How To Stay Motivated During Civil Services Examination


Tips and tricks to stay motivated during UPSC preparation and strategy to prepare for prelims Many people who want to be public servants in the country take the UPSC civil services exams. The civil service tests are divided into three stages. The preliminary tests come first, after which you move on to the major exams. The final stage is the UPSC board interview, often known as the personality test. Needless to say, each stage necessitates meticulous preparation and a well-defined strategy in order to pass and get a high rank.
If you're wondering, "How to Clear IAS in the First Attempt?" or
"How to Clear UPSC in the First Attempt?" keep reading to find out!
According to the updated UPSC exam structure, the civil services prelims consist of two papers:
They have multiple-choice questions with negative markings. Both papers are worth 200 points apiece. If you mark an answer incorrectly, you will lose one-third of your marks. As a result, if you get an answer correct but mark three incorrect responses, you get 0 points. You have two hours to complete each paper. The topics to be covered for the civil services prelims are

Paper I

Paper-II

Candidates must attempt to pass the prelims in the first attempt because there is a limit to the number of attempts allowed, aside from the age criterion. As a result, it is preferable to pass the UPSC prelims on the first attempt. If you're prepared to take the UPSC prelims in 2022, keep reading for some pointers on how to ace the prelims on the first go.

1. Discover Your Purpose:

Ask yourself, "Why should I become an IAS officer?" Aside from a solid income and social standing, the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) offers numerous possibilities to serve the underprivileged elements of society. These changes provided by the IAS serve as motivators for many.

2. Avoid Daydreaming:

Most aspirants end up fantasizing about the fairy-tale ending of reaching their goals rather than constructing a trustworthy road that leads to it. It is pointless to fantasize about being an IAS officer. To pass the exam, one must have a well-thought-out plan and a well-executed preparation method. A well-executed approach serves as a constant incentive for aspirants.

3. Divide Your Goal Into Smaller Parts:

For example, if your aim is to achieve a rank of less than 100, you must additionally set subject-specific targets. Set goals for general studies, optional subjects, and the interview based on your strengths and shortcomings. Subdivide the targets further by paper. This will assist you not only in managing your exam preparation but also in maintaining your motivation for a longer period of time.

4. Evaluate Yourself Regularly:

You must evaluate yourself on a frequent basis. Set aside enough time each day, week, and month to test yourself through practice and mock tests. This will serve as a feedback tool for your preparation and will aid in the correction of any errors. It will serve as a motivator for you to see progress in your preparation.

5. Concentrate On 'Now':

Recognize the power of 'now.' Invest your thoughts on the here and now. While dwelling on past mistakes might lead to despair, dwelling on prospective failures can lead to worry. As a result, candidates are urged to stay in the present moment and adhere to the day's program. If you perform it in a religious manner, the act of preparing will serve as a primary motivator for you. The outcome of the preparation, on the other hand, will be of little significance to you.

6. Health Is Wealth:

Constantly prepare your body and mind for the exam. Remember that a strong mind can only be found in a strong body. Allow yourself at least 45 minutes per day for physical and mental activity. High health maintains you in good spirits and helps you stay motivated during the arduous IAS exam preparation process. Remember that information alone will not get you through the IAS exam. The recruitment procedure is designed to put your endurance and discipline to the test over a two-year period, therefore motivation is required. We hope the advice above will help you stay motivated as you prepare for the IAS exam.

7. Several Sources

Every UPSC civil services aspirant understands that study material must be obtained from a variety of sources, but don't make the error of attempting to read too many books and becoming confused and dissatisfied. Choose a few books and stick with them.

8. Current Events

Read one or two decent newspapers to stay up to date on current events. The Hindu and The Indian Express are both good reads. Examine news websites for the most recent information on national and worldwide politics, science and technology, and socioeconomic challenges.

9. Plans and Objectives

This is a cliche, but it is true. 'Failing to plan is intending to fail,' as the saying goes. You must plan and study if you want to pass the civil services prelims on the first attempt. To cover the extensive UPSC syllabus, you must organize your day, week, and month. You should have a daily schedule in which you spend a set number of hours studying. Set daily or weekly goals for yourself and attempt to meet them. This is the only way to complete the whole curriculum.

10. Revise

The significance of revising what you have learned cannot be overstated, especially for the prelims, which require the ability to recall a large number of facts. This is when taking notes comes into play. You could go over the entire course with well-written notes.

11. Aptitude Exam

This test, which covers qualities such as understanding, mental ability, logical reasoning, and so on, necessitates much practice. Click here to learn more about how to pass the CSAT (GS Paper II).

12. Mock Exams

Answering prior year question papers can give you an idea of the type of questions asked by the UPSC and can also help you judge your own preparation level ahead of time. You can also time your responses optimally. It also allows you to determine how much time you can devote to each question.

13. Do not sway.

Finally, you must work hard with passion and perseverance while keeping your dream in mind. Because of the vastness of the task ahead of you, you may be tempted to quit up. Remember that the preliminary exams are only half of the battle. You can't afford to lose enthusiasm at this point. So grit your teeth, study hard, and force yourself to go the additional mile. Do not look at the exams as a burden but as a golden opportunity to improve and showcase your talent and intelligence.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services exam is divided into three phases.

  1. The first stage is the objective Prelims,
  2. The second stage is the written Mains, and
  3. he third stage is the interview, which is a verbal evaluation procedure.
The Prelims stage is unique in that it is attended by every contender, regardless of the amount of preparation, and aspirants who fail in any of the later stages begin from here only. As a result of the enormous number of students, the preliminary exam necessitates a distinct method. Failure at this stage has the potential to damage the entire preparation approach. For the preliminary stage, we recommend the following strategy:

1. Cover the entire syllabus:

The syllabus should be thoroughly covered. Regardless of prior tendencies, no portion should be taken for granted. UPSC may favor any area of the large syllabus, thus it's best to be on the safe side. Take proper notes: No UPSC syllabus can be covered thoroughly unless proper notes are taken. Notes should be produced in the correct format so that candidates can memorize and duplicate them more easily. Notes should not be overly large, and the function of the notes should always be kept in mind.

2. Avoid investigating new portions or topics before one month:

The last month before prelims should not be used to cover any new material unless it is really and incredibly vital. The month should be reserved solely for revision. Mains can be taken concurrently with Prelims, however, a percentage of time must be justified.

3. CSAT should be taken seriously:

Taking it lightly can have catastrophic consequences. People who are absolutely new to CSAT should maintain it at the same level as General Studies. However, even those who are at a more advanced stage should take it seriously. At the very least, previous years' papers should not be overlooked.

Finally here are 4 Important Tips To crack UPSC IAS Exam 2022

Tip #1: Make a study schedule.
Create a plan and a timeframe for IAS preparation. This is due to the fact that a structured study cannot be conducted without previous planning. As a result, before you begin your study, you should obtain all of the relevant information on this exam. Patterns, curriculum, required books, and so forth should all be familiar to you.

Tip #2: Push yourself outside of your comfort zone.

If you want to boost your productivity, you must step outside of your comfort zone and into the unknown. You must be courageous enough to confront the problems. You may experience worry and anxiety while preparing but bear in mind that you must persevere.

Tip #3: Analyze everything you learn.

The big picture is highly crucial in the UPSC tests. If you get too caught up in the minutiae, you may lose sight of the overall picture. You should connect the concepts you're learning to the subjects on the syllabus. You will be better prepared regardless of the topics covered in the exam.

Tip #4: Avoid multitasking.

Multitasking is a sure-fire way to reduce productivity. Multitasking should be avoided to the greatest extent possible. Concentrating on a particular task allows you to complete it more quickly. When you try to accomplish too many things at once, your attention suffers, and you may not even complete the activities you set out to perform in the first place.