How to Prepare for UPSC Exam? | Tips for Beginners

The UPSC Civil Services Exam is one of the most respected exams conducted in India. A candidate gets into IAS or other highly placed Civil Services through it. Attempts are made by thousands of people every year all over the nation, while only a few will realize their goals of IAS.

Thus, any UPSC preparation requires a proper study plan that, in terms of its approach and rigor, is well-structured for succeeding in the highly competitive examination for the Civil Services. Here is a simple guide for beginners to help you start your journey.

How Do I Start IAS Preparation?

Cracking the UPSC cannot be done by being a bookworm. As much as physically, aspirants need to be prepared mentally for the examination. Only a candidate with a sound mind and body can help Cross all sorts of difficulties and point in the proper direction. Also, a UPSC candidate needs to be aware of the pattern and topics of the UPSC exams. So let’s look at starting UPSC preparation strategies.

Understand the Exam Structure

The UPSC preliminary, mains, and interview are the three stages of the exam. Each of them requires a different strategy for preparation. Make sure that you understand each step to perform better.

Preliminary Examination: Preliminary examination includes an objective type test. The preliminary test is conducted for 2 hours with two papers: GS Paper 1 and GS Paper 2, which is CSAT. 

Main Exam: It has nine descriptive papers. These test in-depth knowledge on diverse subjects.

Interview: Also called the Personality Test, it evaluates your personality, presence of mind, and suitability for a career in civil services.

Know UPSC Syllabus

The aspirants should understand and follow the syllabus prescribed for the UPSC civil service examination. Grasping the syllabus shall be very useful in prioritizing subjects and in the selection of study material, etc., subjects that are prefixed with the same series of examinations shall consist of the topics prescribed for those subjects at the examination. The UPSC syllabus consists of subjects and courses one needs to know in order to pass the IAS exam. The UPSC Syllabus would assess the candidate’s knowledge, aptitude, and fitness for the post.

Prepare Time Table

To become an IAS officer, one needs to be like an officer who can maintain a properly scheduled daily routine. After going through the structure and syllabus of the examination, design a timetable for your steady preparations. The UPSC time table for study helps the candidate make a proper routine. The following timetable will help the candidate adopt a month-wise preparation strategy for the UPSC exam in 2025.

Month	UPSC Prelims	UPSC Mains	Optional
June ’24–October ’24	Read topics from NCERTs and Basic Standard books.	Read books common to prelims & mains	Start preparing for the optional paper (whichever you’ve chosen)
October ’24 – February ’25	Revise the Basic Standard Books and start taking mock tests.	Cover the rest of the syllabus for the main exam and start answering questions, as well as mock prelims tests.	Revision and practice of optional subjects.
March ’25 – May ’25	Practice regularly prelims tests for both GS and CSAT.	–	–
June ’25 – Sep ’25	–	Take tests exclusively for Mains and regular answer writing for mains exam.	Revision and mock tests of your chosen subject.

Read Newspapers Regularly

All the questions, directly or indirectly, that are asked in the UPSC exam connect with current affairs. Hence, following the relevant news items in your daily newspaper is very important. At least one major newspaper should be read daily, such as ‘The Hindu’ or ‘Indian Express’. Focus on national news, international news, editorials, and the economy section.

Practice Previous Year’s Papers

Try to solve the UPSC previous year papers to understand the exam pattern, the type of questions that are asked, and the level of difficulty of the same. Try to solve these papers in an exam-like environment to get accustomed to the pressure.

Do Answer Writing Practice for Mains

The questions asked in the IAS main exam papers are descriptive by nature. It demands that you think with conceptual clarity and organize your views, perceptions, and thoughts flawlessly. Therefore, quite obviously, candidates have to answer the questions quickly, effectively, and in the fewest possible words. 

Revise Regularly

Since the UPSC syllabus is vast and has multiple subjects, it is quite normal to forget what you have read earlier. Therefore, develop the habit of reviewing what you have read at least once a week. This will reduce your burden in the last months of preparation and will also help in retaining that material for a longer period.

Interview Preparation

UPSC interview preparation needs a mixture of subject knowledge, confidence, and a positive attitude. Practice speaking confidently, pay attention to your body language, and maintain eye contact with the panel. Using all of these tips, a UPSC aspirant would be able to increase his chances of success in the UPSC interview.

If you are struggling to prepare on your own, then join UPSCGyan for free study material. The experienced mentors can guide you through important resources and give you new perspectives concerning preparation.