Clearing the civil services preliminary examination is fraught with difficulties and challenges. While the competition is steep, most students often lack the right regimen and methods to crack the preliminary examinations before taking on the mains. The first attempt at the preliminary examinations is always tough, you should not waste much time and get started.
Here are the top 5 things to do when attempting to clear the civil services preliminary exam 2016:
- Go through the syllabus: It makes good sense to stay updated about the syllabus of the civil services examination. In case you are attempting to pass the preliminary examinations at one go, you need to adhere to creativity and innovation. Most students who excel, are aware individuals that know the minute changes undertaken when framing the syllabus.
- Take a balanced view while choosing an optional subject: A lot of students have to select an optional paper for the prelims and the main exam. These selections may differ at both levels. In both cases, such topics should be selected that go complementary with the interests of the student and fetches him or her the most marks. Do not just neglect the optional paper to start with. Clear the prelims first and then set your sight on the mains.
- Try and focus on presentation skills and not on quantity: A lot of students often think quantity of the study materials helps win the examinations. While it does pay off if you actually refer to various resources when studying, maintaining a balance of subjects, and presenting answers well is the key. It makes sense to use pie charts, visuals and flow charts to help the examiner understand that you are a candidate that has done it differently.
- Current affairs and its knowledge is key: The prelims just like the mains stresses on the student’s knowledge of the current affairs and news. A bureaucrat or a budding one at that, needs to be a well-rounded individual. A good knowledge of the daily news and analysis can be carried out if you read the leading national dailies. Listening to the news on television is always a plus.
- Selective study: For most potential IAS bureaucrats, the tough task is about wading through reams of books and prepare for a test that has a vast syllabus. It makes good sense to actually skim through the study materials and select what is best. One should have the right approach when studying the optional and main papers to come out victorious. Rote learning and cramming will also not help.
In case you need some professional guidance to prepare for the exams in the right way, look for a good private tutor. There are plenty of online marketplaces, and even mobile apps, which let you browse hundreds of private tutors profiles and find the right tutor in a hassle-free manner. WONK is a great new App which enables you to book verified civil service entrance test tutors near your location.
