CIVIL SERVICES

N D Gowri Shankar
IISc, Bangalore.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS IN CSE

With the number of vacancies dwindling each year and the competition getting
tougher, with the number of aspirants increasing each year, one must consider
all the pros and cons before jumping into the fray. One should preferably have
an alternative job, which gives one the confidence and makes a wholehearted
effort possible.

Selection of Subject:

The first and foremost thing to decide while aspiring for Civil Services is the
judicious choice of subjects for the Preliminary and the Mains examinations.
The selection of subjects should be done most carefully, if it goes wrong,
everything will go wrong.

Normally students have the advantage of selecting one of the optionals, which
they are familiar with, or have at least studied till graduate level. If you are not
comfortable with the subject, you should not select the subject as an optional.
Example: One who studied Medicine in his/her graduation may have to refer
many books for one topic. On such occasions it is better to take a subject of
one's interest.

The aspirants should opt for a subject of their interest - technical subjects like
engineering, medicine, veterinary sciences. Students from science background
may find it difficult to understanding economics and vice-versa. Agriculture or
Veterinary Sciences will be opted by the students who have studied it at their
college level. Hence, the competition is among the people who have opted for
the same subject. One should top in his/her subject to succeed in the
examination.

One should analyse the syllabus of previous years and the question papers.
The comfort levels with the subject opted for and the past trends should be
analysed. While going through the questions of previous years, one can judge
himself/herself about the knowledge base and comfort level with the subject.
After a detailed analysis one should decide the subject for the first optional.
One can get some feedback/advice from seniors and fellow students who are
well versed in the subject. To avoid confusion at advanced stages of the
examination, one should have some consultation with experienced/senior
colleagues. They can guide you better than any coaching class.

Preparation:

Preparation for General studies can be done hand in hand, along with the
preparation for optional papers. Good mix of study hours for General Studies
and the Optionals makes studies enjoyable and it becomes easy to sustain the
momentum for longer hours, without boredom setting in and without losing
interest and enthusiasm. The most important aspect for the preparation for GS
(Prelims) is to identify the loopholes and plug them urgently. But remember
one thing; never sacrifice the time of optional for General Studies. Because
each question in optional carries 2.5 marks and in total it carries 300 marks.
More importantly, input-output ratio in optional is much better than that in
General Studies.

Always go in for a planned and systematic study. Work out your own study
schedules in a manner suited to your style and stick to it.

One should read a leading daily regularly and also a magazine that will give an
insight into the writing skills and observe how facts are presented clearly and
succinctly. Also watch news & current affairs programmes on a good TV
channel. The latest trend has been a shift towards the current issues; hence a
thorough awareness of recent happenings is mandatory. In-depth knowledge of
such events is most important, as the questions will test the knowledge of
details of any given event/happening.
First one should cover the entire syllabus and then one month preceding the
Mains, practice with the help of question papers of previous years. Sometimes
students may end up studying topics, which are connected to the syllabus, but
are practically irrelevant from your preparation point of view. For this, one
should always keep a copy of the syllabus handy and keep referring to it time
and again to reassess the direction of the preparation. One should also keep
question papers of the previous years. Compare them and see what types of
questions are repeated every year.

Try to attempt question papers of previous years and General studies papers.
This will expose your weaknesses and give you an idea about the extent of your
preparation, your knowledge base, your speed and accuracy.

General preparation can be broadly classified as long-term or short-term

depending on the available time for preparation. Preparation for Mains
examination should begin soon after the Prelims are over, without waiting for
the result, as it involves wastage of time.

The generally accepted strategy for CSE is that one must have studied the
entire syllabus for the Mains before the Prelims or at least before the result is
out. After the Prelims results are announced, all three subjects - two optionals
and General Studies should be divided equally in three quarters to revise the
subjects. If the subject is not revised, it is as good as not read because
preparation is a continuous process. One might have covered the syllabus long
back, but memory detoriates with time

One should read/study daily 10-12 hours per day. Some people say that used
to read 18-20 hours. However, don't go by the claims of other persons who say
that have studied for more than 18 hours a day. It is humanly impossible.
Each person knows one's own capacity, so one should prepare the timetable
accordingly and follow the same for the whole period of preparation. The
execution of the timetable is of crucial importance.
One should be dedicated and have faith in one's own capabilities and in the
Almighty. Do not get depressed if you are unable to achieve the targets.
Remember, it is your preparation; you are the one who will appear in the
examination. You know yourself better than anyone else. Quality of hours put
in is more important than quantity of hours. Your time and energies should be
used in an efficient and effective manner.

During the entire period of the examination, take a light diet. One should
maintain good health during the preparation and also maintain a hobby, which
relaxes you during your preparation. Take adequate amount of sleep, as both -
body and mind require it. It is always better to study when the body and mind
are fresh. This helps in easy grasping of things as well as in retaining them.

To save time during revision, aspirants may mark/highlight important points

during their first or second reading. The aim of the first reading is to reduce the
study material to half by eliminating unnecessary points. The second reading is
to make it more concise, so that you can revise the entire syllabus within two
days before the examination.

Information from any source of relevance to your goal should be welcomed, as

long as it is from a standard source. Discuss with your friends, talk to them
and listen to their views. This will expand your knowledge base and also expose
you to different views. (But while discussing be careful and don't waste time on
unnecessary details). You should have a guided discussion. It is important to
peak at the time of the examination. So, channelise your preparations in such
a manner that you don't burn yourself out before the examination commences.

Those who still have two-three years of time left for becoming eligible to appear
for Civil Services must begin the preparation for the examination in the right
earnest - right now.
Once you decide that you wish to be a civil servant, as your career has to follow
certain steps to be abreast with the latest trends and be ready in the first
attempt itself.

If you are schooling:

 Read your school textbooks thoroughly. This is the building block of your
general knowledge base.
 Read one national newspaper regularly.
 Watch one TV news regularly.
 Follow discussions/debates on one TV channel regularly.
 Read one national news magazine.
 If possible, read one competitive examination magazine also.
 Discuss news items with family members and friends that will confidence
and different points of view.
 Be alert to learn new things.
 Keep an open mind to learn what is happening around you.

At college stage:

 If you decide to make civil services a career at college stage, try to follow
these things:
 Learn your subject thoroughly.
 Read NCERT books very carefully as they are little encyclopedias and
also comprehend them carefully.
 Study India yearbook published by Publication Division, Ministry of I&B.
This will give you the base and a bird's eye view about India.
 Read one national newspaper and a magazine thoroughly.
 Watch TV news (one prime time bulletin which covers major national and
international news every day). TV channels give an overall news/views
scenario on their prime time slots.
 Listening to morning news bulletins/analysis of All India Radio is a
must. They provide invaluable background information and a balanced
opinion on major issues. Evening news bulletins of AIR give an overview
of the prominent news stories of the day.
 Follow one competitive examination magazine regularly. That will give
you the latest trends about civil services and other competitive
examinations and also give you important information in capsule form.
 Discussions on current affairs on standard TV channel should be
followed by a student to learn "how the arguments take place and how
arguments are built up".
 Discuss things/news items with your friends and family members that
will give confidence of taking a stand against any issue.
 Once you enter 3rd year of your preparation, you can go through the
question papers of the previous years of CSE. Students in the first year
also can go through these papers, but it would be difficult for a person
to understand all the questions because he/she might have not studied
the entire syllabi.
 Normally four questions from the syllabus are asked which are of PG
level if the subject is from the Arts or Science stream. So one should go
through the syllabus first, then decide about taking the questions for
the test.
 In the first step itself, if you take the question paper and if you don't
know most of the questions, it will deject you. There is nothing to get
dejected at this stage.
 If you complete your one optional at the college level itself, it will be easy
for you to crack the Civil Services in the first attempt itself. If you clear
the exam before the age of 23 that will make you eligible to become
Secretary to Government of India/ Chief Secretary of a State - and even
go up to the rank of Cabinet Secretary.

TIPS FOR GENERAL STUDIES

1. Read newspapers and magazines carefully, which will expand your

knowledge base and give good command and writing skill.
2. Preparation for General studies should be done hand in hand while
preparing for optional papers.
3. NCERT books should be studied carefully and newspapers like The
Hindu and magazines such as Frontline.
4. Trend nowadays has shifted more towards current issues, hence a
thorough awareness of recent events/happenings is mandatory.
5. In the Prelims, though the General Studies carries only 150 marks, all
the candidates are required to solve the same questions, hence, this
paper assumes enormous importance, as anyone spoiling this paper
cannot have any chance of qualifying for the Mains stage of the
examination.
6. Other than the syllabus given, questions on planning, budgeting,
developmental programmes, latest issues of political and constitutional
importance, Panchayati Raj, electoral reforms, natural resources,
culture, growth of nationalism, committees, commissions etc can be
expected almost every year.
7. Emphasis is normally placed on the general aspects of the subjects,
which every educated person aspiring to join the civil services is
expected to know.
8. The General Studies paper needs special and thorough preparations and
does not need to be over-emphasised.
9. In General Studies, other than current affairs, each and every aspect is
covered in our school syllabi. Whatever one has studied upto Class XII is
only asked in General Studies. The only thing which is different is that it
has an application but the basic is from our school textbook only. A
good, bright student who understood the basic concepts during his/her
school studies will definitely be strong in General Studies too.
10. Those who would like to appear for Civil Services should have a
strong base, which will make them easy to follow the subjects.
11. Exhaustive study of each subject and every aspect of the General
Studies is essential.
12. An important point is efficient time management and proper
planning. The time available with the candidates for preparations is
limited and hence has to be intelligently utilized.

TIPS FOR MAINS

1. INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE QUESTION
PAPERS SHOULD BE READ CAREFULLY.
2. Preparations for Mains examination should be done intensively.
3. It always helps if the choice of the optionals for the Prelims examination
is one of the subjects chosen for the Mains.
4. After analysis/taking the decision on the options, one should sort out the
Main question papers according to the syllabus topics of the Mains
examination. If one analyses these questions, after sometime the
questions are repeated in one form or the other. This will give you time
to prepare a standard answer to the question papers of the previous
years. This will also make your task easy at the Mains examination.
5. Questions asked are of the Masters level examination. Sometimes the
questions are ‘conceptual’ in nature, aimed at testing the
comprehension levels of the basic concepts. So, if you don’t have a basic
grounding in the basic concepts, it would be advisable to start from
simple books.
6. The right choice of reading material is important and crucial. You should
not read all types of books as told by others. Get a list of standard
textbooks from the successful candidates, or other sources and also
select proper notes for studying.
7. One should always target for Mains even while preparing for Preliminary
examination. This is because there is much in common ground for study
and there is little time for preparation for the Main examination after the
results of the Prelims examination are announced.
8. While studying for the optional subjects, keep in mind that there is no
scope for selective studies in CSE. The whole syllabus must be
completely and thoroughly covered. Equal stress and weightage should
be given to both the optionals. Remember – in the ultimate analysis both
subjects carry exactly the same amount of maximum marks.
9. For subjects like Mathematics and Statistics and Geography maps etc,
practice is very important. One should also practice other subjects and
should not treat the same examination, as an “experience gathering”
exercise to get a chance for writing mains is a great thing, which one
may not get again. Hence, you should go through the unsolved papers of
the previous papers and solve them to stimulate the atmosphere of the
examination. Stick to the time frame (roughly 1 minute for 2 marks.
Speed is the very essence of this examination. Hence, time management
assumes crucial importance.
10. Writing skills (packaging) matter a lot in the Civil Services. Most of
the candidates appearing for the Mains examination have a lot of
knowledge, but lack writing skills. They are not able to present all the
information/knowledge in a coherent and logical manner, as expected
by the examiner. It is not only what you write, that is important, but
also how you write what you write.
11. For developing the writing skills, one should keep writing model
answers while preparing for the Mains examination. This would help the
candidate to “get into the groove” of writing under time pressure in the
Mains examination. The attitude should never be “I will directly write in
the examination”.
12. Develop and follow your own style of writing. Try not to be
repetitive and maintain a flow in the style of your writing. Never try to
imitate others in the style of writing.
13. Sequential and systematic style of answering comes after a lot of
practice and analysis of standard answers. Try to stimulate the actual
examination hours to judge your performance and to plug any loopholes.
14. Strictly adhere to the word limit as prescribed at the end of the
question to the extent possible. Try not to exceed the word limit, as far
as possible. Sticking to the word limit that will save time. Besides, the
 number of marks you achieve are not going to increase even if you
exceed the word limit.
15. Revision of subjects is very important because “anything you could
not revise prior to the examination is as good as not having prepared at
all”. The reason is that you have been preparing for months or years
together. It is a human tendency to forget something after some time.
Hence, revision is a must.
16. Write it legibly as it will simplify the evaluator’s task and he can
read the answers easily.
17. Highlight/underline the important points, which you feel, are
important.
18. If the write up is in essay form, write in paragraphs. A new point
should start with a new paragraph.
19. If the question needs answer in point form, give it a bullet format.
20. Keep sufficient space between two lines.
21. Try to maintain uniformity in your write-ups throughout the paper.
Some students write well in the initial papers. Under time pressure, the
script goes from bad to worse in the later stages of the answer sheets
and gets bad treatment. This may irritate the evaluator.
22. Don’t count words after every answer. If you have practiced well,
you can count “how many words do you write in a line and how many
lines in a single page and the total words per question”.
23. Give space and divide it by a dividing line between two questions.
24. One should target 1200-1250/2000 marks in the Mains. The main
cut off also varies from year to year.
 TIPS FOR WRITING AN ESSAY

1. One is required to write an essay for three hours duration. This length of
duration is enough. There is no standard word limit for writing an essay.
2. Remember to divide an essay into three parts – (i) Introduction (ii) Main
body and (iii) Conclusion.
3. The choice of topic on which the essay is to be written after careful
thought. While selecting a topic, the knowledge base of the topic – i.e
how much you know about the subject is of crucial importance. If you
have data or statistics at your fingertips to back some statements, all
the more better.
4. The introduction is of crucial importance. Remember – well begun is half
done. This applies to an essay all the more. One could begin with a
saying or a quotation. Quotations make the essay interesting to read.
5. If you cannot mentally arrange the points to be covered in the essay, jot
down the points on a rough sheet of paper. Try to expand one point in
its entirety in one paragraph and then move on to the next point. Do not
keep returning back to one point after you have started another point. It
makes the essay repetitive and boring to read. If possible, try to
maintain a link between the points by a connecting sentence at the end
of the paragraph covering a given point.
6. Keep your sentences short. Longer sentences not only lead to complex
sentences, but also point to complexity in thought process. Use
minimum number of conjunctions. Finish off a sentence as quickly as
possible and start a new sentence.
7. In an essay, try to point out the problem areas and also suggest
solutions to solve them.
8. Conclusion is as important as an introduction. It gives an insight into
your analyzing powers. Try to give a brief overview in the form of a gist of
the essay in the conclusion.

TIPS FOR PERSONALITY TEST

Basics:

 The interview is nowadays known as a Personality Test. The reason being

that it is not a test of knowledge, but of the overall personality of the
candidate/aspirant.
 Interview is more of a psychological test that is just content-based. Along
with good communicative skills and self-confidence, good knowledge
base no doubt gives you an upper hand. However, it has to be borne in
mind that nearly all the aspirants/candidates in the Personality Test
start more or less as equals in the sphere of knowledge base.
 The most important thing to know about an interview is that it is not
always a question-answer session and that the Board members are
looking for different aspects of one’s personality.
 One is not expected to know everything under the sun. If you do not
know the answer to a particular question, do not hesitate to say – I don’t
know, Sir/Ma’m. However, even “I don’t know Sir/Ma’m” should be said
confidently and with a reasonable amount of cheerfulness. Remember –
your knowledge levels have been thoroughly checked during the earlier
stages of the CSE – viz Prelims and Mains.
 Always remember that the interview is not a cross examination, but a
natural, purposeful conversation.
 Personality is a life-long asset and a thing, which evolves and changes
every day.
 Preparation:

 Keep a photocopy of the form filled for the Mains examination handy.
Most of the initial questions – viz the meaning of your name, educational
background, professional experience, hobbies etc will be based on this
form only. Try to prepare on your bio-data; roughly 70% questions are
based on bio-data, 20% questions are based on your subject and 10%
are based on current affairs.
 Aspirants to CSE should take an intelligent interest not only in areas of
their specialization, but also in what is happening around them – both
within and outside the country.
 Be well informed about your interests and hobbies as there will be a few
questions probing your levels of knowledge as regards your hobbies and
interests.
 Prepare thoroughly about your hometown & home state. If you hail from
a place of historical importance or tourist interest, prepare well on it.
 Know yourself. Prepare brief answers to choice of your subjects, family
background, meaning of your name. You should try to take the lead by
answering questions based on your bio-data.
 One of the secrets of success is to prepare for the Personality Test along
with the written test.
 If a person gives the impression of being a bookworm, the chances of
his/her selection are reduced. The candidate must exhibit an all-round
personality, which indicates that the aspirant possesses a complete
personality.
 MOCK /PRACTICE:

 One should form a group of 4-5 people, as the preparation for Personality
Test cannot be done in isolation. Try holding as many mock interviews
as possible.
 No training institute can develop/transform your personality in a few
days. However, some of the tips may help in ironing out some
weaknesses/grey areas and can provide an avenue for a well-planned
preparation and group discussions.
 Take mock interviews. In the mock interview, ask your friends to grill you
so that you can face pressure from the Board easily.
 Discuss a lot with your friends. This not only helps in you assimilating
different points of view, but also enhances knowledge levels.

DRESSING UP:

 Dress sense is of crucial importance. The choice of dress should be

according to the weather conditions. Try not to wear newly stitched
clothes, as they might make you uneasy. Light colours should be
preferred. White colour is a good choice.
 Wear comfortable clothes. Men need to wear light coloured shirt and a
dark trouser with a tie (if weather permits). Women appear best in a
saree or salwar/kameez.
 Pay attention to the details, ironed dress, polished shoes, hair
accessories, trimmed nails etc. Polish your footwear meticulously. Use
convenient footwear like black or brown leather shoes.
 Women candidates should take care to avoid the hair falling over the face
as it could annoy both – you and the interviewer.
 Do not wear anything that connects you with a religious or political
group.
 Do not use heavy perfume/deodorants.
 In case you have a running nose or have caught a cold, carry a
handkerchief, or sufficient stock of tissue paper. Tissue paper is
preferable.
 Some candidates take medicine to relax on the previous night of the
interview; this should be avoided as the effect of medicine may decrease
your alertness during the interview.
 What and how you eat is also important. Have a light meal on the day of
the Personality Test. Do not go for the interview on an empty stomach.
However, also avoid over-eating, or having a heavy meal.
 First impression is often the best impression. So create a positive, good
impression within the first few minutes of the interview.

ENTRY:

 Arrive 20-30 minutes early. Prepare a route map and arrive well in time.
This will give you enough time to relax
 While waiting for your turn in the waiting area, read a newspaper or a
magazine and try to remain focused without thinking too much of what
will happen in the interview. Try not to presuppose situations.
 Do not get nervous when you are waiting for your turn for the Personality
Test. When waiting for your turn, try relaxing with closed eyes and
 practice deep breathing. It really relaxes you. Do not try to pre-suppose
situations in the Personality Test.
 Take a final, deep breath before entering the boardroom.
 Do not forget to knock at the door before entering, as it indicates basic
courtesy.
 On entering the room, greet all the members cordially and do not sit
down on the seat without being asked to.
 If there is a lady member in the interview board, greet her first.
 Be conscious of your body language when you are seated.
 Men should keep the feet flat on the floor during the interview, knees at
waist level, and hands on your thighs and place your elbows on the
armchair. Avoid locking hands.
 Women, cross your ankles or legs, but keep the bottom leg straight down
and do not swing it over the top leg and keep your elbows positioned on
the arms of the chair.
 When the Board members thank you at the end of the Personality test,
do not forget to thank the members one last time and keep your body
posture straight at the time of leaving the room.
 Remember that interview is a two-way process.
 Be cool. Be yourself during the Interview.
 Your aim should be to make the board members feel comfortable in your
presence.
 Be truthful, transparent and Predictable.
 The object of the interview is to assess the suitability of the
aspirant/candidate for a career in public service.
 Most of the questions posed in the Personality Test are opinion-based.
 Don’t expect any expression on the faces of board members, even if your
answer is very good.

During Interview :
 In a personality test, what is of importance is how you say what you say.
It is the style of presentation that matters.
 Your personality is, on an average, assessed in 25-30 minutes, it is your
responsibility to bring out your very best in front of the board.
 Be attentive and listen to each question carefully. Try not to jump into an
answer before the complete question has been posed as you will end up
wasting time on answering a question that you were not actually asked.
If you are not sure of what was asked, you can always politely seek a
clarification.
 Do not try to answer the question as soon as it is posed. Think over the
question, take your time and organize the broad outline of the answer
before airing it. Pause a while before answering, even if you know the
answer.
 At times, you will be given situations wherein you will be required to take
a decision. In such situations, the board is testing your ability to
comprehend issues and use reason and good judgment logically,
precisely and arrive at a balanced decision.
 Your replies should be crisp and to the point. Do not beat around the
bush.
 Maintain a gentle smile off and on during the Personality Test without
overdoing it. It displays a sense of ease and confidence. Wherever
possible use your sense of humour judiciously.

General Do’s and Don’ts for the personality test:

 The board members are usually very senior and learned people, so give
utmost respect to the board.
 Don’t go by any stories/rumours spread by others. Avoid unnecessary
details.
 Don’t ask the previous candidate about his/her interview.
 The board has no biases towards anyone.
 Never make any sweeping statements/generalized descriptions.
 Accept your mistakes boldly.
 Speak honestly, truthfully and modestly.
 Do not give a hasty reply.
 Answer in an orderly and logical fashion and always maintain eye
contact with the Board members while answering.
 Be polite and courteous.
 Don’t try to be too argumentative.
 Be consistent in your views. Don’t change your views just because the
Board differs in its opinion from your opinion.
 Never make an attempt to present a made-up appearance or politically
correct answers.
 If you are taking an extreme view, you should also be able to justify the
same.
 Take tea or coffee, if any member offers the same to you. This will show
you are relaxed and it will also help in lightening and relaxing further
proceedings and give them an informal touch.
 Avoid chewing gums and other munching items as it gives a negative and
a careless image.
 Try holding mock interviews in front of a mirror. Look out for
unwarranted actions/emotions and try to rectify any shortcomings. If
possible record your own answers and play them again for finding out
errors.
 Don’t criticize any government policies or even individuals.
 Take a good night’s sleep. A good, sound sleep will keep you refreshed,
cheerful and relaxed. Otherwise you will have a fuzzy head and you will
betray a confused personality. You will neither be able to grasp
questions correctly, nor be able to think clearly.
 Do not speak rapidly. Speak slowly and clearly so that the Board
members grasp what you are saying and do not have to interrupt you or
ask you to repeat your views.
 The Board will check you for certain traits – such as honest and
integrity, logical exposition, balance of opinion, leadership skills, mental
alertness, variety and depth of interest, social cohesion, moral integrity,
acumen, your response to a peculiar situation, your views on varied
topics.
 At times, the Board members might pile pressure upon you. Do not panic
– it is a strategy aimed at gauging the point till which you can maintain
your cool under pressure and can think originally even in pressure
cooker situations. Try to resemble tealeaves – show your true colours
when in hot waters.
 Form your views on a subjects in a logical and rational manner
supported by data whenever necessary.
 To be in touch with the latest happenings/events – nationally and
internationally, candidates should read magazines and newspapers (at
least two for interview), watch current affairs-based television
programmes.
 Assume that all questions are asked with a good reason and answer
them accordingly.
 Keep a file/folder to keep your certificates and documents in an
organized manner. They are verified before you enter the interview room.
(You don’t have to carry file/folder inside board room)
 UPSC Aptitude Test Syllabus

The Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) 2011 would consist Paper I and Paper
II. Full knowledge of the English applicants has superior opportunity to
succeed in CSAT 2011.

Paper 1

Pattern:

Total Marks: 200

Duration : 2 Hours

Syllabus

 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 governance – constitution, political system, panchayati
raj, public policy, Rights issues, etc.
 Economic and social development – sustainable development, poverty,
inclusion, demographics, social sector initiatives etc.
 General issues on environmental ecology, bio-diversity and climate
change-that  donot require subject specialization
 General science.
Paper 2

Pattern:

Total Marks: 200

Duration : 2 Hours

Syllabus

 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.

The prospective candidates are advised to note that no changes are being
introduce at this stage in the Civil Services (Main) Examination and Personality

Test in the scheme of Civil Services Examination (CSE).

Main Examination 

                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
that year, 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 are two language papers one in Indian language
and one in General English at the level 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 two papers 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 and the depth of understanding of the candidates, rather than merely the
range of their 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,
Public Administration,
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 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 in the above list.

Interview:
                At interview stage, two-fold vacancies are called to appear before the
UPSC Board. Interview carries 300 marks. Interview calls are sent on the basis
of minimum marks fixed by the UPSC at its discretion. The overall ranking is
done based on the Mains performance (i.e., 2000 marks) and interview.
Therefore, the total marks involved in the ranking are 2300. Candidates are
allotted 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.
 MAINS GENERAL STUDIES:

General Guidelines:

The nature and standard of questions in the General Studies papers will be
such that a well-educated person will be able to answer them without any
specialized study. The questions will be such as to test a candidate's general
awareness of a variety of subjects, which will have relevance for a career in Civil
Services. The questions are likely to test the candidate's basic understanding of
all relevant issues, and ability to analyze, and take a view on conflicting socio-
economic goals, objectives and demands. The candidates must give relevant,
meaningful and succinct answers.

PAPER - I

1. History of Modern India and Indian Culture

The History of Modern India will cover history of the Country from about the
middle of nineteenth century and would also include questions on important
personalities who shaped the freedom movement and social reforms. The part
relating to Indian culture will cover all aspects of Indian culture from the
ancient to modern times as well as principal features of literature, arts and
architecture.

2. Geography of India

In this part, questions will be on the physical, economic and social geography
of India.

3. Constitution of India and Indian Polity

This part will include questions on the Constitution of India as well as all
constitutional, legal, administrative and other issues emerging from the
politico-administrative system prevalent in the country.

4. current National Issues and Topics of Social Relevance

This part is intended to test the candidate's awareness of current national

issues and topics of social relevance in present-day India, such as the
following:

(i) The Indian economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of

resources, growth, development and employment.

(ii) Issues arising from the social and economic exclusion of large sections from
the benefits of development.

(iii) Other issues relating to the development and management of human

resource.

(iv) Health issues including the management of Public Health, Health education
and ethical concerns regarding health-care, medical research and
pharmaceuticals.
(v) Law enforcement, internal security and related issues such as the
preservation of communal harmony.

(vi) Issues relating to good governance and accountability to the citizens

including the maintenance of human rights, and of probity in public life.

(vii) Environmental issues, ecological preservation, conservation of natural

resources and national heritage.

PAPER - II

1. India and the World

This part will include questions to test candidate's awareness of India's

relationship with the world in various spheres such as the following:-

Foreign Affairs with special emphasis on India's relations with neighbouring

countries and in the region.

Security and defence related matters.

Nuclear policy, issues, and conflicts.

The Indian Diaspora and its contribution to India and the world.

2. India's Economic Interaction with the World

In this part, questions will be on economic and trade issues such as foreign
trade, foreign investment; economic and diplomacy issues relating to oil, gas
and energy flows; the role and functions of I.M.F., World Bank, W.T.O., WIPO
etc. which influence India's economic interaction with other countries and
international institutions.

3. Developments in the Field of Science & Technology, IT and space

In this part, questions will test the candidate's awareness of the developments
in the field of science and technology, information technology, space and basic
ideas about computers, robotics, nanotechnology, biotechnology and related
issues regarding intellectual property rights.

4. International Affairs and Institutions

This part will include questions on important events in world affairs and on
international institutions.

5. Statistical analysis, graphs and diagrams

This part will test the candidate's ability to draw conclusions from information
presented in statistical, graphical or diagrammatical form and to interpret
them.
 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING(mains)

PAPER - I

1. Circuit Theory:

Circuit components; network graphs; KCL, KVL; circuit analysis methods:

nodal analysis, mesh analysis; basic network theorems and applications;
transient analysis: RL, RC and RLC circuits; sinusoidal steady state analysis;
resonant circuits; coupled circuits; balanced 3-phase circuits; Two-port
networks.

2. Signals & Systems:

Representation of continuous–time and discrete-time signals & systems; LTI
systems; convolution; impulse response; time-domain analysis of LTI systems
based on convolution and differential/difference equations. Fourier transform,
Laplace transform, Z-transform, Transfer function. Sampling and recovery of
signals DFT, FFT Processing of analog signals through discrete-time systems.

3. E.M. Theory:

Maxwell's equations, wave propagation in bounded media. Boundary

conditions, reflection and refraction of plane waves. Transmission line:
travelling and standing waves, impedance matching, Smith chart.

4. Analog Electronics:

Characteristics and equivalent circuits (large and small-signal) of Diode, BJT,

JFET and MOSFET. Diode circuits: clipping, clamping, rectifier. Biasing and
bias stability. FET amplifiers. Current mirror; Amplifiers: single and multi-
stage, differential, operational, feedback and power. Analysis of amplifiers;
frequency-response of amplifiers. OPAMP circuits. Filters; sinusoidal
oscillators: criterion for oscillation; single-transistor and OPAMP
configurations. Function generators and wave-shaping circuits. Linear and
switching power supplies.

5. Digital Electronics:

Boolean algebra; minimization of Boolean functions; logic gates; digital IC

families (DTL, TTL, ECL, MOS, CMOS). Combinational circuits: arithmetic
circuits, code converters, multiplexers and decoders. Sequential circuits:
latches and flip-flops, counters and shift-registers. Comparators, timers,
multivibrators. Sample and hold circuits, ADCs and DACs. Semiconductor
memories. Logic implementation using programmable devices (ROM, PLA,
FPGA).
6. Energy Conversion:

Principles of electromechanical energy conversion: Torque and emf in rotating

machines. DC machines: characteristics and performance analysis; starting
and speed control of motors; Transformers: principles of operation and
analysis; regulation, efficiency; 3-phase transformers. 3-phase induction
machines and synchronous machines: characteristics and preformance
analysis; speed control.

7. Power Electronics and Electric Drives:

Semiconductor power devices: diode, transistor, thyristor, triac, GTO and

MOSFET–static characteristics and principles of operation; triggering circuits;
phase control rectifiers; bridge converters: fully-controlled and half-controlled;
principles of thyristor choppers and inverters; DC-DC converters; Switch mode
inverter; basic concepts of speed control of dc and ac motor drives applications
of variable-speed drives.

8. Analog Communication:

Random variables: continuous, discrete; probability, probability functions.

Statistical averages; probability models; Random signals and noise: white
noise, noise equivalent bandwidth; signal transmission with noise; signal to
noise ratio. Linear CW modulation: Amplitude modulation: DSB, DSB-SC and
SSB. Modulators and Demodulators; Phase and Frequency modulation: PM &
FM signals; narrowband FM; generation & detection of FM and PM,
Deemphasis, Preemphasis. CW modulation system: Superhetrodyne receivers,
AM receivers, communication receivers, FM receivers, phase locked loop, SSB
receiver Signal to noise ratio calculation for AM and FM receivers.

PAPER - II
1. Control Systems:

Elements of control systems; block-diagram representation; open-loop &

closed-loop systems; principles and applications of feed-back. Control system
components. LTI systems: time-domain and transform-domain analysis.
Stability: Routh Hurwitz criterion, root-loci, Bode-plots and polar plots,
Nyquist's criterion; Design of lead-lad compensators. Proportional, PI, PID
controllers. State-variable representation and analysis of control systems.

2. Microprocessors and Microcomputers:

PC organisation; CPU, instruction set, register set, timing diagram,

programming, interrupts, memory interfacing, I/O interfacing, programmable
peripheral devices.

3. Measurement and Instrumentation:

Error analysis; measurement of current, voltage, power, energy, power-factor,

resistance, inductance, capacitance and frequency; bridge measurement.
Signal conditioning circuit; Electronic measuring instruments: multimeter,
CRO, digital voltmeter, frequency counter, Q-meter, spectrum-analyzer,
distortion-meter. Transducers: thermocouple, thermistor, LVDT, strain-gauge,
piezo-electric crystal.

4. Power Systems: Analysis and Control:

Steady-state performance of overhead transmission lines and cables; principles

of active and reactive power transfer and distribution; per-unit quantities; bus
admittance and impedance matrices; load flow; voltage control and power
factor correction; economic operation; symmetrical components, analysis of
symmetrical and unsymmetrical faults. Concept of system stability: swing
curves and equal area criterion. Static VAR system. Basic concepts of HVDC
transmission.

5. Power System Protection:

Principles of overcurrent, differential and distance protection. Concept of solid

state relays. Circuit breakers. Computer aided protection: Introduction; line
bus, generator, transformer protection; numeric relays and application of DSP
to protection.

6. Digital Communication:

Pulse code modulation (PCM), differential pulse code modulation (DPCM), delta
modulation (DM), Digital modulation and demodulation schemes: amplitude,
phase and frequency keying schemes (ASK, PSK, FSK). Error control coding:
error detection and correction, linear block codes, convolution codes.
Information measure and source coding. Data networks, 7-layer architecture.
 TELUGU -LANGUAGE

Paper-I

Answers must be written in Telugu.

Section-A

Language

1. Place of Telugu among Dravidian languages and its antiquity-Etymological

history of Telugu, Tenugu and Andhra.

2. Major linguistic changes in phonological, morphological, grammatical and

syntactical levels, from Proto-Dravidian to old Telugu and from old Telugu to
Modern Telugu.

3. Evolution of spoken Telugu when compared to classical Telugu-Formal and

functional view of Telugu language.

4. Influence of other languages and its impact on Telugu.

5. Modernization of Telugu language.

(a) Linguistic and literary movements and their role in modernization of Telugu.

(b) Role of media in modernization of Telugu (Newspapers, Radio, TV etc.)

(c) Problems of terminology and mechanisms in coining new terms in Telugu in

various discourses including scientific and technical.

6. Dialects of Telugu-Regional and social variations and problems of

standardization.

7. Syntax-Major divisions of Telugu sentences-simple, complex and compound

sentences-Noun and verb predications-Processes of nominlization and
relativization-Direct and indirect reporting-conversion processes.

8. Translation-Problems of translation, cultural, social and idiomatic-Methods

of translation-Approaches to translation-Literary and other kinds of
translation-various uses of translation.

Section-B

Literature

1. Literature in Pre-Nannaya Period-Marga and Desi poetry.

2. Nannaya Period-Historical and literary background of Andhra Mahabharata.

3. Saiva poets and their contribution-Dwipada, Sataka, Ragada, Udaharana.

4. Tikkana and his place in Telugu literature.

5. Errana and his literary works-Nachana Somana and his new approach to
poetry.
6. Srinatha and Potana-Their woks and contribution.

7. Bhakti poets in Telugu literature-Tallapaka Annamayya, Ramadasu,

Tyagayya.

8. Evolution of prabandhas-Kavya and prabandha.

9. Southern school of Telugu literature-Raghunatha Nayaka, Chemakura

Vankatakavi and women poets-Literary forms like yakshagana, prose and
padakavita.

10. Modern Telugu Literature and literary forms-Novel, Short Story, Drama,
Playlet and poetic forms.

11. Literary Movements : Reformation, Nationalism, Neo-classicism,

Romanticism and Progressive, Revolutionary movements.

12. Digambarakavulu, Feminist and Dalit Literature.

13. Main divisions of folk literature-Performing folk arts.

Paper-II

Answers must be written in Telugu.

This paper will require first hand reading of the prescribed texts and will be
designed to test the candidate's critical ability, which will be in relation to the
following approaches.

i) Aesthetic approach-Rasa, Dhwani, Vakroti and Auchitya-Formal and

Structural-Imagery and Symbolism.

ii) Sociological, Historical, Ideological, Psychological approaches.

 Section-A

1. Nannaya-Dushyanta Charitra (Adiparva 4th Canto verses 5-109)

2. Tikkana-Sri Krishna Rayabaramu (Udyoga parva -3rd Canto verses 1-144)

3. Srinatha-Guna Nidhi Katha (Kasi-khandam, 4th Canto, verses 76-133)

4. Pingali Surana-Sugatri Salinulakatha (Kalapurnodayamu 4 Canto verses,

60-142)

5. Molla-Ramayanamu (Balakanda including avatarika)

6. Kasula Purushothama Kavi-Andhra Nayaka Satakamu

Section-B

7. Gurajada Appa Rao-Animutyalu (Short stories)

8. Viswanatha Satyanarayana-Andhra prasasti

9. Devulapalli Krishna Sastry-Krishnapaksham (excluding Urvasi and

Pravasam)

10. Sri Sri-Maha prastanam.

11. Jashuva-Gabbilam (Part I)

12. C. Narayana Reddy-Karpuravasanta rayalu.

13. Kanuparti Varalakshmamma-Sarada lekhalu (Part I)

14. Atreya-N.G.O.

15. Racha konda Visswanatha Sastry-Alpajaeevi.

 ENGLISH

The syllabus consists of two papers, designed to test a first-hand and critical
reading of texts prescribed from the following periods in English Leterature :
Paper I : 1600-1900 and Paper II : 1900-1990.

There will be two compulsory questions in each paper : a) A short-notes

question related to the topics for general study, and b) A critical analysis of
UNSEEN passages both in prose and verse.

Paper-I

Answers must be written in English.

Texts for detailed study are listed below. Candidates will also be required to
show adequate knowledge of the following topics and movements :

The Renaissance : Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama; Metaphysical Poetry; The

Epic and the Mock-epic; Neo-classicism; Satire; The Romantic Movement; The
Rise of the Novel; The Victorian Age.

Section-A

1. William Shakespeare : King Lear and The Tempest.

2. John Donne. The following poems :

- Canonization;

- Death be not proud;

- The Good Morrow;

- On his Mistress going to bed;

- The Relic;

3. John Milton : Paradise Lost, I, II, IV, IX

4. Alexander Pope. The Rape of the Lock.

5. William Wordsworth. The following poems:

- Ode on Intimations of Immortality.

- Tintern Abbey.

- Three years she grew.

- She dwelt among untrodden ways.

- Michael.

- Resolution and Independence.

- The World is too much with us.

- Milton, thou shouldst be living at this hour.

- Upon Westminster Bridge.

6. Alfred Tennyson : In Memoriam.

7. Henrik Ibsen : A Doll’s House.

Section-B

1. Jonathan Swift. Gulliver’s Travels.

2. Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice.

3. Henry Fielding. Tom Jones.

4. Charles Dickens. Hard Times.

5. George Eliot. The Mill on the Floss.

6. Thomas Hardy. Tess of the d’Urbervilles.

7. Mark Twain. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Paper-II

Answers must be written in English.

Texts for detailed study are listed below. Candidates will also be required to
show adequate knowledge of the following topics and movements :

Modernism; Poets of the Thirties; The stream-of-consciousness Novel; Absurd

Drama; Colonialism and Post-Colonialism; Indian Writing in English; Marxist,
Psychoanalytical and Feminist approaches to literature; Post-Modernism.

Section-A

1. William Butler Yeats. The following poems:

- Easter 1916

- The Second Coming

- A Prayer for my daughter.

- Sailing to Byzantium.

- The Tower.
- Among School Children.

- Leda and the Swan.

- Meru

- Lapis Lazuli

- The Second Coming

- Byzantium.

2. T.S. Eliot. The following poems :

- The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock

- Journey of the Magi.

- Burnt Norton.

3. W.H. Auden. The following poems :

- Partition

- Musee des Beaux Arts

- in Memory of W.B. Yeats

- Lay your sleeping head, my love

- The Unknown Citizen

- Consider

- Mundus Et Infans

- The Shield of Achilles

- September 1, 1939

- Petition.

4. John Osborne : Look Back in Anger.

5. Samuel Beckett. Waiting for Godot.

6. Philip Larkin. The following poems :

- Next

- Please

- Deceptions

- Afternoons

- Days

- Mr. Bleaney

7. A.K. Ramanujan. The following poems :

- Looking for a Causim on a Swing

- A River

- Of Mothers, among other Things

- Love Poem for a Wife 1

- Samll-Scale Reflections on a Great House

- Obituary
(All these poems are available in the anthology Ten Twentieth Century Indian
Poets, edited by R. Parthasarthy, published by Oxford University Press, New
Delhi).

Section-B

1. Joseph Conrad. Lord Jim

2. James Joyce. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

3. D.H. Lawrence. Sons and Lovers.

4. E.M. Forster. A Passage to India.

5. Virginia Woolf. Mrs Dalloway.

6. Raja Rao. Kanthapura.

7. V.S. Naipal. A House for Mr. Biswas.

 Tips on IAS Preparation

Time Management

We see many people around us who spend their time in a frenzy of activity but
achieve very little because they are not concentrating on the right things. They
are perpetually busy but it does not necessarily mean that they make optimum
utilization of their time. So there is a great need for effective Time Management
in our lives today.

We keep hearing the word "Busy" a lot. There are two kinds of busy, chaotic,
disorganized busy and calm effective busy. It goes without saying that being
the latter helps to pack in more productivity in your work. Improving our
"effectiveness Quotient" calls for mastery of basic time management skills.

We constantly hear the refrain that we do not know where the time goes.
Whether you are an executive, a student or a homemaker, you need to achieve
more in every minute of the day and to enjoy each task that you take up. We
will be well on our way to the top if we know how to squeeze the most out of
even a minute.

The first thing to bear in mind is to question whether you have a personal
sense of time or a time log. This helps you to keep track of how you spend each
hour. There is a way to do this. Divide each day for a period of two weeks into
one hour intervals and jot down what you do in them. You can sub divide the
activities under such headings as business meetings, writing, making phone
calls, reading, time spent with the family etc. At the end of the week, examine
your time log.

What you may find is that very little time goes into top priority activities and
more into activities such as phone calls, coffee breaks, chatting with friends
etc. Now is the time to analyze what activities are a waste of time and what
need more time. Try to cut down time spent on useless activities or stop doing
them altogether. Once you have prioritized your time, you will find your
efficiency level rising and the end result is that you will be an achiever!

How to choose a subject?

Normally one should select optional, which one is familiar with, or has at least
studied till the graduate level. If you are not comfortable with the subject, you
should not select the subject as an optional. But the choice should not only be
as per your interests but also be based on the study material available. Even
science and engineering students take up subjects like history, sociology,
anthropology, geography, political science, psychology and public
administration because there is a huge amount of study material 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 crack technical subject
where freshers may do better. The competition is among the people 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 public administration or sociology.

Analyse the syllabus of previous years and the question papers, and analyse
past trends. Get some feedback/advice from seniors and fellow students who
are well versed in the subject. Remember no subject is bad. History is good if
you can spend more than 4-5 hours everyday. Geography is a good option if
you 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 much time 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 would be better. Lastly look
for overlap in subjects like, sociology and public administration; history and
political science etc.

Prepare Well

Before initiating the preparations, a few things must be noted by the

candidates. The choice of optional subject for Paper-II has to be done very
carefully. The candidates must plan ahead of time with eyes on the main
examination and choose the optional which he/she intends taking up in the
Mains. The preparations done for the preliminaries would assist the candidates
in getting good grasp of the subject and the effort put in would not go waste
after the prelims. Secondly, optional subject carries more number of maximum
marks as compared to the General Studies Paper. Hence, its importance
cannot be undermined. A candidate doing well in the optional paper is
expected to fare well in the examination. Moreover, the optional subject for
Paper-II should usually be the subject in which the candidate has either
attained proficiency/higher academic qualification or in which the candidate
feels at home. Another consideration is the performance of candidates in the
said subject in the recent past. There are several20subjects like History,
Psychology, Sociology, Public Administration etc in which even the candidates
not having special or additional educational qualifications have been doing
reasonably well, while the subjects like Mathematics, Physics, and Engineering
are considered to offer tougher questions and the candidates with exceptionally
good preparation only may expect to do well. But this observation may not be
taken as the universal truth. Moreover, the aptitude and proficiency of a
particular candidate in a given subject also plays an important role in arriving
at 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 optional like
Mathematics, Engineering, Agriculture etc, one has to look carefully for good
books which cover all parts of the syllabus.

Preparations for Paper-II also need specific planning. It would be wrong to

confine the studies only to the multiple choice objective type questions. Unless
a detailed study of the subject is carried out, it would be difficult to answer the
questions on the subject properly. The aim, must, therefore, be to clearly
understand the basics of the subject by covering each and every aspect of the
syllabus. This provides a candidate with adequate self-confidence and
knowledge to answer the questions correctly. It is better to consult various
books on different aspects, as it is very rare that one single book covers the
entire syllabus with total efficiency. After going through all parts of the syllabus
in detail and getting hold of the basic concepts, it is desirable to have sufficient
practice in solving multiple choice objective type questions. A good book on
objective type multiple choice questions or a good question bank on the subject
concerned may assist the candidates a great deal. Such practice, on the one
hand, would perfect the art of answering the questions correctly and rapidly,
and on the other would enable the candidates in understanding the questions
asked in various forms. It is normally observed that at times even simple
questions are asked in such a complex manner that it becomes difficult to
understand the question correctly.

It is not difficult to find out a candidate who had, during the past couple of
years, appeared in the prelims with the same subject. It is always better to
discuss the subject, its intricacies, pattern of questions and the books to be
studied. In addition, it is also not difficult to identify the candidate offering the
same optional subject for Paper-II within the same town/city. It is always
fruitful to have detailed discussions on various parts of the syllabus, books to
be consulted for the basics, multiple choice question books or question banks
and other related issues. Finally, the practice of correctly marking the answer
sheet by using minimum possible time will go a long way in helping you
succeed

How To Prepare For Prelims

The civil services examination is basically a test to choose suitable

administrators. It tests the candidate right from the stage when one starts the
preparation. One common misconception about the prelims is that it is a test
of facts and figures. This is not so. A candidate should have the right frame of
mind and the will power to succeed in the exam. A proper action plan is needed
for the preparation itself since he /she will be tested for some essential
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. Since 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 the time one gets to answer questions. On
an average one gets around 40 seconds for each general Studies question and
around 50 seconds for each optional question. Added to this time constraint is
the fact that the exam is conducted in the month of May which is usually the
hottest month all over the country. Most of the centres for the exam do not
have proper facilities which adds to the stress. One sure way of dealing with
this stress is to count numbers or to take a few deep breaths. Meditation and
Yoga also help in dealing with stress to a great extent.

Now we come to the actual preparation for the prelims exam. Since it is a
multiple choice question paper, it needs a different preparation and a proper
strategy. The first thing a candidate needs to bear in mind is that the
examination is designed to evaluate certain qualities like a sharp memory and
basic retention power. There are ways to increase one's memory like preparing
charts. One gets confused when faced with mind boggling facts and figures.
Important facts and figures can be simplified and represented on charts and
they can arranged in the form of tables or graphs. Another thing to remember
is to make short and brief notes on each topic so 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 technique to
help in retaining information is the use of abbreviations. Since the syllabus
involves exhaustive information abbreviations help you to remember it better. It
is a good method to remember dates, facts and figures in a picture format and
to break up complex names and places into smaller and simpler words. The
last and the most important technique is doing regular revision. This helps in
retaining the maximum information. A separate time slot should be given to
doing not only regular but multiple revisions like daily, weekly, monthly etc.

Many candidates make a mistake of overloading themselves with lots of

information and end up remembering nothing. One should be able to
differentiate between relevant and irrelevant information. Since the preliminary
exam is an elimination round the candidate should also learn to focus only on
the information needed and filter out the rest. It helps to discuss with friends
and teachers but the most reliable way is to past years question papers for the
optional subject whereas for the general studies paper, one should 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 the concepts well instead of
memorizing facts and figures. The questions asked in the General Studies
paper are of 10+2 level whereas for the optional subject it is graduation level.
Therefore emphasis has to be on conceptual clarity. Any concept has to be
understood with its origin, merits and de-merits, then it needs to be analysed
with other relevant topics and lastly it has to be correlated with the events that
have taken place during the year.

The preliminary exam requires candidates who have the acumen and the
ability to choose the right option of many given options. This needs a proper
method of elimination. It is a good idea to go through previous years and model
question papers and solve as many as possible. Taking a mock test of a certain
number of G.S. questions and optional questions would be a good practice 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 a lot of need for effective Time
Management not only for the exam but in the preparation as well. It is not
enough to know the right answer but it has to be marked correctly on the
answer sheet. Speed and Accuracy are important, so solving model question
papers on a regular basis would be a great help.

A good presence of mind is needed to eliminate the least appropriate options

and arrive at the right one. Tick out the least correct answer first and go on to
the next option. Even when faced with a question for which you do not have a
ready answer, with basic common sense and a good presence of mind, it is
possible to make your guess a smart and a correct one.

Throughout the preparation for the prelims exam, it is important to remember

that any topic or concept should not be studied in isolation. It is better to
understand and establish a correlation between related concepts from other
subjects and current events and happenings.

Even with all this preparation, it is necessary to have a positive attitude and a
great amount of will power to succeed to achieve your goal, that of getting
through the civil services examination with flying colors!

How to Prepare Notes

Appearing for any competitive exam requires a lot of preparation. Students

should be ready to face this challenge in the best possible way. Though there is
no one way of studying, there are ways to study more effectively and with less
stress and more enjoyment. It is important to know how to make use of the
sources available to you in the best possible way. It is wise to take a three
pronged approach to preparation, reading to learn, making effective notes and
able to write answers to various kinds of questions.

Students are often faced with the daunting task of making voluminous notes.
Now the question arises as to why make notes at all. There are several good
reasons, one is that you cannot make notes without understanding the given
topic, since you have to pick out the important points and try to summarise
them. Next is that writing down any information helps you to remember it
better. Thirdly, it makes a good practice for thinking and writing out essays.
Fourth, it will prompt you to revise your work since it does not take a long time
to go through a set of well made notes. Lastly, it helps you in your final revision
by reminding you of the most important points of each topic.

The next question is when should one make notes? One should make notes
from the very beginning as soon as you have done your studying when the
material is fresh in mind. This helps to fix it in your memory. It is better to
make notes from all possible sources, from what you read, what you hear and
from what you do. After making the first brief notes, it can be expanded and
organised properly. You can then keep adding information to it from time to
time. One important thing to remember is to never treat a set of notes as the
final version.

There are different methods of making notes and one should decide which
method suits you the best. There are two types of making notes, one is the
LINEAR NOTES and the other PATTERN NOTES.

Let us start with Linear notes first, it is a method in which you condense the
material you have read using headings and sub headings and jotting down the
most important points. This method works best when making notes from a
book where the material is already properly organised. But one disadvantage of
this method is that you end up copying a lot of material from the book which
defeats the very purpose of condensing.

The right way to use this method is to use loose sheets of paper instead of an
exercise book since it is easier to keep adding information. It is a good idea to
leave space on each sheet of paper for additional information. Another way to
make your notes more interesting is to use colors, block letters, making boxes
and highlighting as and when necessary. All this will immediately draw our
attention to the actual contents of our notes and make it more clear and
comprehensible.

We now come to Pattern Notes. For this we have to begin the topic at the centre
of the page. Each line radiating from it represents a branch of the main idea.
Each point is written as briefly as possible using a key word or a phrase. It is a
better method to adopt because it is more flexible than making Linear notes.
One can add extra information to it at any point without any problem. Second
advantage is that we can see the whole pattern at one go without actually
turning the pages. Thirdly we can indicate the links between different topics
more easily than we can do in a linear method. Another advantage of pattern
notes is that it is exceptionally useful when making notes from memory for
revision as you keep jotting down points as and when they occur to you. This
makes it easier to revise for exams and writing out essays as only brief key
words are used. Lastly, it is easier to remember as notes is made in a shape
format.

But this method has some disadvantages as well. If there are too many facts
and too much of information, your pattern becomes messy and over crowded.
Using key words can remind you of basic ideas but when it comes to
remembering details, this method cannot be sufficient. Therefore the most
effective way of making good notes from the sources available is to use a
combination of these two methods. One important thing to remember is that
for many subjects your notes will have to include diagrams and sketch maps.
They must be accurate and labeled very clearly.

For example while making notes for Science, the general lay out has to follow
the one given by your teacher with as little variation as possible. There are four
basic stages which should always be there, Purpose, Method, Result and
Conclusion If there is a description it will have to include a diagram and if it is
recorded data, it will require a table or a graph.

Whatever method you decide to follow, one thing to remember is to keep your
notes handy at all times and in a proper file. It is a good idea to use colored
flags to demarcate different topics. With such systematic preparation, a
student can face the challenge of any competitive exam with confidence.

How to Write Answers

The civil services main exam consists of descriptive type of questions. It focuses
on testing the candidate on various levels. The time limit for the essay paper is
3 hrs without a word limit, but for the optional paper, there are questions with
specific word limit like 250 words in optional subjects and 250 words, 150
words and 20 words in general studies. The candidate then has to prepare
himself to answer all types of questions. The most important thing to be kept in
mind is the time constraint. Therefore it becomes necessary to answer these
questions quickly and effectively and in minimum words.

One common doubt that students have is with regard to the style of answering
questions, whether to adopt the paragraph or the point style of answering
questions. Though there is no set rule, it is wise to adopt a style depending on
the question asked. If the question says to discuss, analyse or critically
examine, it would be better to answer the question the paragraph format. On
the other hand, if the question asks you to list the advantages or give reasons
for/ against etc., it is better to go in for the point format of answering.

STYLE OF ANSWERING QUESTIONS:

For this it is very important to understand the question first. Depending on

what the question is, whether one is asked to "discuss", "elucidate", "explain","
critically Appreciate" or "give reasons for and against", the answer should be
written Accordingly because it is only through the examinee's style of
answering questions that one can assess his or her originality of thought and
analytical abilities. The question should be read properly, in fact the question
paper should be read thoroughly in the first five or ten minutes of the exam
and then one should decide on the questions which are to be answered first.
Time should also be given to frame the answer so that there is no confusion
later on.

A good way to write effective and precise answers is to pracise writing out
answers. our answers should present the facts and concepts in an interesting
way and should never read like a passage from a book. It is best to use simple
English and avoid flowy and decorative language which takes our attention
away from the original facts and our opinions about a given topic. Making a
practice of writing out answers is especially useful in managing the time limit
set for the exam and to write the best possible answer in the allotted time It not
only improves one's style of expression, but also one gets used to the time and
word limits.

HOW TO WRITE A GOOD ANSWER:

It is just not enough to know all the facts and information but the most
important thing to be kept in mind is to write an answer which has a clear and
a logical frame, which presents information in a clear and concise manner,
which does not contain any irrelevant or piling up of information, which is
interesting and able to hold one's attention.

So the next logical step is to know how to write a good answer. The first step is
to prepare the framework where one can list all ideas, thoughts and facts and
write them down. It is important to adopt an answering style which is natural,
original and to the point. Emphasis should be given to the kind of language
used, one which is simple and clear without unnecessary use of nouns and
verbs. Use of archaic and fancy words or language should be avoided at all
costs. Care should be taken to avoid grammatical mistakes which will give a
negative opinion however good the answer may be. Last but not the least, it is
very important to have a good and a legible handwriting.

How to Read Effectively

Students are often at a loss when faced with the extensive syllabus of Mains
exam. One should be objective and try to focus on about 70% of the syllabus
instead of being over ambitious and trying to cover the whole syllabus. The
next thing to be kept in mind is the choice of study material. It is a wise option
to just refer to few standard books to get an deep understanding of the subject.
Reading from too many books will do more harm than good.

Lastly it is good to be selective while preparing for a given topic, to list out all
the important points and the relevant information in a logical framework. It is
important to remember that studying for the exam involves Purposeful reading
which is basically reading with a certain focus on the given topic and preparing
for the possible questions accordingly. Before starting on any topic, it is a wise
move to go through the questions asked in the past about the given topic and
jot down the probable questions for the current year. It gives an idea to the
king of material one needs to study to be able to answer such questions
effectively. After this mentally analyse all that you have read and try to logically
link all the points and see if you have understood everything. Such a kind of
periodical revision will help in the long run as it will ensure that it increases
your understanding, improves and enhances your memory, and makes you
more confident so that you give your best performance.