UPSC Preparation

7/31/2019 UPSC Preparation

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How To Prepare For Prelims (CSAT)

The Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) includes two objectivetype question papers of two hundred marks and two hourstime duration for each paper. One is on General Studies andthe other is General Aptitude Paper( which has now replaced

the optional subject that was there earlier). With the Civil

Service exam having very limited seats its a very difficultexam to crack. Many students appear multiple times to clear

it.

Changes in formats of question papers always tend to createa lot of mental discomfort in students. Many students arefearful of subjects like mathematics. This fear may be

baseless considering the changes lay greater emphasis on theaptitude which mainly involves reasoning skills and notjust mathematics.

The civil services examination is basically a test to choosesuitable administrators. It tests the candidate right from thestage when one starts the preparation. One common

misconception about the prelims is that it is a test of factsand figures. That was never so and specially now. Acandidate should have the right frame of mind and the willpower to succeed in the exam. A proper action plan is needed

for the preparation itself since he /she will be tested for someessential qualities like power of retention, clarity of concepts,

ability to identify the correct alternatives with efficiency and

accuracy. All this requires a quick decision making power.With the new pattern, more stress is on language skills andanalysis and decision making capacities, so work on these ona consistent basis as these are skills that are developed overyears and not just in a few months. It would be advisabble tostart focusing on your problem solving and language skills as

sooon as you decide to take these exams.

Paper 1 is on General Studies

This includes areas like

1.Indian National Movement, Indian Polity, Basic EconomicUnderstanding, Geography

2. While the dynamic part includes current affairs, GK andhas no proper definition and syllabus making quite vast.

Paper 2 includes English, mathematics, reasoning, analyticalability, and interpersonal skills. Unlike paper 1 which has astatic part this paper provides no such respite.


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Unlike paper 1 where quantity of questions is a major

determinant for the static section paper 2 cannot be tamedwithout solving quality questions, though few in numberSince the preliminary exam in particular is a test of

endurance the candidate needs to prepare himself on the

physical as well as mental level. The main constraint is thetime one gets to answer questions. On an average one getsaround 40 seconds for each question. Added to this time

constraint is the fact that the exam is conducted in themonth of May which is usually the hottest month all over the

country. Most of the centres for the exam do not have properfacilities which adds to the stress. One sure way of dealingwith this stress is to count numbers or to take a few deepbreaths. Meditation and Yoga also help in dealing with stressto a great extent.

Now we come to the actual preparation for the prelims exam.

Since it is a multiple choice question paper, it needs adifferent preparation and a proper strategy. The first thing acandidate needs to bear in mind is that the examination isdesigned to evaluate certain qualities like a sharp memoryand basic retention power. There are ways to increase one's

memory like preparing charts. One gets confused when facedwith mind boggling facts and figures. Important facts and

figures can be simplified and represented on charts and theycan arranged in the form of tables or graphs. Another thingto remember is to make short and brief notes on each topicso that the entire syllabus can be revised a day before the

exam.

It is better to use diagrams and link words which make it

easier to understand difficult concepts. One more techniqueto help in retaining information is the use of abbreviations.Since the syllabus involves exhaustive informationabbreviations help you to remember it better. It is a good

method to remember dates, facts and figures in a pictureformat and to break up complex names and places intosmaller and simpler words. The last and the most importanttechnique is doing regular revision. This helps in retaining

the maximum information. A separate time slot should begiven to doing not only regular but multiple revisions likedaily, weekly, monthly etc.

Many candidates make a mistake of overloading themselveswith lots of information and end up remembering nothing.

One should be able to differentiate between relevant andirrelevant information. Since the preliminary exam is an


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elimination round the candidate should also learn to focus

only on the information needed and filter out the rest. Ithelps to discuss with friends and teachers but the mostreliable way is to solve past years question papers. One

should also keep abreast with current events and information

related to them.An important thing to remember is that for this exam it is

just enough to remember information but to understand theconcepts well instead of memorizing facts and figures. Thequestions asked are of 10+2 level. Therefore emphasis has tobe on conceptual clarity. Any concept has to be understoodwith its origin, merits and de-merits, then it needs to beanalysed with other relevant topics and lastly it has to becorrelated with the events that have taken place during the

year.

The preliminary exam requires candidates who have theacumen and the ability to choose the right option of manygiven options. This needs a proper method of elimination. Itis a good idea to go through previous years and modelquestion papers and solve as many as possible. Taking a

mock test of a certain number of G.S. questions andmathematics and general ability questions would be a goodpractice and help to pick out the most appropriate option.

Each prelims paper is for two hours but a lot of time is

wasted in signing attendance sheets etc, therefore there is alot of need for effective Time Management not only for the

exam but in the preparation as well. It is not enough to knowthe right answer but it has to be marked correctly on theanswer sheet. Speed and Accuracy are important, so solvingmodel question papers on a regular basis would be a greathelp.

A good presence of mind is needed to eliminate the least

appropriate options and arrive at the right one. Howeverbeware of negative marking so it is better to mark only sureshot answers than making guesses.

Throughout the preparation for the prelims exam, it isimportant to remember that any topic or concept should not

be studied in isolation. It is better to understand andestablish a correlation between related concepts from othersubjects and current events and happenings.

Even with all this preparation, it is necessary to have apositive attitude and a great amount of will power to succeedto achieve your goal, that of getting through the civil services


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examination with flying colors!

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SYLLABUS

Here is a list of subjects for IAS/UPSC exams as per the UPSC Syllabus.Under each subject is provided reources regarding the mains IAS syllabus as

well as question papers, strategy and suggested readings for the subject. TheIAS Syllabus and other services like the IPS and Income Tax is the same, asit is a single exam conducted by UPSC and the syllabus is also set by theUPSC.

Subject Combinations That are NOT allowed

Main Examination Syllabus|UPSC Question Papers|IAS

Strategy|Sugested Reading|How to Prepare Notes|How to WriteAnswers|How to Read|Time Management|Gaining Mental Power forUPSC

The Following Combinations are NOT allowed by the UPSC

Political Science & International relations and Pubilc Administration Commerce & Accountancy and Management Anthropopgy and Sociology Mathematics and Statistice Agriculture and Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science Management and Public Administration Any two branches of engineering Animal Husbandry & Veterimary Science and Mediacal Science Combination if two Literatures

UPSC PLAN OF EXAMINATION:
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The Civil Services Examination consistsCivil Services Main Exam(Written

&Interview) for selection of candidates

UPSC Interview Questions 2011

UPSC Main Examination - Optional Subjects

General StudiesEssayEnglish QualifyingIndian LanguagesMathematics

AgricultureAnimal Husbandry and Veterinary Science

BotanyChemistryCivil EngineeringCommerceEconomicsElectrical EngineeringGeography

GeologyIndian History

LawManagement

Mechanical EngineeringMedical Science

PhilosophyPhysicsPolitical SciencePsychologyPublic AdministrationSociologyStatistics

ZoologyAnthropology

ArabicAssameseBengaliBodoChinese

DogriEnglish

FrenchGermanGujaratiHindiKannadaKashmiriKonkani

MaithiliMalayalam

ManipuriMarathi

NepaliOriya

PaliPersianPunjabiRussianSanskritSantaliSindhi

TamilTelugu

Urdu
http://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/interview.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/interview.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/interviewquestions.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/interviewquestions.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/General-Studies/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/General-Studies/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/English-Qualifying/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/English-Qualifying/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/English-Qualifying/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Mathematics/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Mathematics/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Mathematics/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Animal-Husbandry/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Animal-Husbandry/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Chemistry/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Chemistry/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Commerce/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Commerce/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Electrical-Engineering/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Electrical-Engineering/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Geology/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Geology/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Law/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Law/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Mechanical-Engineering/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Mechanical-Engineering/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Philosophy/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Philosophy/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Political-Science/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Political-Science/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Public-Administration/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Public-Administration/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Statistics/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Statistics/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Anthropology/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Anthropology/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Arabic/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Arabic/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Bengali/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Bengali/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Chinese/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Chinese/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/English/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/English/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/German/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/German/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Hindi/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Hindi/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Kashmiri/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Kashmiri/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/maithili/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/maithili/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Manipuri/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Manipuri/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Nepali/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Nepali/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Pali/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Pali/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Punjabi/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Punjabi/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Sanskrit/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Sanskrit/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Sindhi/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Sindhi/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Telugu/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Telugu/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Telugu/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Telugu/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Telugu/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Sindhi/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Sindhi/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Sindhi/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Sanskrit/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Sanskrit/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Sanskrit/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Punjabi/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Punjabi/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Punjabi/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Pali/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Pali/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Pali/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Nepali/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Nepali/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Nepali/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Manipuri/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Manipuri/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Manipuri/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/maithili/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/maithili/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/maithili/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Kashmiri/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Kashmiri/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Kashmiri/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Hindi/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Hindi/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Hindi/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/German/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/German/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/German/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/English/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/English/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/English/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Chinese/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Chinese/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Chinese/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Bengali/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Bengali/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Bengali/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Arabic/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Arabic/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Arabic/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Anthropology/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Anthropology/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Statistics/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Statistics/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Statistics/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Public-Administration/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Public-Administration/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Public-Administration/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Political-Science/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Political-Science/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Political-Science/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Philosophy/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Philosophy/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Philosophy/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Mechanical-Engineering/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Mechanical-Engineering/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Mechanical-Engineering/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Law/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Law/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Law/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Geology/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Geology/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Geology/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Electrical-Engineering/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Electrical-Engineering/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Electrical-Engineering/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Commerce/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Commerce/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Commerce/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Chemistry/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Chemistry/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Chemistry/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Animal-Husbandry/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Animal-Husbandry/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Animal-Husbandry/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Mathematics/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Mathematics/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Mathematics/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/English-Qualifying/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/English-Qualifying/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/English-Qualifying/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/General-Studies/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/General-Studies/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/General-Studies/index.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/interviewquestions.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/interview.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/main-syllabus.html


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HOW TO PREPARE FOR CIVIL SERVICES EXAM

One important thing that candidates should keep in mind is that since the timebetween the Main Exam and the declaration of result of the Preliminary Examis very less, it is advisable to begin preparations of the Main Exam along with

the Preliminary Exam.

The General Studies paper covers the following areas:

General Science; Current events of national and international importance;History of India; World Geography; Indian Polity and Economy; Indian National

Movement; General Mental Ability.

For this section, it is important to be updated in all fields. For History,Economy, Polity, etc, it is advisable to read Class 11 and 12 books publishedby the NCERT. Some books on the freedom struggle are published by theNational Book Trust. For general knowledge and objective-type questions, referto General Knowledge Refresher by O.P. Khanna. For General Mental Ability

and current affairs, it is advisable to read The Competition Master regularly.

One question that is often asked by students is about the subjects that they


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should take up. Since some subjects are scoring, students wish to opt for

them. But one thing that must be kept in mind is one's aptitude. If one hasstudied a subject since school and one is comfortable in it, chances of doingwell in it are greater rather than taking up an unrelated subject which one may

never have studied. Generally speaking, do not choose an entirely new subject

in which you will have to work very hard. If the optional is prepared well for thepreliminary and the same subject is also planned to be opted as one of theoptionals, it is very useful and saves a lot of labour.

Once you have decided to appear in the Civil Services Exam, preparations

should start early. A look at past papers helps get an idea about the kind ofquestions that are asked. Over the years, The Competition Master haspublished solved papers which can be referred to. It may be advisable to join acoaching institute so that one keeps in touch with other students and discussissues with them. It is important, however, to select a good institute. However,

one can be successful by self-study also.

Prepare Well

Before initiating the preparations, a few things must be noted by thecandidates. The choice of optional subject for Paper-II has to be done very

carefully. The candidates must plan ahead of time. The optional subject forPaper-II should usually be the subject in which the candidate has either

attained proficiency/higher academic qualification or in which the candidatefeels at home. Another consideration is the performance of candidates in the

said subject in the recent past. There are several subjects like History,Psychology, Sociology, Public Administration etc in which even the candidates

not having special or additional educational qualifications have been doingreasonably well, while the subjects like Mathematics, Physics, and Engineeringare considered to offer tougher questions and the candidates with exceptionallygood preparation only may expect to do well. But this observation may not betaken as the universal truth. Moreover, the aptitude and proficiency of aparticular candidate in a given subject also plays an important role in arrivingat a decision.

Availability and access to good and prescribed books is yet another

consideration and often the candidates are also guided by this factor,particularly in smaller towns. Books for preliminary examination are available

in plenty in common subjects but in case of specialised optionals likeMathematics, Engineering, Agriculture etc, one has to look carefully for good

books which cover all parts of the syllabus.

General Studies

General Studies paper consists of questions on Indian Polity and Economy,

History of India including Indian National Movement, Indian and World


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Geography, Current Affairs of National and International Importance, General

and day-to-day Science, Mental Ability and Basics of Statistics etc. Questionson planning, budgeting, developmental programmes, latest issues of politicaland constitutional importance, panchayati raj, electoral reforms, natural

resources, culture, growth of nationalism, Committees, Commission etc can be

expected almost every year. Questions on Environment (not requiring subjectknowledge but related to day-to-day issues) will also be asked. Emphasisnormally are placed on the general aspects of the subject which every educated

person aspiring to join the Civil Services as an officer, is expected to know.

The fact that this paper needs special and thorough preparations need not beover-emphasised. The aspiring candidates are expected to have keen interest inthe General Studies and are supposed to have a good amount of interest incurrent affairs. All the preparation starting from a scratch cannot be completedin the short period of 4 to 5 months and the candidates must beginpreparations early. Regular and detailed reading of a good national newspaper,

a standard competition magazine and a basic book on general knowledge is theessential pre-requisite. Those readers who still have two to three years of timeleft for becoming eligible to go in for Civil Services Examination must begin

preparations now. The candidates who do not have enough background in theGeneral Studies may have to put in harder effort to catch up with the others.

Current Affairs and Current General Knowledge is covered well at

competitionmaster.com. There are also quick revision notes on History,Geography and Indian Constitution. You will also find the General Knowledgesection of the website useful. In addition, a good and basic book on IndianConstitution, latest plan document and budget/economic survey, basic books

like NCERT books on Indian History and National Movement, World and IndianGeography and General Science are certain other books which can fruitfullysupplement the efforts. A good backgrounder on major national and

international events assists the fresh starters to understand the background ofany social, economic or political event, enabling them to understand the details

and developments in a better way. In addition, the candidates who haverecently taken the examination may also be consulted.

The candidates must bear one thing in mind. Exhaustive study of each andevery aspect of the General Studies is essential. It would be wrong to presume

that any single book would suffice. Every book has its strong and weak parts. It

is, therefore, left to the candidate to consult as many books as possible, so thatevery aspect is studied in the required detail. Another important point isefficient time planning. The time available with the candidates for preparationsis limited and it has to be intelligently utilised. The candidates must not wastethe time unnecessarily by going into lengthy details of one particular aspect,leaving other important aspects untouched. Moreover, it is better to draw up aformal time table so that no aspects of both the papers is left unprepared.


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To prepare for Section II practice solving questions on Reasoning, Quantitative

Aptitude and Objective English (especially the comprehension type questions)as much as you can. Competitionmaster.com provides you with some practicetests. There are various books in the market providing practice tests. Practice

as much as possible for success in this section.

Success Plan for Mains

Preparations for the Civil Services Mains Exam should start along with those ofPreliminary exam. This is because there is much common ground for study,and there is little time for the mains exam if one waits for the results of thePreliminaries. It is a long haul and preparations should be done with

persistence, over nine months to an year.

Choice of subjectsOne of the first questions that has to be answered is the choice of subjects.

Here the choice should not only be with regard to your interests but also withregard to the study material available. It has been found that even science andengineering students take up subjects like history, sociology, anthropology,grography, political science, psychology and public administration becausethere is a huge amount of study material available, which covers the entire

syllabus. Even if your branch of study is different, it is advisable to keep intouch with one of these subjects which will help you when you start

preparations. Start collecting books and readings once you have made yourchoice.

The next step is to make a time-bound study plan, which would include not

only studying the subject but improvement of writing expression. This is doneby writing down the answers to the questions asked in previous years' papers.Show these answers to someone you know, like a teacher in your college oruniversity, parents or friends. The study should be done according to thesyllabus and also in the same chronological order as given in the syllabus.

The following topics need coverage for General Studies:

i) Current Affairs - National and International

ii) Indian Polityiii) Indian Economy

iv) Geography of Indiav) Science and Technologyvi) History of India and Freedom Movement

vii) Study of thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru andRabindranath Tagore

viii) Statistics and General Mathematics Ability

To study current affairs, it is essential to read one national newspaper. Regular


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reading of the Current Affairs sections of Competitionmaster.com will be very

helpful. When you are studying the round up of national and internationalaffairs, efforts should not be merely taking up the information but also tounderstand the issues involved. Go into the background of events. Get to know

these issues and be clear about them so that you can answer questions on

them.

Reading List

With regard to other topics, the books published by the NCERT are the bestsource of study. Take up the text-books for classes IX, X, XI and XII. However,

ust reading these books will not serve the purpose. What is essential is thatthe person taking up self-study must pick up past question papers and writedown the answers to questions asked therein. A practice in writing is what isrequired to attempt the paper. Many students make the mistake of studying forhours but have no practice in writing down the answers, which costs heavilyduring the exam. The skill required is that of organising the arguments and

making a coherent answer from the diverse material. One more thing that mustbe kept in mind is that the answers must be a little different from others andmust have some extra bit that is missed out by others. This is not difficult if

one has understood the issue in depth.

One important aspect of the Civil Services Mains Exam is that the questions donot ask for mere information as a reply, but seek analysis backed with

arguments from the candidates. Usually, one gets the impression that oneknows everything but thoughts do not flow out naturally as one puts pen topaper. Hence, writing down the answers is an important aspect of thepreparation. Another thing is that the candidate must carefully read the

questions in order to make out what the examiner is asking. Having done that,it is important to organise one's thoughts before writing and the sequence ofthe answer should be from the most important/potent aspect to less important

aspects.

If you do not have someone to show your answers, keep them away and after agap of some time, read them again. You will discover many mistakes, whichearlier you could not. Analyse the answers in order to improve them. Thisexercise of re-analysis of answers improves the ability to be precise. One of theimportant requirements of the Mains exam is that the answers should be crisp

and to-the-point.

Optional subjectsWhile studying for the optional subjects, keep in mind that there is no scopefor selective studies in the Civil Services Examination. The whole syllabus mustbe completely and thoroughly covered. Invariably, some candidates organisetheir studies in a manner that they study one subject thoroughly, with reducedemphasis on their second subject. It is imperative that equal stress be given to

both the subjects you have chosen.


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It is also important to remember that the level of questions asked is of theMasters level examination. The questions have an added spin in order to bringout the grasp of the candidate with regard to the basic concepts of the subject.

Hence, if you choose subjects in which you do not have a basic grounding, it

would be advisable to start from simple books. After getting the grasp of thebasic concepts, start with higher level study material. Here again, reflections onbasic concepts and their application in real life is important. For best

preparation and a success plan, it is suggested that the candidate make ahabit of beginning his study by writing answers to three questions each day,

one each from General Studies and two from optional subjects. Questionsshould be chosen from previous years' papers and the answer writing shouldbe preceded by study on the subject.

Most candidates do not have problems with regard to English and Hindiexaminations and are able to qualify in them easily. However, it is important to

have a good working knowledge of the two languages. In order to improve thisskill, pick up a General Studies book and translate it into the language inwhich you are weak. For instance, if you are weak in Hindi, try translating

important essays on current affairs into Hindi which will not only improvefluency but also the general knowledge. Another way is to write letters to

friends in the language that one is weak in.

Studying for General StudiesGiving a detailed description of the optional subjects is not feasible here but wegive here some suggested readings for the General Studies paper. Studentsshould remember that this list is not exhaustive and they should choose the

books themselves based on recommendations of previous successful students,teachers and guides, etc. We are giving a list as a general requirement. NCERT,IGNOU booklets and National Book Trust (NBT) publications are quite helpful.

For the Preliminary paper, study the following books:

History: NCERT books of class XI and XII, Freedom Struggle (published byNational Book Trust)Geography: Class XII books of Geography (NCERT), a good atlas.Indian Polity: Introduction to the Indian Constitution.Indian Economy: NCERT and other books on Evolution of the Indian

Economy.

General Science: NCERT books on science, a science magazine or newspapersupplements on science.Current Events: A national newspaper, The Competition Master,newsmagazines.General Mental Ability: Do the Quantitative Aptitude published in TheCompetition Master, past test papers.

For the main examination, the study should be done in more detail. In addition


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to the above readings, the following are suggested as well:

History: India's Struggle for Independence, IGNOU publications on ModernIndia.

Indian Culture: Art and culture portions of history books, India Yearbook

(culture chapter), Encyclopaedia on Indian Culture, Gazetteer of India, bookson culture published by Publications Division and National Book Trust.Current Affairs: A national newspaper, The Competition Master, current

affairs programmes on Doordarshan, newsmagazines.Statistics: Class XI NCERT book on Statistics.

Indian Polity: Introduction to the Constitution, Parliament.Indian Geography: NCERT books on Indian Geography.Indian Economy: NCERT and other books on Indian Economy, financialnewspapers, The Competition Master carries regular analysis of the IndianEconomy.Science: A science magazine, supplements in newspapers.

InterviewThe final stage is that of interview. There are cases where students clear the

preliminary and the mains but fail at the last stage. The secret is to start forpreparations for the interview along with the written test. Develop the habit of

debating and discussing issues with friends or parents. Listen to the currentaffairs programmes and learn to organise thoughts the way the participants do.

Develop interests and hobbies so that you are able to answer convincingly.Understand the current affairs and the issues behind the events. Rememberthat the interview is not a cross examination but a natural but purposefulconversation. It is an opportunity to reveal the mental qualities of a candidate.

The interview is not a test of specialised knowledge, as that has already beentested in written examination. The idea is to see the social traits of a person

and his personality as suited to a career in the Civil Services. If a person givesthe impression of being a bookworm, the chances of his selection are reduced.

The candidate must exhibit an intelligent interest in events happening aroundhim so that he appears to be a complete personality.

Finally, there is a very frequently asked question about whether a candidateshould join a coaching centre and if so, which one. Coaching centres are

helpful in the sense that they develop a discipline of attending regular classes.

An instructor may be available who can give an opinion about the answerswritten by a candidate. At the same time, the candidate will meet like-mindedpeople with whom he can develop the habit of debating and discussion.However, the coaching centre must be chosen with care: the instructor must beerudite enough to be able to guide students. If he is not well read, the chancesof guiding others would be diminished.

It must also be remembered that preparation for the optional subjects must be


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done on one's own, as it is unlikely that any coaching centre would be able to

do justice to all the subjects.

Preliminary Exam

Civil Services Aptitude Test

The new Recruitment Process of Civil Services Exam conducted by the UPSC(Union Public Service Commission) is called theCSAT or the Civil Services

Aptitude Test. The CSAT is coming into effect from the Civil ServicesExamination, 2011. CSAT will not only enable us to choose civil servants with
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right aptitudes but also end the use of scaling system for varying subjects that

has been a matter of concern for many. No changes are being introduced atthis stage in the Civil Services (Main) Examination and Personality Test in thescheme of Civil Services Examination (CSE).

Scheme of Civil Services Examination

The Civil Services Examination consists of two successive stages -

(i) Civil Services Preliminary Examination (Objective type) for the selection of

candidates for the Main Examination; and

(ii) Civil Services Main Examination (Written and Interview) for the selectionof candidates for the various Services and posts noted above.

The Preliminary Examination consists of two papers of Objective type(multiple choice questions) and carry a maximum of 400 marks. There are

two compulsory papers of 200 marks each. The question papers are be set

both in Hindi and English. However, questions relating to English LanguageComprehension skills are tested through passages from English Languageonly without providing Hindi translation. Each paper is of two hours

duration. Blind candidates are allowed extra time of twenty minutes for eachpaper.

Scheme of CS (Preliminary) Examination

This examination is meant to serve as a screening test only; the marks

obtained in the Preliminary Examination by the candidates who are declaredqualified for admission to the Main Examination will not be counted for

determining their final order of merit. The number of candidates to be

admitted to the Main Examination will be about twelve to thirteen times thetotal approximate number of vacancies to be filled in the year in the variousServices and Posts. Only those candidates who are declared by theCommission to have qualified in the Preliminary Examination in the year willbe eligible for admission to the Main Examination of that year provided theyare otherwise eligible for admission to the Main Examination.

UPSC Prelims Exam Syllabus 2012

Paper I - (200 marks) Duration: Two hours

Current events of national and international importance

History of India and Indian National Movement Indian and World Geography - Physical, Social, Economic geography of

India and the World.

Indian Polity and GovernanceConstitution, Political System,Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Economic and Social DevelopmentSustainable Development, Poverty,Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.


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General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and ClimateChange - that do not require subject specialization

General Science.Paper II- (200 marks) Duration: Two hours

Comprehension Interpersonal skills including communication skills; Logical reasoning and analytical ability Decision making and problem solving General mental ability Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude etc.)

(Class X level) Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. -Class X

level)

English Language Comprehension skills (Class X level).


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The Main examination comprises of nine papers, all of them of a descriptivetype conducted within a span of 20 days.

It is designed to test not only the academic talent of the aspirant but also hisability to coordinate and present his knowledge in a clear and coherentmanner. The main Examination is intended to assess the overall intellectualtraits and depth of understanding of candidates rather than merely the rangeof their information and memory.

The scope of the syllabus for the optional subject papers for the examinat ionis broadly of the honours degree level i.e. a level higher than the bachelorsdegree and lower than the masters degree. In the case of Engineering and

law, the level corresponds to the bachelor's degree.

Civil Services Main Examination Timetable

Part B - Main Examination - Optional Subjects

Paper-I

One of theIndian Languagesto beselected by the candidate from the 22languages included in the VIIIthSchedule to the Constitution (QualifyingPaper)

300 Marks

Paper-II English (Qualifying Paper) 300 Marks

Paper-III Essay[in the medium you choose] 200 Marks

Papers IV& V

General Studies(300 Marks for eachpaper)

600 Marks

PapersVI, VII,VIII & IX

Any two subjects (each having 2 papers)to be selected from the prescribed

optional subjects (300 marks for eachpaper)

1200 Marks
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Total Marks for Written Examination 2000 Marks

Interview Test[in the medium you choose] 300 Marks

Grand Total 2300 Marks

General StudiesEssayEnglish QualifyingIndian Languages

Agriculture Main SyllabusAnimal Husbandry & Veterinary

ScienceBotany Main SyllabusChemistry Main SyllabusCivil Engineering Main Syllabus

Commerce Main SyllabusEconomics Main Syllabus

Electrical Engineering Main

SyllabusGeography Main SyllabusGeology Main SyllabusIndian History Main Syllabus

Law Main SyllabusMathematics Main Syllabus

Mechanical Engineering MainSyllabus

Medical Science Main SyllabusPhilosophy Main SyllabusPhysics Main Syllabus

Political Science Main SyllabusPsychology Main Syllabus

Public Administration Main SyllabusSociology Main SyllabusStatistics Main SyllabusZoology Main SyllabusAnthropology Main SyllabusArabic Main Syllabus

Assamese Main Syllabus

Bengali Main SyllabusChinese Main SyllabusEnglish Main SyllabusFrench Main Syllabus

German Main SyllabusGujarati Main Syllabus

Hindi Main SyllabusKannada Main SyllabusKashmiri Main SyllabusKonkani Main Syllabus

Malayalam Main SyllabusManipuri Main SyllabusMarathi Main Syllabus

Nepali Main SyllabusOriya Main SyllabusPali Main SyllabusPersian Main Syllabus

Punjabi Main SyllabusRussian Main Syllabus

Sanskrit Main SyllabusSindhi Main Syllabus

Tamil Main SyllabusTelugu Main SyllabusUrdu Main Syllabus

Management Main Syllabus
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viceindia.com/subject/Chinese/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/English/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/English/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/French/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/French/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/German/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/German/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Gujarati/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Gujarati/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Hindi/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Hindi/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Kannada/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Kannada/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Kashmiri/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Kashmiri/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Konkani/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Konkani/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Malayalam/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Malayalam/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Manipuri/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Manipuri/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Marathi/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Marathi/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Nepali/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Nepali/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Oriya/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Oriya/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Pali/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Pali/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Persian/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Persian/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Punjabi/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Punjabi/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Russian/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Russian/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Sanskrit/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Sanskrit/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Sindhi/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Sindhi/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Tamil/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Tamil/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Telugu/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Telugu/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Urdu/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Urdu/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Management/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Management/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Management/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Urdu/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Telugu/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Tamil/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Sindhi/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Sanskrit/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Russian/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Punjabi/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Persian/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Pali/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Oriya/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Nepali/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Marathi/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Manipuri/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Malayalam/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Konkani/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Kashmiri/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Kannada/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Hindi/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Gujarati/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/German/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/French/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/English/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Chinese/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Bengali/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Assamese/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Arabic/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Anthropology/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Zoology/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Statistics/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.thisismyindia.com/education/civil-services-syllabus-sociology.htmlhttp://www.thisismyindia.com/education/civil-services-syllabus-public-administration.htmlhttp://www.thisismyindia.com/education/civil-services-syllabus-psychology.htmlhttp://www.thisismyindia.com/education/civil-services-syllabus-political-science.htmlhttp://www.thisismyindia.com/education/civil-services-syllabus-physics.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Philosophy/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Medical-Science/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Mechanical-Engineering/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Mechanical-Engineering/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Mathematics/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Law/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.thisismyindia.com/education/civil-services-syllabus-history.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Geology/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.thisismyindia.com/education/civil-services-syllabus-geography.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Electrical-Engineering/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Electrical-Engineering/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.thisismyindia.com/education/civil-services-syllabus-economics.htmlhttp://www.thisismyindia.com/education/civil-services-syllabus-commerce.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Civil-Engineering/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Chemistry/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Botany/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Animal-Husbandry/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Animal-Husbandry/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Agriculture/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Indian-Languages/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/English-Qualifying/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Essay/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/General-Studies/main-syllabus.htmlhttp://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/interview.html


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Subject Strategy - How to Choose your subjects for the Mains exam

How to choose a subject? That's one question that haunts many students whomany times, loose precious time waiting for that decision to happen. Now that

UPSC has done away with specific subjects at the preliminary stage, studentsshould perhaps find it easier to get down to preprations straight away. Even

then, One should chooose one's subject well ahead of time, so as to have ampletime to collect notes and books, and also to form study groups.

Normally one should select optionals, which one is familiar with, or has atleast studied till the graduate level. If you are not comfortable with the

subject, you should not select the subject as an optional. But the choiceshould not only be as per your interests but also be based on the studymaterial available. Even science and engineering students take up subjects

like history, sociology, anthropology, grography, political science, psychologyand public administration because there is a huge amount of study material


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available in these subjects. Also keep in mind that you may have been

proficient in a subject, but lack of touch may make it tougher to cracktechnical subject where freshers may do better. The competition is among thepeople who have opted for the same subject. One should top in his/her

subject to succeed in the examination. The Point is, if you are an electrical

engineer with 2 years of experience go for a new subject like pub adm orsociology.

Analyse the syllabus of previous years and the question papers, and analysepast trends. Get some feedback/advice from seniors and fellow students whoare well versed in the subject. Remember no subject is bad. History is good ifyou can spend more than 4-5 hours everyday. Geography is a good option ifyou can spend at least 4 hrs every day. Pub Ad, more than 3 hours.Sociology, more than 2 hours and so on.... So, it all depends on how muchtime you can spend a day and your liking of the subject. You have a very

good memory then a technical subject may help else a social subject wouldbe better. Lastly look for overlap in subjects like, sociology and pubad;

history and political science etc.

Subject Combinations not allowed by UPSC for IAS exam

The following are some combinations that the UPSC does not allow:

Political Science & International Relations and Public Administration

Commerce and Management

Anthropology and Sociology

Maths and Statistics

Agriculture and Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science

Management and Public Administration

Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science and Medical Science

Any two branches of engineering.

Combination of two literatures.


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List of Optional Subjects - IAS (Main)

- (Total 25)

Agriculture Management

Animal Husbandry & Vetinary

ScienceMathematics

Anthropology Mechanical Engineering

Botany Medical Science

Chemistry Philosophy

Civil Engineering Physics

Commerce & AccountancyPolitical Science &

International Relations

Economics Psychology

Geography Sociology

Geology Statistics

Indian History Zoology

INDIAN CIVIL SERVICES : SCHEME OF EXAMINATION

The Civil Services Examination is conducted by UPSC (Union Public ServiceCommission) every year.

The examination has three stages i.e.,(1) Civil Services Preliminary Examinations (CSP) - normally conducted during

the second half of May.(2) Civil Services (Main) Examinations conducted during the month of

October/November. Here, those who are selected in thepreliminary examination only are eligible to appear.


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(3) Those who are selected in the main examination will be eligible to appear

before the Interview Board at New Delhi.

Preliminary Examination (CSP)

CSP consists of two papers Which is common for all candidates from 2011 i.e.,No optional paper is there in CSP form 2011.This is the first stage of CivilServices Examination. This is an Objective type examination consisting of Two

Papers that is common to all candidates from 2011 having special emphasis ontesting their aptitude for civil services as well as on ethical and moraldimension of decision making. Normally, there are about 3 lakh applicationsfor the preliminary examination. From this, the UPSC selects 10 to 12 folds ofvacancies for the main examinations. This is only for the selection and not to

be taken into consideration in the main ranking.

Subjects for Preliminary Examination:

As per the decision of Government of India, there shall be change in

the syllabus and pattern of the Preliminary Examination from 2011 in the

scheme of the Civil Services Examination.

The Preliminary Examination shall now comprise of two compulsory Papers of

200 marks each and of two hours duration each. Detailed below is the

new syllabus and pattern of the Preliminary Examination, which is brought to

the notice of the prospective candidates intending to appear at the Civil

Services Examination (CSE) in 2011 onwards:

Paper I - (200 marks) Duration: Two hours

Current events of national and international importance

History of India and Indian National Movement

Indian and World Geography - Physical, Social, Economic geography

of India and the World.

Indian Polity and GovernanceConstitution, Political System,

Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.


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Economic and Social DevelopmentSustainable Development,

Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate

Change - that do not require subject specialization

General Science.

Paper II- (200 marks) Duration: Two hours

Comprehension

Interpersonal skills including communication skills;

Logical reasoning and analytical ability

Decision making and problem solving

General mental ability

Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude

etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data

sufficiency etc. -Class X level)

English Language Comprehension skills (Class X level).

Questions relating to English Language Comprehension skills of Class X level

(last item in the Syllabus of Paper-II) will be tested through passages from

English language only without providing Hindi translation thereof in the

question

paper.

The questions will be of multiple choice, objective type.


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Main Examination

NOTE:The prospective candidates are advised to note that no changes are

being introduced at this stage in the Civil Services (Main) Examination andPersonality Test in the scheme of Civil Services Examination (CSE) for 2011

Onwards.

Only those who are declared by the Commission to have qualified in the

Preliminary Examination in a year, are eligible for the Main examination of thatyear, provided they are otherwise eligible for the Main Examination.

Civil Services Main examination has two optional subjects (two papers each

carries 300 marks), one General Studies (two papers each carries 300 marks),one essay (carries 200 marks) - total 2000 marks. Other than this, there aretwo language papers one in Indian language and one in General English at thelevel of 10th standard. This is to test the ability of the candidate's proficiency in

his mother tongue / Indian language and English. Total nine papers. These twopapers carry 300 marks each but it will not be considered for the ranking. It is

must to clear these two papers. If a candidate fails to clear these papers, his

other papers will not be evaluated.

The Main Examination is intended to assess the overall intellectual traits andthe depth of understanding of the candidates, rather than merely the range oftheir information and memory. Sufficient choice of questions is allowed in the

question papers.

Optional Subjects for the Main Examination:

Optional subjects: Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science,

Botany, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Commerce and Accountancy, Economics,Electrical Engineering, Geography, Geology, History, Law, Management,

Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Medical Science, Philosophy, Physics,Political Science and International Relations, Psychology, PublicAdministration, Sociology, Statistics, Zoology. Each paper is of 3 hours

duration.

Literatures:

Arabic, Assamese, Bengali, Chinese, English, French, German, Gujarati, Hindi,Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Marathi, Malayalam, Manipuri, Nepali, Oriya,

Pali, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu.

The following combinations not allowed are:

Political Science & International Relations and Public AdministrationCommerce and Management


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Anthropology and Sociology

Maths and StatisticsAgriculture and Animal Husbandry and Veterinary ScienceManagement and Public Administration

Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science and Medical Science

Any two branches of engineering.Combination of two literatures in the above list.

Interview:

At interview stage, two-fold vacancies are called to appear before the UPSCBoard. Interview carries 300 marks. Interview calls are sent on the basis ofminimum marks fixed by the UPSC at its discretion. The overall ranking isdone based on the Mains performance (i.e., 2000 marks) and interview.

Therefore, the total marks involved in the ranking are 2300. Candidates areallotted various services keeping in view their ranks in the examination and

preferences given by them in their main application form.

Note:

If a person fails in either in mains or interview, he has to appear once again

from the preliminary stage.

Eligibility Conditions:

(i) Nationality:

(1) For the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service, a

candidate must be a citizen of India.

(2) For other services, a candidate must be either:

(a) A citizen of India, or

(b) a subject of Nepal, or

(c) a subject of Bhutan, or

(d) a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before 1st January, 1962 with the

intention of permanently settling in India. or

(e) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Srilanka,

East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania,Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and Vietnam with the intention of permanently

settling in India.

Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d) and (e) shall be a

person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the

Government of India.

Provided further that candidates belonging to categories (b), (c) and (d) above


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will not be eligible for appointment to the Indian Foreign Service.

A candidate, in whose case a certificate of eligibility is necessary, may be

admitted to the examination but the offer of appointment may be given only

after the necessary eligibility certificate has been issued to him by the

Government of India.

(ii) Minimum Educational Qualifications:

The candidate must hold a degree of any of Universities incorporated by an Act

of the Central or State Legislature in India or other educational institutions

established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University

Under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, or possess an

equivalent qualification.

Note I:

Candidates who have appeared at an examination the passing of which would

render them educationally qualified for the Commission's examination but have

not been informed of the results as also the candidates who intend to appear at

such a qualifying examination will also be eligible for admission to the

Preliminary Examination. All candidates who are declared qualified by the

Commission for taking the Civil Services (Main) Examination will be required to

produce proof of passing the requisite examination with their application for

the Main Examination failing which such candidates will not be admitted to the

Main Examination.

Note II:

In exceptional cases the Union Public Service Commission may treat acandidate who has not any of the foregoing qualifications as a qualifiedcandidate provided that he has passed examination conducted by the otherInstitutions, the standard of which in the opinion of the Commission justifies

his admission to the examination.

Note III:

Candidates possessing professional and technical qualifications, which are

recognised by Government, as equivalent to professional and technical degreewould also be eligible for admission to the examination.

Note IV:

Candidates who have passed the final professional M.B.B.S. or any otherMedical Examination but have not completed their internship by the time ofsubmission of their applications for the Civil Services (Main) Examination, will


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be provisionally admitted to the Examination provided they submit along with

their application a copy of certificate from the concerned authority of theUniversity/Institution that they had passed the requisite final professionalmedical examination. In such cases, the candidates will be required to produce

at the time of their interview original Degree or a certificate from the concerned

competent authority of the University/Institution that they had completed allrequirements (including completion of internship) for the award of the Degree.

(iii) Age limit:

21 years must be completed on 1st August of the year, which a candidate is

appearing. Maximum 30 for general category, 33 for OBCs and 35 for SCs/STs.

Ex-servicemen will get 5 more years exemption from the prescribed age limit.

(The date of birth accepted by the Commission is that entered in theMatriculation or Secondary School Leaving Certificate or in a certificaterecognised by an Indian University as equivalent to Matriculation or in anextract from a Register of Matriculates maintained by a University, whichextract must be certified by the proper authority of the University or in the

Higher Secondary or an equivalent examination certificate).

(iv) Number of Attempts:

Four attempts for open, seven for OBCs and no limit for SCs/STs. If a personappears in the Preliminary Examination or even one paper is counted as an

attempt.

(v) Restrictions on applying for the examination:

A candidate who is appointed to the Indian Administrative Service or the Indian

Foreign Service on the results of an earlier examination and continues to be a

member of that service will not be eligible to compete at this examination.

How to Apply:

(a) The UPSC have developed an application form common for all theirexaminations, which will be processed on computerised machines. This

application form alongwith an Information Brochure containing generalinstructions for filling up the form, an acknowledgement card and an envelopefor sending the application is obtainable from the designated Head Post

Offices/Post Offices throughout the country as against cash payment of Rs.20/- (Rupees twenty only). Form should be purchased from the designated Post

Offices only and not from any other agency. This form can be used only onceand for only one examination. Candidates must use the form supplied with theInformation Brochure only and they should in no case use photocopy /


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reproduction / unauthorisedly printed copy of the Form. Since this form is

electronically scannable, due care should be taken to fill up the applicationform, correctly. While filling up the application form, please refer to detailed

instructions given in the Notice.

Civil Services Books For General Studies


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Preliminary IAS (General Studies)

Subject Indian History

Good books

(more content follows the advertisement below)A D V E R T I S E M E N T

History books of Classes XI and XII - NCERT Freedom Struggle (NET) - Bipin Chandra

Subject World Geography - including Indian Geography

Good books

Principles of Geography (Class XII-Part I, II) General Geography of India (Class XII) Part I - NCERT Geography of India - Resources and Regional Development

Part II (Class XII) - NCERT Physical Geography - Leong Atlas

Subject Indian PolityGood book

Introduction to Indian Constitution - D.D. Basu Related

Subject Indian Economy

Good books

Evolution of Indian Economy - NCERT Indian Economy - Dutt and Sundharam.


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Indian Economy - Mishra and Puri

Subject General Science

Good books

NCERT books on Science. Science and Technology supplements in the Newspapers

and magazines.

Subject Current Events of National and Internationalimportance.

Good books

One major National Daily - Either The Times of India orThe Hindu.

Newsweeklies like India Today or/and Outlook Current Events - Spectrum

Subject General Mental AbilityGood books

No special preparation is required in this area. But somepractice may be done from any exercise books orquantitative aptitude. In fact, an intelligent calculation is

the basic requirement for this topic.

Main (General Studies)

Subject History of Modern India

Good books

India's struggle for Independence - Bipan Chandraand others.

Modern India - NCERT. Freedom Struggle (NBT) - Bipan Chandra Modern India - IGNOU

o If one is hard pressed for time, he/she may


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skip the Modern India and Freedom Struggle.

Subject Indian Culture

Good books

Art and Culture portions of history books andGazetteer of India.

Culture Chapter (s) in the India Year Book. Encyclopaedia of Indian Culture. A good library

invariably has more than one encyclopaedia onIndian Art and Culture selected notes may be taken

from it.

Books on culture / cultural topics brought out byPublications Division of Ministry of Information and

broadcasting and National Book Trust.

Subject Current AffairsGood books

At least one major national newspaper - either TheTimes of India or The Hindu

Newsweeklies like India Today or/and Outlook Current Affairs and News Analysis of BBC. Current events - Spectrum

Subject Statistics

Good book

Book on Statistics (Class XI) - NCERT

Subject Indian Polity and ConstitutionGood books

Introduction to the Constitution of India - D.D.


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Basu.

Our Parliament - S.C. Kashyap

Subject Indian Geography and EconomyGood books

Indian Geography (Class XI and XII) - NCERT Yozna Indian Economy - Dutt and Sundharam/Mishra and

Puri

The editorial page of the Economic Times.

Subject Science and TechnologyGood books

Science and Technology section of the Wednesdayedition of the newspaper 'The Hindu'.

Science and Technology Published by the Spectrum. Yozna contains science and environment related

topics.

UPSC Preparation

Documents

Transcript of UPSC Preparation