- The process of clearing the exam and bagging the coveted Indian Administrative Service (IAS)/Indian Police Service (IPS) title involves devotion, planning, and a systematic approach.
- According to the 69th annual report 2018-2019, more than 3 million applications were received for UPSC civil service examinations.
- The biggest challenge for every aspirant is to keep the momentum going for the preparation on the right track.
Aspirants do seem to believe that the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is one of the toughest exams, but tutors say that with the right approach, anyone can clear the exam. The process of clearing the exam and bagging the coveted Indian Administrative Service (IAS)/Indian Police Service (IPS) title involves devotion, planning, and a systematic approach.
According to the 69th annual report 2018-2019, more than 3 million applications were received for UPSC civil service examinations, out of which 8,511 were interviewed for Civil Posts while 2,643 were recommended for Civil Posts.
The biggest challenge for every aspirant is to keep the momentum going for the preparation on the right track. “It is a long preparation with at least 2 years of engagement. One must strategise and work smartly to excel in all phases of the exam.” says Prof K.S Sandhu, founder of O2 IAS Academy in Chandigarh.
Another myth which usually people believe is that coaching is an absolute necessity to crack the paper but in reality it is not. “You can also crack this exam through self study, however, coaching does reduce your effort. By having proper resources and guidance, you can clear this exam without coaching.” says Siddhanth Agnihotri of StudyGlow, a UPSC educator who uses ClassPlus to prepare students for UPSC and other government exams.
He further recommends students to indulge in making common groups for UPSC preparation and discuss various topics related to subjects among themselves. Peer learning can really help you solve your queries and also helps in effective learning.
Here’s a list of books with which one can thoroughly prepare for the exams, as recommended by top UPSC educator Siddhant Agnihotri —