UPSC Exam Guidance – Techniques, Skills, and Strategies for Success

What are the techniques to increase UPSC exam marks? Which strategy should be adopted to clear the IAS exam, as per the latest requirements?

Exam skills are equally important as Knowledge to crack UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE). Our unique products like ClearIAS Prelims Online Test Series incorporate both subject-knowledge as well as exam-skills.

Success in UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) = 50% Knowledge + 50% Skills (Strategies).

Knowledge to clear UPSC Civil Services Exam

Before we mention anything about Skills (UPSC Exam Guidance or Strategies), let us share you some important links to build the knowledge part for UPSC Civil Services Exam.

• FREE IAS Study Materials (Easy-to-learn Online Notes)
• FREE Study materials and mock questions in PDF format (Eg: ClearIAS Current Affairs Capsules)
• FREE UPSC Prelims Online Mock Exams (Adopt ClearIAS Test-Based Approach to learn faster)
• FREE Downloads (Study materials, PDFs, Question Papers etc)
• ClearIAS Mobile App (Download the self-study app for FREE)
• UPSC Syllabus (Know the requirements of UPSC Civil Services Exam)

All of the above links are FREE resources from ClearIAS, which would help you immensely for UPSC Prelims, Mains, and Interview.

Skills to clear UPSC Civil Services Exam

Guidance, strategies, and skills are as important as knowledge to clear UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE). ClearIAS has developed various techniques to clear IAS exam with ease. Some of them:

• Memory Techniques
• Question Paper Solving Techniques
• Intelligent Elimination Techniques

Guidance to clear UPSC Civil Services Exam

ClearIAS recommends a Prelims-cum-Mains integrated approach and road-map which helps aspirants clear IAS by self-study. We advocate a T-T-T approach – which meant a combination of Text-books, Test-series, and Techniques to clear the UPSC Civil Services Exam in flying colours.

You can just go through the below links for specific guidance for each stage of UPSC CSE.

• UPSC Prelims Guidance.
• UPSC Mains Guidance.
• UPSC Interview Guidance.

How should you start UPSC Preparation?

Every day, we get queries from a lot of IAS aspirants regarding UPSC exam guidance. Many ask from where should they start the UPSC preparation. With mushrooming coaching institutes and a plethora of materials available online and offline, their worries are only compounded. We at Clear IAS™ (www.clearias.com) believe that it is very important to address the basic queries of all freshers. Yes, that’s why we are here.

You can accomplish a lot of things if you’re self-driven, but 10X more when you know the right people.

ClearIAS provides free IAS online coaching, guidance, strategies, books, online study materials and mock tests with a vision that no candidate should be left out of UPSC exam competition due to the inaccessibility of expensive IAS classroom coaching. Now, you may go through our advice listed out as 7-tips. We hope this guidance-post to be equally helpful for everyone who is confused – beginners or veterans.

#Tip 1: Learn the requirements of the UPSC Civil Services Exam!

No. You don’t need to know everything under the Sun to clear this exam. That’s the first thing to get into your head. There is a prescribed syllabus by UPSC for the three stages of this 1-year long exam, ie Prelims, Mains and Interview. A good understanding of UPSC syllabus and exam pattern is the first step for all freshers. Also, understand the Eligibility criteria for writing UPSC CSE exam. If you still have questions in your mind, just go through our article ‘frequently asked questions on IAS exam preparation‘.

#Tip 2: Buy some essential books to get the stone rolling!

Everyone will agree that without investing in some books, one cannot clear IAS exam. That’s right. The syllabus is vast, the aspirant should develop the habit of reading. To start with, we recommend buying some useful books (like Indian Polity by Laxmikanth) in addition to all the NCERT books. List of essential books for IAS preparation is compiled in this website, taking inputs from many toppers. Links are also provided to buy online at discounted prices. Order a few basic books on the list today itself, so that you will feel that you are into it. Also, make newspaper reading a habit.

#Tip 3: Read ClearIAS online study materials (FREE)

Yes; there is such thing as a free lunch. We call it free online study materials from Clear IAS™. We write articles regularly on many topics – basically on those which aspirants find it tough to find the right materials. We publish study materials for every subject in Prelims and Mains like History, Geography, Economics, Polity, Current Affairs etc and ensure that the contents help in quick learning. Our readers are free to print the online materials in PDF form or even in paper form, except for commercial circulation. If you wish to extend your exam preparation from laptop to mobiles and tablets, download for free the Clear IAS mobile app which has been receiving a huge response from our users. The app received top ratings, mostly 5 stars and crossed 4,00,000+ downloads in Google Play store.

#Tip 4: Get the right guidance; follow ClearIAS articles on UPSC Civil Services Exam guidance

Requirements for each stage of the UPSC exam, ie Prelims, Mains and Interview are different. But there are many things in common too. Hence, ClearIAS.com throughout this website follows Prelims-cum-Mains Integrated approach, which is a fast and smooth approach to clear IAS. You may read our guidance articles for Prelims, Mains, and Interviews. Always get inspiration and right guidance from the topper’s interviews published on the website.

#Tip 5: Join ClearIAS mock test series: practice, learn, and revise!

You can learn and compete with thousands of aspirants across India by attempting our full length timed online mock test series with negative marking for UPSC Prelims. Always keep in touch with UPSC previous year question papers so that you won’t read wild things, and stay focused.

As you may know, only when tested in an exam atmosphere with negative marking, you can improve the ability to deliver in the actual exam hall. Try for free the UPSC Prelims online mock exams by ClearIAS – in the new innovative platform which integrates learning with test-taking. You would be surprised to find how fast you can learn!

#Tip 6: Stay away from low-quality IAS Coaching Centers!

We are not against any classroom IAS Coaching centres. There are many good, reputed centres, but at the same time, there are many others which don’t provide any service even after charging lakhs of rupees as fees from the candidates. The ‘bad guys’ often misguide with advertisements and out-dated notes. Understand that the very need of attending a coaching institute, if any, is for right guidance, and not knowledge. In this online age, knowledge is available at mouse-click. If you are misguided in this highly competitive exam, you are ruined! So reduce your dependency on spoon-feeding by coaching institutes and build your analytical abilities. And for right UPSC exam guidance, you can always refer the unedited interviews by toppers in websites like ClearIAS.com.

#Tip 7: Stop worrying too much; just do it!

Well, why don’t do get your feet wet? You have nothing to lose. But you will be a totally different person, well aware of our nation and things around you once you step in. Don’t worry about your age, financial background, lack of time or any other usual excuses. You are never late. Get involved. Just jump in and do it! Understand that a journey of thousand miles starts with a single step.

UPSC Exam Guidance for Prelims – Selected Posts from ClearIAS.com

1. A Note Before You Begin IAS Preparation or Coaching.
2. Smart Work for IAS Preparation.
3. Strategy and Books for Early Birds To Clear IAS Exam.
4. How to clear Civil Services prelims?
5. How can smart aspirants like you clear UPSC Prelims ‘the smart way’?
6. 5 reasons why you should take more UPSC Prelims mock tests
7. Civil Service Prelims 6 Month Strategy – How Can You Clear UPSC Prelims in 6 Months?
8. CSAT – What is the best strategy to prepare for the CSAT?
9. 100-Days Action Plan to Clear IAS Prelims
10. How much time will it take to clear IAS prelims?
11. IAS Books for Civil Services Prelims and Mains Exam Preparation.

For more analysis and articles on UPSC Preliminary Exam, regularly follow the category: Civil Services Prelims.

UPSC Exam Guidance for Mains – Selected Posts from ClearIAS.com

1. Strategy and Study Plan for Clearing IAS Mains Exam.
2. How to clear Civil Services mains?
3. How To Select IAS Mains Optional As Per The Latest UPSC Syllabus?
4. How To Write A Good Essay In Civil Service Mains Exam?
5. What to Study for Ethics Paper in IAS Mains GS?
6. World History for UPSC Mains: Understanding The Basics.
7. Security and Disaster Management for UPSC Mains Exam.
8. Indian Society For UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam.

For more analysis and articles on UPSC Main Exam, regularly follow the category: Civil Services Mains.

UPSC Exam Guidance for Interview – Selected Posts from ClearIAS.com

1. Civil Services Interview – How To Make Sure That You Clear IAS?
2. IAS Interview: 25 Golden Tips for Success
3. Check List For The Candidates Attending UPSC Interview
4. IAS Interview Syllabus: 6 Important UPSC Clues Which You Never Noticed Before
5. ClearIAS UPSC CSE Interview Program: Maximize Your Personality Test Marks!
6. Up to Which Rank Can An Aspirant Get Into IAS, IPS or IFS?
7. Cut-Off Marks for UPSC Civil Services Exam: Trend Analysis

For more analysis and articles on UPSC Interview, regularly follow the category: Civil Services Interview.