INDIAL CIVIL SERVICES : SCHEME OF EXAMINATION.

The Civil Services Examination is conducted by UPSC (Union Public Service Commission)
every year.
The examination has three stages i.e.,
(1) Civil Services Preliminary Examinations (CSP) - normally conducted during the second half
of May.
(2) Civil Services (Main) Examinations conducted during the month of October/November.
Here, those who are selected in the preliminary examination only are eligible to appear.
(3) Those who are selected in the main examination will be eligible to appear before the
Interview Board at New Delhi.

Preliminary Examination (CSP)

CSP consists of two papers i.e., (1) optional subject to be selected from the listed
subject for 300 marks. (2) General studies for 150 marks. Total of 450 marks. Each paper is of
two hours duration. The course content of the syllabi for the optional subjects is at the degree
level. Normally, there are about 3 lakh applications for the preliminary examination. From this,
the UPSC selects 10 to 12 folds of vacancies for the main examinations. This is only for the
selection and not to be taken into consideration in the main ranking.

Subjects for Preliminary Examination: The General Studies syllabus is same for all.

Subjects for Paper II (one subject to be selected): Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and
Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Commerce, Economics, Electrical
Engineering, Geography, Geology, Indian History, Law, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering,
Medical Science, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration,
Sociology, Statistics, Zoology.

(The question papers are in Hindi and English and each paper is of two hours duration. The
course content of the syllabi is of degree level. Each paper is of two hours duration. Blind
candidates are allowed an extra time of 20 minutes for each paper.)

Main Examination
Only those who are declared by the Commission to have qualified in the Preliminary
Examination in a year are eligible for the Main examination of that year, provided they are
otherwise eligible for the Main Examination.

Civil Services Main examination has two optional subjects (two papers each carries
300 marks), one General Studies (two papers each carries 300 marks), one essay (carries 200
marks) - total 2000 marks. Other than this, there are two language papers one in Indian language
and one in General English at the level of 10th standard. This is to test the ability of the
candidate's proficiency in his mother tongue / Indian language and English. Total nine papers.
These two papers carry 300 marks each but it will not be considered for the ranking. It is must to
clear these two papers. If a candidate fails to clear these papers, his other papers will not be
evaluated.
 The Main Examination is intended to assess the overall intellectual traits and the depth
of understanding of the candidates, rather than merely the range of their information and
memory. Sufficient choice of questions is allowed in the question papers.

Optional Subjects for the Main Examination:

Optional subjects: Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Botany,
Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Commerce and Accountancy, Economics, Electrical Engineering,
Geography, Geology, History, Law, Management, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering,
Medical Science, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science and International Relations, Psychology,
Public Administration, Sociology, Statistics, Zoology. Each paper is of 3 hours duration.

Literatures:
Arabic, Assamese, Bengali, Chinese, English, French, German, Gujarati, Hindi,
Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Marathi, Malayalam, Manipuri, Nepali, Oriya, Pali, Persian,
Punjabi, Russian, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu.
The following combinations not allowed are:
Political Science & International Relations and Public Administration
Commerce and Management
Anthropology and Sociology
Math’s and Statistics
Agriculture and Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
Management and Public Administration
Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science and Medical Science
Any two branches of engineering.
Combination of two literatures in the above list.

Interview:
At interview stage, two-fold vacancies are called to appear before the UPSC Board.
Interview carries 300 marks. Interview calls are sent on the basis of minimum marks fixed by the
UPSC at its discretion. The overall ranking is done based on the Mains performance (i.e., 2000
marks) and interview. Therefore, the total marks involved in the ranking are 2300. Candidates are
allotted various services keeping in view their ranks in the examination and preferences given by
them in their main application form.

Note: If a person fails in either in mains or interview, he has to appear once again from the
preliminary stage.

Eligibility Conditions:

(i) Nationality:
(1) For the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service, a candidate must be a
citizen of India.
(2) For other services, a candidate must be either:
(a) A citizen of India, or
(b) a subject of Nepal, or
(c) a subject of Bhutan, or
(d) a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before 1st January, 1962 with the intention of
permanently settling in India. or
(e) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Srilanka, East African
countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia
and Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India.
Provided that a candidate belonging to categories (b), (c), (d) and (e) shall be a person in whose
favor a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of India.
Provided further that candidates belonging to categories (b), (c) and (d) above will not be eligible
for appointment to the Indian Foreign Service.
A candidate, in whose case a certificate of eligibility is necessary, may be admitted to the
examination but the offer of appointment may be given only after the necessary eligibility
certificate has been issued to him by the Government of India.

(ii) Minimum Educational Qualifications:

The candidate must hold a degree of any of Universities incorporated by an Act of the Central or
State Legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an Act of Parliament or
declared to be deemed as a University Under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission
Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification.

Note I: Candidates who have appeared at an examination the passing of which would render
them educationally qualified for the Commission's examination but have not been informed of
the results as also the candidates who intend to appear at such a qualifying examination will also
be eligible for admission to the Preliminary Examination. All candidates who are declared
qualified by the Commission for taking the Civil Services (Main) Examination will be required
to produce proof of passing the requisite examination with their application for the Main
Examination failing which such candidates will not be admitted to the Main Examination.

Note II: In exceptional cases the Union Public Service Commission may treat a candidate who
has not any of the foregoing qualifications as a qualified candidate provided that he has passed
examination conducted by the other Institutions, the standard of which in the opinion of the
Commission justifies his admission to the examination.

Note III: Candidates possessing professional and technical qualifications, which are recognized
by Government, as equivalent to professional and technical degree would also be eligible for
admission to the examination.

Note IV: Candidates who have passed the final professional M.B.B.S. or any other Medical
Examination but have not completed their internship by the time of submission of their
applications for the Civil Services (Main) Examination, will be provisionally admitted to the
Examination provided they submit along with their application a copy of certificate from the
concerned authority of the University/Institution that they had passed the requisite final
professional medical examination. In such cases, the candidates will be required to produce at the
time of their interview original Degree or a certificate from the concerned competent authority of
the University/Institution that they had completed all requirements (including completion of
internship) for the award of the Degree.
(iii) Age limit: 21 years must be completed on 1st August of the year, which a candidate is
appearing. Maximum 30 for general category, 33 for OBCs and 35 for SCs/STs. Ex-servicemen
will get 5 more years exemption from the prescribed age limit.

(The date of birth accepted by the Commission is that entered in the Matriculation or Secondary
School Leaving Certificate or in a certificate recognized by an Indian University as equivalent to
Matriculation or in an extract from a Register of Matriculates maintained by a University, which
extract must be certified by the proper authority of the University or in the Higher Secondary or
an equivalent examination certificate).

(iv) Number of Attempts: Four attempts for open, seven for OBCs and no limit for SCs/STs. If
a person appears in the Preliminary Examination or even one paper is counted as an attempt.

(v) Restrictions on applying for the examination:

A candidate who is appointed to the Indian Administrative Service or the Indian Foreign Service
on the results of an earlier examination and continues to be a member of that service will not be
eligible to compete at this examination.

How to Apply:
(a) The UPSC have developed an application form common for all their examinations, which
will be processed on computerized machines. This application form along with an Information
Brochure containing general instructions for filling up the form, an acknowledgement card and
an envelope for sending the application is obtainable from the designated Head Post Offices/Post
Offices throughout the country as against cash payment of Rs. 20/- (Rupees twenty only). Form
should be purchased from the designated Post Offices only and not from any other agency. This
form can be used only once and for only one examination. Candidates must use the form
supplied with the Information Brochure only and they should in no case use photocopy /
reproduction / unauthorized printed copy of the Form. Since this form is electronically scan able,
due care should be taken to fill up the application form, correctly. While filling up the application
form, please refer to detailed instructions given in the Notice.

UPSC Exams Details: UPSC SYLLABUS

AND TIPS FOR INDIAN CIVIL SERVICES
(PRELIMS)
General Studies
-

General Science.
Current events of national and international importance
History of India and Indian National Movement
Indian and World Geography
Indian Polity and Economy
General Mental Ability

Questions on General Science will cover general appreciation and understanding of science
including matters of everyday observation and experience, as may be expected of a well
educated person who has not made a special study of any particular scientific discipline. In
current events, knowledge of significant national and international events will be tested. In
History of India, emphasis will be on broad general understanding of the subject in its social,
economic and political aspects. Questions on the Indian National Movement will relate to the
nature and character of the nineteenth century resurgence, growth of nationalism and attainment
of Independence. In Geography, emphasis will be on Geography of India. Questions on the
Geography of India will relate to physical, social and economic Geography of the country,
including the main features of Indian agricultural and natural resources. Questions on Indian
Polity and Economy will test knowledge of the country's political system and Constitution of
India, Panchayati Raj, Social Systems and economic developments in India. On general mental
ability, the candidates will be tested on reasoning and analytical abilities.

UPSC Exams Details: UPSC SYLLABUS

AND TIPS FOR INDIAN CIVIL SERVICES
(MAINS) PAPER-1
General Studies
-

General Guidelines:

The nature and standard of questions in the General Studies papers will be such that a well-
educated person will be able to answer them without any specialized study. The questions will be
such as to test a candidate's general awareness of a variety of subjects, which will have
relevance for a career in Civil Services. The questions are likely to test the candidate's basic
understanding of all relevant issues, and ability to analyze, and take a view on conflicting socio-
economic goals, objectives and demands. The candidates must give relevant, meaningful and
succinct answers.

PAPER - I

1. History of Modern India and Indian Culture

The History of Modern India will cover history of the Country from about the middle of
nineteenth century and would also include questions on important personalities who shaped the
freedom movement and social reforms. The part relating to Indian culture will cover all aspects
of Indian culture from the ancient to modern times as well as principal features of literature, arts
and architecture.

2. Geography of India

In this part, questions will be on the physical, economic and social geography of India.

3. Constitution of India and Indian Polity

This part will include questions on the Constitution of India as well as all constitutional, legal,
administrative and other issues emerging from the politico-administrative system prevalent in the
country.

4. Current National Issues and Topics of Social Relevance

This part is intended to test the candidate's awareness of current national issues and topics of
social relevance in present-day India, such as the following:

(i) The Indian economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth,
development and employment.

(ii) Issues arising from the social and economic exclusion of large sections from the benefits of
development.

(iii) Other issues relating to the development and management of human resource.

(iv) Health issues including the management of Public Health, Health education and ethical
concerns regarding health-care, medical research and pharmaceuticals.

(v) Law enforcement, internal security and related issues such as the preservation of communal
harmony.

(vi) Issues relating to good governance and accountability to the citizens including the
maintenance of human rights, and of probity in public life.

(vii) Environmental issues, ecological preservation, conservation of natural resources and

national heritage.

UPSC Exams Details: UPSC SYLLABUS

AND TIPS FOR INDIAN CIVIL SERVICES
General Studies
-

PAPER - II

1. India and the World

This part will include questions to test candidate's awareness of India's relationship with the
world in various spheres such as the following:-

Foreign Affairs with special emphasis on India's relations with neighboring countries and in the
region.

Security and defense related matters.

Nuclear policy, issues, and conflicts.

The Indian Diaspora and its contribution to India and the world.

2. India's Economic Interaction with the World

In this part, questions will be on economic and trade issues such as foreign trade, foreign
investment; economic and diplomacy issues relating to oil, gas and energy flows; the role and
functions of I.M.F., World Bank, W.T.O., WIPO etc. which influence India's economic
interaction with other countries and international institutions.

3. Developments in the Field of Science & Technology, IT and space

In this part, questions will test the candidate's awareness of the developments in the field of
science and technology, information technology, space and basic ideas about computers, robotics,
nanotechnology, biotechnology and related issues regarding intellectual property rights.

4. International Affairs and Institutions

This part will include questions on important events in world affairs and on international
institutions.

5. Statistical analysis, graphs and diagrams

This part will test the candidate's ability to draw conclusions from information presented in
statistical, graphical or diagrammatical form and to interpret them.

HARD WORK:
Remember that there is no substitute to hard work. No one will come and help you. You have
to finish the entire course by yourself. Civil Service competition is like a marathon race. For that
any competitive examination/even this whole world is a competitive world. The aspirants of civil
services are well educated and more than 50 per cent of the candidates are serious ones. One,
who has the confidence that he can compete in this examination and succeed, only will appear.
UPSC statistics also reveals that around 50% of the total applicants only appear in the
Preliminary exam.

Among the 50 per cent of the serious candidates, more than 20 per cent are hard workers, i.e.
more than 50, 000 candidates are competing, who are really hard working. There are hardly 400
posts in all. So, to make it to the 400, one has to be really put in real hard work, good writing
skills, unique style all put together. It is not a university examination. One who puts in extra hard
work, practice, and unique presentation only will succeed i.e. be among the top 400. So all
successful candidates say the hard work one of the first pre-requisites for the success.

There is no short cut to success and hard work never goes unrewarded. There are many ups
and downs during the course of preparation. It is the "downs" which need to be tackled more
vigorously and skillfully - more so at the emotional and psychological level. Remember these
lines - "what you build for years may be broken down in a single moment - build anyway".

DEDICATION:
Dedication towards your duty always pays in life. Be totally dedicated and focused in your
studies. You have to sacrifice something like movies, parties, and entertainments etc at this stage
of your life to achieve bigger things. Just work day in and day out and go on and on. As told in
the previous topic, one should have dedication towards the goal otherwise it is very difficult to
achieve. Select standard study books/preparation of notes, as reading is the only entertainment
you should have during this period.

PATIENCE:
As the CSE preparation spans a minimum of one year, right from the Preliminary stage to the
interview state, it requires a lot of patience to maintain your tempo. At times you may feel tired
and sick of further studying during the course of your preparation. Maintain your cool and
patience and so on to break the monotony of studies. Talk to friends and parents. They will
provide with you with the much-needed emotional support. Every aspirant tries to top in the first
attempt itself. If you don't get through, don't get frustrated. Don't slow down your tempo and at
the same time you should keep patience for another year to reap the fruits of success. So one
should not lose patience and the tempo throughout the preparation period till success.

SELF-CONFIDENCE:
Your self-confidence can make the difference. If you don't believe in yourself and your
capacity to achieve then, no matter how hard you try. You will end up failing. So your self-
confidence should be at an all time high - always. You should be in the company of people, who
can increase your motivational levels high and can inspire you. Form a group of close friends,
who are as determined as you are to make it to the Civil Services Examination. Keep good
friends, they are always a source of inspiration and motivation.

FAITH IN GOD/LUCK:
1. Most of the candidates who have passed/cleared/topped the Civil Services add this as a
major key to success. Why everyone says this has a reason behind it. The unforeseen
reasons are listed below:
2. Normally, candidates accept a standard formula, of what was once said of Einstein -
"Genius is 90 per cent perspiration and 10 per cent inspiration". Some may say that it is
99 per cent hard work and 1 per cent luck. It is like jumping into a well. Whether it is 90
per cent or 99 per cent, one will fall into the well only. What are the factors for the 1- 10
per cent variations varies from person to person.
3. It often happens that one study all subjects well enough, except one small topic, as he/she
might have thought that the topic is well known to him/her. The question in the
examination may appear from that topic itself. The aspirant may not be able to answer the
question satisfactorily, but he has only this much under his/her control.
4. Sometime in Prelims, unknowingly, candidates mark the wrong option though they know
the answer. It is a mental mistake. The aspirant should have been more alert. Hence,
mental alertness is of essence. This also is a faculty under the candidate's control. In
Prelims, if you are in doubt, you are bound to get confused between two similar options.
Hence, comprehend the question carefully and do not rule out any option till you have
balanced each option carefully in the context of the question.
5. Coming to Mains, you have nine papers. Leave the language papers as they are of a
qualifying nature and are not going to be added on to the scores of the Mains
examination. Moreover, language is not something that can be prepared overnight. Just
keep reading newspapers and magazines regularly. Other seven papers are going to be
different in nature.
6. Though the key is given by UPSC, it is not sure whether the evaluator will award the
same marks for same points to different students.
7. One evaluator may like Mr. A's style, but the same may not like Mr. B's answer, though
the points are the same, but the style of presentation is different.
8. The Mains evaluator is also a human being; he may not always behave in the same
manner to award the same marks. The evaluator is not a machine, which will behave in a
similar fashion and is in the same mood all the time.
9. The mentality and the mood of the evaluator also play a crucial role at the time of the
correction of the paper.
10. All seven papers go to different personalities and the caliber of evaluators are also not the
same?
11. One person does not evaluate all the papers. Different evaluators from different
background evaluate the same subject. There may be lenient and tough people are also
there in the same lot. Suppose if an evaluator is a little liberal to give one mark extra for
one question. All the papers put together will add another 30 marks more for the
candidate which can make a world of difference indeed to your final standing in the merit
list. In such types of competition, even one mark can make the difference.
12. At the interview stage too, the board chairman and members with different backgrounds
sit in the board. It is impossible to award the same number of marks to a person in two
different boards. Here the question posed, timing, board members play a crucial role.
13. 30-40 minutes of an interview is not the best way to judge the caliber of a student.
 14. At times, familiar questions which sound interesting to the candidate might be asked
which will definitely give an edge to the candidate. At other times, even good answers
can't be articulated well by the candidate before the board.
15. There are well known cases where the candidate was given different marks, which varied
in 100s from one exam to the other. One person got 210/300 marks in the first attempt,
the same person got 150/300 in the interview in the very next attempt. What can be the
conclusion? Do we conclude that the same person got worse over a period of one year?
No, here the questions posed to him are entirely different from those posed in the
previous year.
16. Above all, during the examination one should keep sound health. Though it may be under
your control, certain things are beyond one's control. This may mar the chances of
success of the candidate.
17. For the above reasons, candidates use to say that by luck/God's grace also plays a major
role. They above-mentioned factors should also play in one's favor for huge success in
this competitive world. The conclusion is that you shouldn't worry if you face failure.
There are uncontrollable factors, which also play with us without our knowledge, so do
hard work and extra hard work and leave the rest to the Almighty.
18. Still, remember there is no alternative to hard work. And also believe that God is on your
side and go ahead with full determination and intelligent study and practice, which will
bring success to you

TIPS
-
TIPS FOR PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION

1. The choice of optional should be done with due care and caution. While knowledge in the
subject is of crucial importance, interest in the subject is also an important consideration.
The reason being that the interest in the subject should be enough to last a few years of
preparation.
2. The aptitude and proficiency of a particular candidate in a given subject plays an
important role in arriving at a decision to select an optional subject.
3. Since some subjects are more scoring than others, candidates opt for such subjects. But
one thing should be kept in mind is one’s aptitude and interest towards subject.
4. Don’t choose an entirely new subject in which you will have to work very hard.
5. If the subject selected for preliminary is opted for, in the Mains examination also, it will
be very useful and solves a lot of labor and time. The preparations done for the
Preliminaries would assist the candidates in getting a good grasp over the subject;
otherwise the effort put in would go waste after the Prelims.
6. Books for Preliminary examination are available in plenty in common for popular
subjects, but in case of specialized optional like Agriculture, Engineering, and
Mathematics etc one has to look carefully for good books which cover all parts of the
syllabus.
7. One should select standard, prescribed books for the preparation.
8. A detailed study of good textbooks and whole syllabus only give good input and a decent
chance to answer maximum questions to score high. It is better to consult various books
 on different aspects, as it is very rare that one single book covers the entire syllabus in its
totality.
9. After reading/understanding the basic concepts, it is desirable to have sufficient or a good
question bank on the subject concerned may assist the students a great deal.
10. Questions asked in the Preliminary examination for previous 10 years are available in the
market. As a first step, one should sort out the questions of the optional, according to the
syllabus topics. This will give an insight into the nature of questions, important areas, and
twists in the questions etc. Once the basic strategy is formed, it will be easier to study the
subjects according to the nature of questions asked in UPSC.
11. The optional subject should be studied extensively (Optional: General Studies= 75:25).
12. A four-month exclusive preparation for Preliminary examination is a must.
13. For the optional subject, the whole syllabus should be thoroughly studied and should be
revised and mastered. (Remember no topic in optional should be left as optional): One
question carries 2.5 marks.
14. One should aim at scoring 95-110/120 (optional subject), 95-105/150 (General Studies).
(Score varies per subject & per category).
15. Optional subjects carry more marks (total of 300) as compared to General Studies (150).
The area/syllabus of the optional subject is also limited. Though there is a prescribed
syllabus, there is no limit. It is vast.
16. As the question paper is objective in nature, it would not be advisable to confine the
studies only to the multiple choice objective type questions. Practice with question banks
available in the market.
17. One should read the entire syllabus by covering each and every aspect. This provides a
candidate with loads of self-confidence and knowledge to answer the questions correctly.
18. This practice would perfect the art of answering the questions correctly and rapidly. This
will also help the candidates to properly understand the questions asked in various forms.
19. A candidate doing well in the optional paper is expected to fare well in the examination.
20. Practice of correctly marking the answer sheets by using minimum possible time will go
a long way in helping you succeed. It helps to assess one’s progress in that particular
subject.
21. As the questions in the Preliminary examination are objective in nature, intelligent
guesswork may be used to answer questions when you don’t know the precise answer.
While solving the paper you may take three rounds. In the first round solve the easy
questions. In the second round may be taken up statement and reason. The third round
can have the tough questions where the intelligent guesswork may be applied. If you
don’t even know some questions, you should answer the same code to all. Mark “A” or
“B” or “C” or “D” to all blank where you don’t have any clue at all.
22. Importance of General Studies also cannot be undermined.

TIPS
-
TIPS FOR GENERAL STUDIES
1. Read newspapers and magazines carefully, which will expand your knowledge base and
give good command and writing skill?
2. Preparation for General studies should be done hand in hand while preparing for optional
papers.
3. NCERT books should be studied carefully and newspapers like The Hindu and magazines
such as Frontline.
4. Trend nowadays has shifted more towards current issues; hence a thorough awareness of
recent events/happenings is mandatory.
5. In the Prelims, though the General Studies carries only 150 marks, all the candidates are
required to solve the same questions; hence, this paper assumes enormous importance, as
anyone spoiling this paper cannot have any chance of qualifying for the Mains stage of
the examination.
6. Other than the syllabus given, questions on planning, budgeting, developmental
programmes, latest issues of political and constitutional importance, Panchayati Raj,
electoral reforms, natural resources, culture, growth of nationalism, committees,
commissions etc can be expected almost every year.
7. Emphasis is normally placed on the general aspects of the subjects, which every educated
person aspiring to join the civil services is expected to know.
8. The General Studies paper needs special and thorough preparations and does not need to
be over-emphasized.
9. In General Studies, other than current affairs, each and every aspect is covered in our
school syllabi. Whatever one has studied up to Class XII is only asked in General Studies.
The only thing which is different is that it has an application but the basic is from our
school textbook only. A good, bright student who understood the basic concepts during
his/her school studies will definitely be strong in General Studies too.
10. Those who would like to appear for Civil Services should have a strong base, which will
make them easy to follow the subjects.
11. Exhaustive study of each subject and every aspect of the General Studies is essential.
12. An important point is efficient time management and proper planning. The time available
with the candidates for preparations is limited and hence has to be intelligently utilized.

TIPS FOR MAINS

1. INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE QUESTION PAPERS

SHOULD BE READ CAREFULLY.
2. Preparations for Mains examination should be done intensively.
3. It always helps if the choice of the optional for the Prelims examination is one of the
subjects chosen for the Mains.
4. After analysis/taking the decision on the options, one should sort out the Main question
papers according to the syllabus topics of the Mains examination. If one analyses these
questions, after sometime the questions are repeated in one form or the other. This will
give you time to prepare a standard answer to the question papers of the previous years.
This will also make your task easy at the Mains examination.
5. Questions asked are of the Masters level examination. Sometimes the questions are
‘conceptual’ in nature, aimed at testing the comprehension levels of the basic concepts.
 So, if you don’t have a basic grounding in the basic concepts, it would be advisable to
start from simple books.
6. The right choice of reading material is important and crucial. You should not read all
types of books as told by others. Get a list of standard textbooks from the successful
candidates or other sources and also select proper notes for studying.
7. One should always target for Mains even while preparing for Preliminary examination.
This is because there is much in common ground for study and there is little time for
preparation for the Main examination after the results of the Prelims examination are
announced.
8. While studying for the optional subjects, keep in mind that there is no scope for selective
studies in CSE. The whole syllabus must be completely and thoroughly covered. Equal
stress and weightage should be given to both the optional. Remember – in the ultimate
analysis both subjects carry exactly the same amount of maximum marks.
9. For subjects like Mathematics and Statistics and Geography maps etc, practice is very
important. One should also practice other subjects and should not treat the same
examination, as an “experience gathering” exercise to get a chance for writing mains is a
great thing, which one may not get again. Hence, you should go through the unsolved
papers of the previous papers and solve them to stimulate the atmosphere of the
examination. Stick to the time frame (roughly 1 minute for 2 marks. Speed is the very
essence of this examination. Hence, time management assumes crucial importance.
10. Writing skills (packaging) matter a lot in the Civil Services. Most of the candidates
appearing for the Mains examination have a lot of knowledge, but lack writing skills.
They are not able to present all the information/knowledge in a coherent and logical
manner, as expected by the examiner. It is not only what you write, that is important, but
also how you write what you write.
11. For developing the writing skills, one should keep writing model answers while preparing
for the Mains examination. This would help the candidate to “get into the groove” of
writing under time pressure in the Mains examination. The attitude should never be “I
will directly write in the examination”.
12. Develop and follow your own style of writing. Try not to be repetitive and maintain a
flow in the style of your writing. Never try to imitate others in the style of writing.
13. Sequential and systematic style of answering comes after a lot of practice and analysis of
standard answers. Try to stimulate the actual examination hours to judge your
performance and to plug any loopholes.
14. Strictly adhere to the word limit as prescribed at the end of the question to the extent
possible. Try not to exceed the word limit, as far as possible. Sticking to the word limit
that will save time. Besides, the number of marks you achieve are not going to increase
even if you exceed the word limit.
15. Revision of subjects is very important because “anything you could not revise prior to the
examination is as good as not having prepared at all”. The reason is that you have been
preparing for months or years together. It is a human tendency to forget something after
some time. Hence, revision is a must.
16. Write it legibly as it will simplify the evaluator’s task and he can read the answers easily.
17. Highlight/underline the important points, which you feel, are important.
18. If the write up is in essay form, write in paragraphs. A new point should start with a new
paragraph.
 19. If the question needs answer in point form, give it a bullet format.
20. Keep sufficient space between two lines.
21. Try to maintain uniformity in your write-ups throughout the paper. Some students write
well in the initial papers. Under time pressure, the script goes from bad to worse in the
later stages of the answer sheets and gets bad treatment. This may irritate the evaluator.
22. Don’t count words after every answer. If you have practiced well, you can count “how
many words do you write in a line and how many lines in a single page and the total
words per question”.
23. Give space and divide it by a dividing line between two questions.
24. One should target 1200-1250/2000 marks in the Mains. The main cut off also varies from
year to year.

TIPS
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TIPS FOR WRITING AN ESSAY

1. One is required to write an essay for three hours duration. This length of duration is
enough. There is no standard word limit for writing an essay.
2. Remember to divide an essay into three parts – (i) Introduction (ii) Main body and (iii)
Conclusion.
3. The choice of topic on which the essay is to be written after careful thought. While
selecting a topic, the knowledge base of the topic – i.e. how much you know about the
subject is of crucial importance. If you have data or statistics at your fingertips to back
some statements, all the more better.
4. The introduction is of crucial importance. Remember – well begun is half done? This
applies to an essay all the more. One could begin with a saying or a quotation. Quotations
make the essay interesting to read.
5. If you cannot mentally arrange the points to be covered in the essay, jot down the points
on a rough sheet of paper. Try to expand one point in its entirety in one paragraph and
then move on to the next point. Do not keep returning back to one point after you have
started another point. It makes the essay repetitive and boring to read. If possible, try to
maintain a link between the points by a connecting sentence at the end of the paragraph
covering a given point.
6. Keep your sentences short. Longer sentences not only lead to complex sentences, but also
point to complexity in thought process. Use minimum number of conjunctions. Finish off
a sentence as quickly as possible and start a new sentence.
7. In an essay, try to point out the problem areas and also suggest solutions to solve them.
8. Conclusion is as important as an introduction. It gives an insight into your analyzing
powers. Try to give a brief overview in the form of a gist of the essay in the conclusion.