Is it possible to crack the UPSC 2022 if starting the preparation from...
“If you are confident enough in paper 2 (CSAT) and GS-1, specific preparation can be done in the last 1-2 months itself.” – UPSC Civil Services 2013 topper Gaurav Agrawal
Only 3 out of 100 candidates who sit for Prelims, clear the cut-off score. The ‘Prelims Hurdle’ is more difficult to cross than Mains. So, as the UPSC topper Gaurav Agrawal mentioned, your focus right now should be on cracking the prelims.
The syllabus for UPSC CSE Prelims and Mains is not compartmentalized and hence you can prepare for both together. But from January or February, go in complete Prelims mode and prepare strategically.
You can follow the given strategies to get maximum results in minimum amount of time:
Strategy 1: The Reverse Approach
By following the reverse approach, it is recommended that you start your preparation by analysing previous year UPSC prelims question papers. Though the UPSC syllabus has mentioned many areas, you can see that more questions come from certain topics.
Strategy 2: Follow a Test-Based Approach
Enroll in a mock test series to be consistent, analyse your performance, find your strong and weak areas, compare your marks with peers across India, and avoid mistakes in the actual exam hall.
If possible, try to solve subject-related papers like History question paper for 4 days, Economy paper for 4 days, and then allocate time for a full mock test.
Strategy 3: Learn how to cover NCERT texts faster
NCERT Textbooks (from Class 6-12) are very fundamental in UPSC Preparation. However, remember that NCERT Textbooks are not the ‘end’ of UPSC CSE, and you have a lot of other books and materials to cover as well. NCERTs are just the basic texts.
Then, is there any shortcut to cover NCERTs?
Yes. EduRev has detailed and structured summaries for all the topics of every subject. You can skip on reading summaries by attempting their topic-wise tests first to recognise your weak areas. The problem areas can be improved by then reading their summaries and watching the videos available on EduRev. You can also find the summaries of the famous books like Spectrum, Laxmikant, GC Leong, etc., on the app.
Strategy 4: Don’t neglect the CSAT Paper
Allocate time for CSAT. Even if you are so confident of qualifying the paper, it is better to allocate at least 2 days to refresh and solve old question papers of CSAT.
Strategy 5: Keep Yourself updated with the Current Affairs
If you’ve not been regular in reading newspapers and magazines regularly, you can use the monthly compilations of IAS Vision or InsightsonIndia to bridge the gap. You can also use EduRev’s monthly compilation and solve the MCQs available on the app. The news is divided based on the GS subjects and has interlinkages with the relevant subjects. EduRev also has a monthly summary compilation of Yojana Magazine so you can either read it on the app or skim through the magazine once before the prelims.