Are There Any Shortcuts to Becoming an IAS Officer?

Someone has beautifully said that Hard Work is like steps and shortcuts are like lifts. Lifts might stop working but steps always take you to the top. Many people search for shortcuts to crack the IAS exams but there is no shortcut for success other than hard work and dedication.

Are There Any Shortcuts to Becoming an IAS Officer?

Someone has beautifully said that Hard Work is like steps and shortcuts are like lifts. Lifts might stop working but steps always take you to the top. Many people search for shortcuts to crack the IAS exams but there is no shortcut for success other than hard work and dedication. Plus, in examinations like IAS where the passing percentage is low, patience is also an essential skill you should have. So, to be straightforward there is no shortcut to being an IAS except hard work determination, and preparation. Yes, there are some tips or we should better say planning adopted by toppers to pass the exam with flying colours. These tips help you in drawing out the strategy for the preparation of IAS.

Manage Your Time Efficiently

Time management is a must if you really want to crack IAS. The syllabus of the IAS exam is very vast and detailed. The subjects are also not less. So, managing time is a crucial task to do. First of all, there is a need to prioritize your work. Try to devote maximum time for studies. When you're not studying, you can take a break and pursue your hobbies. Take time to watch the news as well to keep yourself updated with the current affairs.

For better planning and management of available time, you should make a list of the syllabus, available time and your priorities. Take a pen and paper and write the plan in your head. If possible stick it on a place where you can see it daily. This keeps on reminding you of the things to do. Divide your syllabus into weeks, days, and daily hours. Assign yourself a target to achieve. Allocate more time to subjects that need more attention or are difficult for you. Lesser time can be given to subjects that are relatively easier.

Make Best Use of Mobile Phones

Mobile phones are becoming a problem more than a solution for us. Indeed! It's an amazing piece of technology in our hands but it all depends on what we are reaping out of it. Parents to young students are worried about excessive use of mobile phones and shifting focus from the studies. Those who are appearing in IAS exams are adults and wise enough to understand the fact that excessive and unnecessary use of mobile phones can be harmful to their career. But as you know social media addiction is nurturing due to easy access through phones, people are wasting their time.

Yes, they give a lot of useful information but it is better to watch news channels rather than Facebook and Instagram. You can make better use of mobile phones surfing on the web to learn useful and fruitful things like watching youtube videos, online general knowledge quiz, etc.

Do The Smart Work Along Hard Work

If you think that, you can memorize the whole syllabus and crack the IAS exams, you're absolutely wrong! The education system along with examination pattern now has changed. It is shifting on a practical approach rather than just filling the sheets of paper sitting at the exam hall. Smart work includes proper planning, learning fundamentals in a practical way, studying case studies, and learning according to the paper pattern.

Hard work is of course needed but if it blends with smart work the probability of cracking the exam rises. Say for an example, there are 20 topics covered in your book, out of which the marks allotted to 5 topics is quite low, you may take them at last of your planning or may even skip them. Taking risk helps in clearing exams but that doesn't mean you take a risk on main topics. The percentage of asking them in the exam is more.

Make a Choice of Correct Study Material to Refer

It is significant that you should consult the right study materials, books, and notes. Experts have suggested that IAS aspirants should refer books from NCERT and trusted authors for different subjects. It can't be said that if an author is good for one subject, books of other subjects are equally good. Select the books that contain the precise and clear understanding of the subject. Avoid books where everything is ready for spoon-feeding because this won't bring the conceptual clarity of the subject.

Also, take enough time to solve question papers of previous years so that you can get insight into the exam pattern and a brief idea about it.

Find Out Your Weaknesses

You should know your weak areas and work upon making improvements. For this, you may take part in test series and solve questions to get an idea about the time consumed by each question as well as nervousness and feel the exam pressure. Focus on converting weakness into strength.