How do you strategies & plan for the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2020?
Are you thinking about planning and strategising before beginning your journey of the UPSC Civil Services preparation? You are on the right path, it is very important to plan and strategise for the successful culmination of any task. It is more so when the task at hand is slightly serious in nature,
How do you strategies & plan for the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2020?
Are you thinking about planning and strategising before beginning your journey of the UPSC Civil Services preparation? You are on the right path, it is very important to plan and strategise for the successful culmination of any task. It is more so when the task at hand is slightly serious in nature, involving stiff competition and having high stakes for you as it is in case of the Civil Services examination. At the outset, let me distinguish between a plan and a strategy. A plan could be seen as a subset of the strategy, which in turn could be seen as slightly broader in nature, spanning over longer period of time and involving action. A plan could be short-term or long-term but a strategy involves an overarching approach, taking into account the entire gamut of activities for the successful culmination of the task and invariably spans over the entire period of that activity.
Methodology of Planning and Strategising
Below are some points that you can consider while making your plan and Stratigies.
Focus on the Strategy with Requirements and Goals
The first point that you would like to consider is that to focus on the strategy of the Civil Services examination simultaneously with the requirement to act on the plans that constitute them. You must also remember that the driving force to ensure success in the implementation of any strategy is very important. And in case of the Civil Services examination, the clarity of goal is what works as a driving force. Therefore, you must be very clear about your chosen goal, which I am sure is to be a Civil Servant. You should also be entirely convinced that this is the career that is best suited for you. This thinking would enable you to feel committed to do everything that is required to achieve this goal.
While formulating your strategy, you should first look at the broader methodology that is conducive to the preparation of the Civil Service examination in general terms. After having determined that, you should then look inwards in terms of determining your own areas of strengths and weaknesses. Such a self-assessment could also include your educational background, interests and hobbies. Based on such awareness, you should customise the broader methodology to devise your own strategy suiting your own particular purpose and approach for the preparation of the Civil Services examination in the optimum time possible.
Understanding of the Civil Services Syllabus and the Pattern
Another very important aspect of the UPSC strategy is the understanding of the Civil Services syllabus and the pattern of the examination as also a clear idea of the three different stages of the examination and the requirements that are expected of a candidate to clear each of these respective stages. If you look at the syllabus of the UPSC Civil Services examination, you will realise that the General Studies figures predominantly in the entire scheme of the examination and percolates all the three stages. Therefore, the most important part of your strategy of Civil Services preparation should be to have a proper command over this segment of the syllabus.
Choice of Optional Subject
Another important aspect of the Civil Service examination is the choice of Optional Subject. You should determine very carefully as to what could be your Optional Subject and such a choice should be based on your educational background, your interests in that subject and your ability to answer the questions that are asked in the Optional papers. In order to ensure this, you may go through the previous years’ question papers and can match that with your interests or inclinations towards the chosen Optional Subject.
Command Over Answer Writing Skills
Still another important element of your strategy for clearing the Civil Service examination is the command over answer writing skills. It is this skill that will fetch you more marks in the Mains examination. Finally, for clearing the third stage of the Civil Services examination, i.e., the Interview or the Personality Test, you must have a good command over your spoken skills. This is important because unlike the PT or the Mains, in the Interview it is the verbal ability that will count as this is the method through which you would be answering the questions in the Interview.
Micro Level Planning by Incorporating the Detailed Approach
Effectively, these are the elements that should constitute the method of devising your strategy for clearing the Civil Service examination. Once you have this broader outline in place then you can get into micro level planning by incorporating the detailed approach. This stage of your planning would surely require the allocation of time on each day, week and month. This should also incorporate your attempt to figure out as to when you will be preparing for the Preliminary examination and when you will start preparing for the Mains examination; as also the ratio of time that you would be devoting to the three stages of the examination.
If you follow this methodology of planning and strategising for the Civil Services examination, you can come out with flying colours in this examination. Last but not the least, You must emphasise that a crucial part of your strategy to ensure success in the Civil Services examination constitute your self-assessment at all the three stages. This can be done through regular Mock tests. Please remember that the more you test yourself, the better your ability would be not just in answering the questions but also in culling out useful output from the further studies. Mock tests equip you to focus more on the requirements of the examination and accordingly help you to optimise your efforts towards the preparation for the competition. Mock tests also help you in developing a clear perspective of the nature of the competition and your relative standing in that completion.
Such an understanding would also help you in confidently facing the UPSC Civil Services examination so that you do not just successfully clear this examination but also get a high rank, which is very essential to get the service of your choice eventually.
