. 

3. Practice Mock Tests

Gaining the capability of succeeding in the UPSC Exam starts by practicing it regularly. Mock tests for prelims and mains are important for UPSC Exam Preparation. Look at previous year’s questions, and practice free and paid online tests. Practice makes a man perfect, and this also applies to the UPSC Exam Preparation. 

Practicing mock tests result in students getting a basic idea of question paper format, the content of such exams, and a general gauge to test their current knowledge level. You will also enhance your time management skills and become efficient at approaching all the questions. So keep practicing and keep getting better one day at a time. 

4. Gain Ground Level Experience

All the knowledge you gain should be complemented with a practical understanding of all the aspects of India. Go out and involve yourself in social and economic activities. See the current problems in social, economic, infrastructure, and technological fields. Understand what developments and solutions are being implemented for such issues. 

It is also suggested that every individual who wants to start preparing for UPSC Exams to watch political debates, read biographies of people, and travel extensively across India to understand the situation at the ground level. Also, discuss and debate issues with your fellow aspirants to gain a new perspective on all the topics. 

5. Prepare a Strict Schedule

Time is the most important aspect of your quest for UPSC Examinations. There are many topics that you will need to complete within a short amount of time. You will need to compartmentalize your day to include all the above-mentioned activities. 

Plan on all levels, from days to weeks to months and even a year. Maintain a record of your activities and stick to the planned schedule as far as possible. If you make a plan and strive to maintain it, sooner or later, you will be habituated and efficient in your schedule. 

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6. Get Professional Help

There are numerous ways to plan and achieve success while preparing for the UPSC Exams. Keeping in mind all the aspects mentioned above, you will have a good start to your UPSC Preparations. Expert help along with self-discipline will, however, result in guaranteed success. UPSC coaching institutes have people with personal experience and knowledge of the best strategies for clearing the UPSC exam. One such institute is The Thought Tree. They have expert faculties with good teaching experience. They also provide mentorship, latest notes, live-interactive online classes, and many more things to their students.

 So that’s all for today. I hope you now understand How to Start UPSC Preparation. If you still have any doubts, then please comment down below.