The Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination (UPSC CSE) held their prelims exam for the year 2023 on May 28 and the Mains are ongoing and will continue till September 24. The intensity of the exam remains unmatched with any other government exams that are held in the country. Reason? A respectable profession with a chance to create a change within the various strata of society and to be closely associated with the Government of India.
However, when it comes to crucial aspects of the different stages of the examination that aspirants need to pass, experts opine that smart and consistent preparation is the key to garnering the confidence needed to wade through these waters. But with an overwhelming amount of information available and a syllabus that is assumed to be an endless, laborious study, what should aspirants be mindful of? And what are some key points that students can retain within themselves in order to efficiently strategise their preparation for the UPSC exam, and not befuddle with the immensity of the syllabus?
EdexLive spoke to experts from various coaching centres that offer their preparatory services for the same, and experts who have been in the field, working for more than 20+ years, even those who are newly inducted in the profession, and aspirants vying to achieve for themselves a coveted place in this sphere.
Success, not so easy
A concentrated amount of time, vast resources, high competition, but in the end, a job that bestows power and respect. What could be an essential point to keep in mind before starting the preparation, that doesn’t only uphold the importance of a well-balanced study, but demands the student to retain a streak of confidence and have a smart approach towards things? A key fact that has been pointed out unanimously by the experts, is how easily the target is achievable if the focus is on “Quality over Quantity.”
The Chief Mentor of Veranda IAS, U Sagayam (IAS), says that a comprehensive understanding of the topics can readily trump the effect of memorisation. Bolstering his point, Alok Ranjan an ex-bureaucrat who has authored a book named, Making a Difference: IAS as a Career, says that UPSC is a difficult examination and cannot be taken in a suit of jest in order to succeed. The preparation has to be thorough and detailed with the subjects. He also says that the quality of answers expected in the Mains are at par with what one has read at their universities. Hence, one cannot deviate from their goal.
What is 'Less is More'?
But one may question as to how the strategy of ‘Less is more’ might be well-suited to the examination when supposedly the established norm is to be quite well-versed with the syllabus. When experts iterate the particular phrase, it may not connote the amount of information one can retain but a significant in-depth understanding of the study material as prescribed by the examination board.
Sagayam who started his bureaucratic journey in 1991, says that there can be potential drawbacks to accumulating a lot of materials. He states three reasons to validate his point, “It definitely is a time-consuming process, it can waste a student’s valuable study time, can lead to conflicting information and confusion, and can hinder students from effective learning and retention of information.”
Shailja, AIR 83, UPSC CSE 2021 shares the importance of revision and how it can only be possible with a condensed syllabus. “If one cannot retain all that one has studied in the last year or so, it all becomes redundant. The application of knowledge is to be also focused along with its accumulation.”
But what if an aspirant feels confident enough to retain all the information? But Alok Ranjan discourages such a type of thinking, he says that for the ones preparing, conceptual clarity is a must, and developing an analytical knowledge as to what should be retained and what should be discarded, is quite essential.
Are you missing out on information?
In the due process of the preparation what if the students get the passing feeling that they are missing out on pertinent information? Shailja replies that the “fear of missing out” is something that often occurs to students preparing for the exam, but she adds that this a reason that might give birth to further complexities, “There will always be instances where one might come across a few unexpected questions, yet an abundance of source of information is not equivalent to success. The focus should always be on what you know and execute it with strategy and utmost dedication.”
But even with the set of information one has, how should they optimise the information one may ask? Sagayam says through his experience that an active engagement with the information through summarisations, discussions and teaching in groups and with peers for varied perspectives is one of the best methods to actively engage in the process. Not only this, creating visual aids such as mind maps help connect concepts and aid memory.
Sumit Rewri, the CEO of PhysicsWallah - OnlyIAS says that if one feels that limiting the material can hinder performance, they can easily opt for mock and practice tests to verify what they might need to know more about a particular subject or topic and can refer to more study material separately instead of overloading their references, so preparation must be on a case-by-case basis.
Difficulty in selecting sources?
When asked experts and students how one should select and choose amongst the resources, the commonality in all of the responses was that one should always keep their preparatory lessons in tandem with current affairs. An expert from the Chinmaya IAS Academy, Chennai, says that following standardised books released by NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training), digitally available publications such as New India Samachar, Vigyan Prasar, PIB (Press Information Bureau), Yojana, Kurukshetra and so on. Other than this students can have a detailed knowledge of the various government policies and reports.
To further simplify the work one can categorise and divide the work to easyily access the information collected. “Make notes of statistics, case studies, examples, quotes and other aspects that make your answer stand apart. For the preliminary examination, revision and a smart deduction and guesswork can be employed but only if one gains confidence after appearing in repetitive tests,” asserts Shailja, currently an IPS officer from the Bihar cadre.
Streamlined approach
A clear approach to your preparation is a must opine the experts. The expert at Veranda IAS says that a streamlined approach prevents information overload, enhances retention, and improves the quality of the answers. Not only this, Shailja thinks that such an approach would help a candidate avoid anxiety before the exam, which usually leads to committing silly mistakes. Also, she adds that self-assessment is quite important when it comes to knowing where one stands with their preparation. “If one is not able to do well, that means one needs to revise better.”
However she adds an extremely important point that needs to be laid emphasis on. The UPSC journey is different for individuals, hence, one should plan according to their own needs rather than following someone else’s success story blindly, “Work on your weakness, and rely on your strengths.”
Yes to the Tech? Or a no?
“I cracked the exam in the year 1978 and there was no other source of procuring information except for the libraries,” says Alok Ranjan who had ranked fourth in the examination. He adds that technology has indefinitely made everything easier but people must be aware of the excesses and be selective of the information, in order to be clear about what their study plan requires.
But Shailja who cracked the exam in the year 2021, a time when technology had become an indispensable part of life, asserts that it's about how comfortable is one with using it. “AI (Artificial Intelligence) apps have now become common and AI-based assistants and bots do come up with inaccuracies,” she also warns against relying completely on them.
Mayank Rawat, who is a UPSC aspirant, vouches for the use of technology and says that it can save a lot of effort and time with several online materials, classes and study apps that readily provide one with the information needed. He further adds that one can also take notes, digitally, which makes it easier to look up information whenever needed.
Remember, remember
Acceptance is what a tenacious aspirant must always remember, opine the experts. Shailja, who could only achieve success after three attempts, says that the journey is full of ups and downs, and it needs to be dealt with patience. “You can get external motivation from many sources but it is the internal motivation that sustains itself throughout the preparation,” she says.
Sagayam leans onto the importance of keeping things balanced, allocating some time for hobbies and adding into the routine some time for reinvigorating yourself. The commonality in their opinions about prioritising self echoes throughout, one must only choose to appear for the examination if they think they are ready for a gruelling time that would expect one to harness their strengths and focus on their weaknesses too, with a composed mind that is ready to take the plunge with unwavering determination.
