Tips for Civil Services

While preparing for Civil Services Examination, the first thought of appearing in the same gives way to the issue of selection of optionals. Actually selection of appropriate optionals is a very crucial step, and usually post graduates of different streams prefer choosing their parent subjects for Prelims. Also, such selection of optionals appears to be quite logical as candidates with science discipline as their base subject need to think over the case of getting entry into civil services very seriously. Subjects like Math’s, Physics, and Geology are taken as optional only when one is thorough with the subjects.

Since UPSC ascertains that candidates from every discipline must qualify for the Mains, aspirants with science subjects need to evaluate themselves correctly regarding their own capability to be included in this group. Some of the social sciences including subjects such as History, Sociology and Public Administration are opted significantly by a maximum number of students, as this is a much safer bet especially for science graduates and those who are not confident to opt for their specific parent subject. In both the cases, formal preparation needs to be started from the basic fundamentals even if the people are already a post graduate in the subject.

Additionally, following are some tips that may help u prepare well in the entrance examination:

• Be meticulous in the subjects you choose for prelims, as you have to appear for a multiple-choice kind of paper. History, mathematics, geography may prove to be very scoring, hence choose subjects whose books, study material and guidance is easily available in the market. The current trend is of choosing engineering subjects such as civil and electrical.
• A good hold on General Knowledge pays for the Prelims bet and for the same, reading newspapers, watching television news and ofcourse quiz programmes such as KBC is good.
• For the Interview stage, bookish knowledge is not enough, one needs to be mentally alert for questions like “How many red lights you crossed while coming here?”
• Improved personalities may definitely help and it is one of the criteria for selection in IAS. For IPS, physical wellbeing is counted as an important criteria and one needs to be physically fit for getting into IPS.
• Enhancing the communication skills is also very important; IFS aspirants need to be proficient in one of the foreign languages too.
  

Working as an IAS officer is a dream for a majority of Indian Citizens, and to convert this dream into reality requires a lot of hard work and dexterity.