The Union Public Service Commission’s Civil Services Examination is one of the most difficult exams in the country. It is divided into three stages: prelims, mains, and interviews. If you want to pass this test, you must have a well-thought-out UPSC Mains strategy and begin preparing at least one year before the prelims.
On that note, let’s discuss a few important strategies to plan and prepare for the Civil Services Mains exam to get the desired UPSC result.
Start Your Preparation a Year Before
- For example, if the prelims exam is held between June and August, candidates should prepare for both the prelims and the mains exam until January.
- From February through May, it is best to concentrate solely on the Prelims exam.
- It is advisable to begin Mains Exam preparation with answer writing practise immediately after prelims.
This is how one should organise their studies and manage their time. At the same time, aspirants should remember that there is no such thing as a perfect study plan; all they have to do is to plan for the proper one.
Answer Writing Practice
You should be aware that the UPSC Mains test is of the descriptive variety. Each question needs you to provide a 150-300 word answer. As a result, answer writing practise is essential for the Mains, and this can be accomplished by:
- Taking regular tests and taking proper notes.
- Mind Maps –As this will help applicants to be able to link sub-topics within a topic and recall and remember information more quickly.
It is also suggested that when taking notes on current events, one should aim to write roughly 150-300 words for each topic so that writing answers in the exam becomes easier.
Preparation of Mains along with Prelims
The UPSC Mains Exam has 9 papers which include Indian Language, English, Essay, General Studies-I, General Studies-II, General Studies-III, General Studies- IV, Optional Subject Paper-I and II.
Marks carried by General Studies is 1000 out of the total Mains marks 1750.
The few areas of UPSC Civil Services Mains Syllabus overlaps with the Prelims exam are:
- General Studies-I: History, Art and Culture, Modern History and Geography of India.
- General Studies-II: Polity and International Relations.
- General Studies-III: Economics and Government Schemes.
Essay Writing Practice
The Essay Paper in the IAS Mains Exam consists of two sections A and B, each with four topics of 125 marks and a total of 250 (1252) marks. Typically, one section contains topics based on ‘general quotations,’ while the other section has topics based on ‘administration related.’ Candidates must select a topic from each area and write about it in 1,000 to 2,000 words in the allotted three hours.
Some Essay Writing Tips:
- Choose your topic carefully.
- Take about 30 minutes to think about the topic.
- jot down in a sheet all of the points.
- Make an outline for your essay.
- Avoid being provocative.
- Make reform suggestions.
- Conclude
The essay paper has a considerable impact on the candidate’s final selection and ranking. This paper is all about understanding and assessing a candidate’s personality by analysing his/her opinions, ideas, suggestions, values, attitude, aptitude, coordination and communication (writing) ability, and other aspects that the UPSC looks for in an aspirant.
Current Affairs Preparation
When it comes to current affairs, most questions are asked about current events during the months of June-July-August, but most candidates quit reading the newspaper during this time, which is critical for Mains.
Current affairs questions are generally associated with the history, geography, and international relations, which every candidate who is aware of the question pattern is quite familiar with.
