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UPSC IAS IPS Strategy

Intro
Five Part article series on How to approach UPSC Civil Service IAS/IPS Exam: Prelims, Mains and Interview
Books
Tips on Notes-making, Standard reference books, Yojana Kurukshetra etc. Explained here
Prelim-Mains-Interview
Detailed Strategy for General Studies, science-tech, yearbook, economy, history, polity, IR-Diplomacy with booklist, free study material given here.
Doubts
Basic doubts regarding Coaching, Working professional, time Management and Non-English medium
Backup
Some guidelines for adopting career backup plans incase you can't make it to UPSC

SSC CGL

GK / GA
How to approach General Awareness for Tier-I, explained here with free study material download.
Maths
How to approach Maths, Quantitative Aptitude, Trigonometry, Geometry for Tier I and II? To-the-point strategy n tips given here +free study material
Reasoning
General Intelligence and Logical reasoninig for Tier I of SSC-CGL exam: booklist, tips shared here.
English
How to tackle vocabulary, grammar and comprehension for Tier I and II.

SBI PO

GA/Computer/Marketing
strategy booklist for approaching General Awareness, Computer, Marketing, Current Affairs in SBI PO 2013, includes free material as well!
Reasoning (High)
strategy booklist for approaching Higher Level Reasoning in SBI PO 2013
English (Descriptive)
strategy, free studymaterial, essay list for the SBI PO English MCQ and Descriptive paper!

Others

CAT (IIM)
Ragtag strategy on get 90+ percentile in CAT-prometric test.
LIC AAO
Strategy for the upcoming LIC Assistant Administrative officers' exam with free studymaterial, jobprofile.
CSIR
Studyplan + Free study material for CSIR combined Administrative services (CASE) exam
State PSC
How to approach RAS, MPSC etc explained here
CAPF
How to become an Assistant Commandant in BSF, CISF, CRPF: strategy, booklist, free studymaterial provided here.
RBI
RBI Grade "B" Officer studyplan, strategy, booklist and free download material is provided here.
SSC (FCI)
Food Corporation Grade III exam
SPIPA
For getting admission in SPIPA, Ahmedabad, which provides free coaching for IAS exam.(Gujarat Only)
ACIO
Assistant Central Intelligence Officer recruitment: booklist, strategy

UPSC tips

India Yearbook
how to efficiently utilize INDIA Yearbook for UPSC prelims, mains, interview= explained in this 6 part series article.
5 Levels
Explains five types of players in UPSC competition and why daydreamers fail in this exam.
100 Days
Why you can't succeed with vague strategies in UPSC Prelims, explained here.
Newspaper?
How to read The Hindu/Indianexpress quickly and efficiently in less than one hour for Current Affairs?, explained here.
Art of Aptitude?
3 Cardinal Rules on How to approach Aptitude section in any competitive exam.
Quotes
Motivational and inspirational quotes for competitive exams.
Essay Tips
How *not* to write an Essay in UPSC Mains exam, explained here
IR
How to prepare India World + International relations (IR) topic, explained + free download material
Stat
Approach to Statistics and Graphs portion of General Studies Mains Paper II+free study material
R.T.I
How to file R.T.I application to UPSC? explained here

Analysis

CSAT'12
Analysis of the GS-Prelims paper and how it broke the backs of Coaching classes.
GSM-12
Analysis of the General Studies (Mains) Paper I and II of 2012 and how they (again) broke the backs of Coaching classes.

Edu Tech

Auto NoteMaker
Mrunal's Autonotemaker for quickly taking notes out of PDF files and Webarticles (Win XP only)
Hindu Reader
How to use Google Reader to efficiently read The Hindu online, for Free!.
OneNote
Learn to use Microsoft Onenote software to organized your notes on computer, quickly and efficiently!
Archive
Monthly Archive Index page of everything I've published so far. (In the old articles, ignore advice written before Jan 2012, because UPSC trend has changed a lot.)

FAQ : Frequently Asked questions about UPSC Civil Service IAS IPS CSAT Exam

  1. [Q] Creamy Layer OBC gets 4 attempts only because they’ve to tick “General Category” in UPSC application form
  2. [CSAT App Q] Your name as recorded in certificates
  3. [Q] Failed in some semester? Don’t worry UPSC won’t bite!
  4. [Q] LASIK surgery makes you medically unfit for IPS job recruitment
  5. [Q] Better give interview either in Hindi or in English.
  6. [Q] IPS vs State DySP: Career progression?
  7. [Q] Not much point in buying UPSCportal books
  8. [Q] Leave the unfinished newspapers
  9. [Q] It doesn’t take 4 years to prepare for UPSC.
  10. [Q] can’t pick up different language medium for each optional subject
  11. [Q] Doubts about Study-plan for CSAT IAS Exam
  12. [Q] Editorials: How much time to allot, Relevance of Internet based study etc
  13. [Q] Current Affairs time boundary for IAS exam?
  14. [Q] When to start Newspaper reading for IAS exam?
  15. [Q] IJPA journals from IIPA are unnecessary for Public Administration (mains)
  16. [Q] IFS Officers abroad get more salary according to Cost of living
  17. [Q] ENGLISH a big necessity in clearing IAS and State PSC exam
  18. [CSAT App Q] Your hands are not tied with optional subject choice in prelim form
  19. [Q] OBC certificate, should I get latest or 10 year old certificate will do?
  20. [CSAT App Q] OMR circles marked with pencil & not with black pen
  21. [CSAT App Q] A candidate within 21-30 cannot claim age relaxation
  22. [Q] Can I change my category from Gen to SC in new exam?
  23. [Q] Scanning passport sized photo for online-application form
  24. [Q] A candidate selected for IPS or IRS can reappear in the CSE exam or not?
  25. [Q] How to become IFS officer (Indian Foreign services)
  26. [Q] Confusion regarding language & literature subjects
  27. [Q] Can a fourth-semester or Final Year college student appear in Civil service Exam?
  28. [Update] My distant Education degree is valid for IAS Exam or not?
  29. [Q] Can I sit in IAS exam with Distant education degree?
  30. [Q] Age limit for SC candidate in IAS Exam?
  31. [Q] UPSC Mains Exam is held in which cities?
  32. [Q]Language medium question – Optional and Essay
  33. [Firefighting] Prepare Political Science and finish syllabus in 20 days for UPSC Prelim
  34. [Q] age & trial limit for 2011 civil service exam of UPSC
  35. [Q] What if you don’t get prelim admission card by 2nd May 2010?
  36. [Q] Doubt regarding selection procedure in Prelim 2010
  37. [Q] amount of negative marking in optional and GS paper?
  38. [Q] Duration of Prelim Exam and Order of Papers?
  39. [Q] can a newcomer start preparing right now from point zero and crack 2010′s prelim?
  40. [Q] Working Professional’s study plan for 2011′s Exam
  41. [Q] Females need not pay 50 rupees prelim application fee
  42. [Q] Final year student, can I give the exam in 2010 ?
  43. [JBPS] Just because Papa Said, so I’m giving this exam!
  44. [Q] What is M n M series book & are they helpful in studies?
  45. [Q] can I use two different languages in my both optional in mains?
  46. [Q] mains answering the question with different phrases like Discuss, Critically analyse, Evaluate, Elucidate
  47. [Q] the big booklist of Mishra Puri Dutt Sundaram Basu Sharma and so on…
  48. [Q] is it compulsory to go for coaching classes??
  49. [Q] Engineering Grad confused in Public Administration – sociology – Geography.
  50. [Q] is it correct time to start preparation ?
  51. [Q] Calculating the Trial Limits for a candidate born in October
  52. [Q] Choice of Optional Subjects for MBA graduate
  53. [Q] The So called ‘guides’ covering Entire Syllabus- Are they useful?
  54. [Q] Philosophy no longer a Hot Subject?
  55. [Q] Colorblindness and Eligibility in Civil Service Exam
  56. [Q] Confusion in Chosing Civil Service vs Private Sector job.
  57. [Q] Confusion on two IFS services
  58. [Q] Non B.A. Student wanting to Chose English Literature
  59. [Problem] Law as an optional for a B.Sc Student
  60. [Problem] Public Administration vs Political Science as an Optional Subject
  61. [Problem]What to choose as Second Optional?
  62. [Problem] Public Administration Stretegy- Is it different for Beginners?
  63. [Problem] Preparing History for General Studies in prelims but unable to solve many questions.

10 comments to FAQ : Frequently Asked questions about UPSC Civil Service IAS IPS CSAT Exam

  • Harsh
    Reply to this comment

    I have applied for B.Tech admission against ‘General’ Category. Now I want to take admission against the ‘SC’ Category OR I want to change my category from ‘GEN’ to ‘SC’ at the time of admission to ‘SC’

  • shiv
    Reply to this comment

    I have qualified prelims two times. This time i am also hopeful but I doubt that wether invigilator has signed my answer sheet. Please guide me wether they will reject if invigilator has not signed. aia have signed surely on attendance sheet.

  • rahul singh
    Reply to this comment

    I have cleared Diploma in electronics and communication engg. after 10th, and i have not qualification of 12th. can i eligible to fill NDA form and appear in exam?

  • kunal singh
    Reply to this comment

    i i am kunal singh i am persuing my graduation right now and i want to know about some basic facts about upsc syllabus so please help me give me message on my email address

    thank you

  • omendra
    Reply to this comment

    i want to know to the cut off marks for qualifying the ias exam for all categories

  • satya dev arya
    Reply to this comment

    Respected sir, i am very thankful to you for this effort….. Yesterday, i was suggesting my friends to subscribe you..they were happy to know about it…but they asked me one Question that is he an Teacher?… He has lot of knowledge about all examination..so i just want to know about You.. is it ok to give answer of this question?…
    .
    .thanks…

  • Deepak
    Reply to this comment

    Dear Sir,

    Thanks for your nice work for civil services aspirants.

    Kindly suggest me books and strategies for optional subjects of Social Work and Defense Studies.

    With regards
    Deepak

  • abhi
    Reply to this comment

    how can a nepali citizen get an eligibility certificate in case of selection?

  • Induchoodan
    Reply to this comment

    Sir,
    I am an aspirant, with disability in accordance with the 1995 equal opportunities act, hearing impairment. the notification mentions of Deaf-Mute category only. I’m not mute. so, will i be eligible for reservation?

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