2023-09-21
We all have dreams and dreams make us human. Human beings have the most imaginative and creative minds
in this universe. Our lives are important to us no matter what we do, but our lives may become important to
others when we choose careers which extend and touch the lives of others. UPSC is one those dream jobs
which creates an opportunity to serve others along with an opportunity to use our minds at its fullness with
much creativity. Cracking UPSC exam is not easy but when you do it, you open up lot many doors for yourself.
Fame, money, power and many such travel to you to keep you motivated.
However, in this journey of clearing UPSC civil services exam, one must know the fact that it is a journey of
majority failing and a minority making it to the service. In 2021, around 5 Lakh students appeared for the CSE
(prelims) and only 761 students were finally selected as officers. The statistics of the year 2022 is also very
similar and has the same passing percentage. These statistics shows that the passing percentage is below 1%
every year.
UPSC Preliminary exam is an elimination round and more than 90% students are filtered at that stage and it is
interesting to note that the students those who are finally selected from mains exam is almost 7-8%. Analysing
these statistics, anyone who is preparing for UPSC must understand that if you clear prelims exam and prepare
fairly well for the mains, you would be in the list for sure. Preparing for prelims and mains simultaneously is
THEREFORE A MUST. Now, let’s go through a few important points if you are seriously thinking about UPSC
Civil Service Exam.
1. START AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE: You may know Pawan Gupta IFS officer who cleared the exam after 5
massive failed attempts. In one of his interviews, he said “Although I knew that I wanted to appear for
the examination in my college days, it was only after I quit my job that I started sincere preparation. If
you are serious about attempting the examination, there is no point in delaying the process,”. Starting
early is the key to clearing this exam. Preparing while graduation will help in many ways. It will help us
to know the exam pattern, syllabus and the way forward. The early start will certainly give you an
edge over others.
2. GET GOOD GUIDANCE/RIGHT MENTORSHIP: During our days, we lacked good online study materials
for UPSC preparations. “We did not have access to digital means like Telegram for notes. One of my
college mate, now a civil servant had told me that when he wanted to prepare for UPSC, he did not
know how to go about it. He ended up reading the wrong books. Finally clearing the exam, he told me
“Getting guidance from someone who can direct you on what to study, when to study, and which topics
to focus on is essential. Knowing what mistakes to avoid is crucial too. This exam is quite demanding,
so aspirants need solid guidance”. Today the internet is full of guidance and the town is filled with UPSC
coaching centres. It is interesting to note that the extreme southern part of India, a small city alone
has more than 50 coaching centre, it is more crucial to get the right mentoring/guidance.
3. CHOOSE THE RIGHT OPTIONAL: The merit is calculated from Mains exam marks. There are two
qualifying papers and seven papers are merit based (Essay, GS-1, GS-2 GS-3 GS-4, Optional paper 1 &
2). Choosing the optional subject is crucial, it is always advisable to pick an optional subject that one
is passionate about and has ample resources for. Nowadays, candidates often choose subjects like
Public Administration, PSIR, Anthropology, Sociology, Law, Geology, and Forestry as their optional because these have manageable syllabi and also aid in general studies preparation. It’s a good idea for
candidates to discuss their options with someone who cleared the exam with their chosen optional,
as they can provide useful insights to make the final choice. High marks in Optional will definitely keep
you in the list.
4. FOCUS ON ANSWER WRITING: Another prime area is Answer writing techniques. It helps you score
better in all mains paper. Keep your introduction short, write answers in points, underline the
keywords, give a decent conclusion, and include diagrams in subjects like geography,” are some of the
suggestions given by the students who cleared this exam with top ranks. It is a continuous process and
should start from the beginning of your preparations. It is to be noted that it is not only important to
write answers but also be evaluated at equal intervals by experts or mentors.
5. MAKE SHORT NOTES ON BIG TOPICS: Every institute would provide notes and there is an ocean of
notes present in the internet but using our own short notes for last-minute revision would serve the
best. Ilma Afroz IPS (2017) says “Short notes help revise content in a short period of time. I had short
notes for every topic. Your content should be condensed. For example, convert a 20–30 page topic into
3–4 page short notes.” Also, prepare yourself to appear to write general studies papers I, II, III and IV
— four exams in two days,” she adds. Note making is an art, if you excel in this, you have won half
the battle.
6. KEEP ANOTHER CAREER OPTION: As I mentioned earlier, this exam is a story of failures. Success rate
is very low and disappointments are more than government appointments. You may meet many
toppers and officers while preparing, but remember there are lakhs who were unable to clear the
exam. Their stories never get published. Make sure to meet them and understand the challenges they
faced. Then focus on the exam sincerely. There is no shame in having a second career option; IITians
also keep NIT as an option!”.
7. DON’T MAKE EXAM YOUR LIFE: Keep in mind that it’s just a test, not your entire life. You might excel
in your studies and preparation, but outcomes might not always go as planned. UPSC is not the only
door available in this world. Many aspirants worry that failing this exam will ruin their lives. At times,
this pressure leads us to answer questions incorrectly. Remember to stay calm during the exam. With
patience, things will eventually work out. While you attempt any exam, look at life with a broad and
large lens. Life is always about choices. If one choice doesn’t work, we choose the other. The world
has many colours and that makes it beautiful. If one colour doesn’t work choose another to make
your life beautiful.
The writer Rev. Fr. Adv. Alvin Abraham Simon, a graduate from St. Stephens, Delhi, is an educationist and currently working at IAS HUB, training candidates for the UPSC Civil Services Exam.
