How to prepare for the UPSC Exam: Study Resources

Preparation of the Union Public Service Commission is a complex process. It requires well -structured study plan, consistent effort, and understanding of exam pattern. Here we will provide study resources to help you prepare for the UPSC exam.

Understand the UPSC Exam Structure

This exam consists of three stages:

Preliminary Exam- Objective-type questions

Mains Exam- Descriptive-type questions

Interview- Viva Voce

The Prelims contains two papers:

Paper 1: It contains subjects such as History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Science & Tech, Environment, and Current Affairs.

Paper 2: It focuses on Analytical Ability, Logical Reasoning, Quantitative Aptitude, and Comprehension.

The Mains exam contains nine papers:

General Studies: It contains subjects such as History, Polity, Economy, Geography, Environment, Ethics, and Governance.

Essay Paper: In this paper candidates need to write essay on given topic.

Optional Subjects: You can choose subjects such as Anthropology, Geography, Sociology, Political Science, etc.

Language Papers: This paper tests comprehension and writing skills.

Study Resources for Prelims:

Paper 1

History: NCERT Class 6-12

Geography: NCERT Class 6-12

Polity: NCERT Class 9-12

Environment & Ecology: NCERT C lass 6-12

Current Affairs Study Material:

The Hindu or The Indian Express for daily current affairs

Yojana and Kurukshetra magazines

Press Information Bureau for official news

Monthly Current Affairs Magazines such as Vision IAS Monthly Current Affairs or Insight IAS

Standard Books:

Polity: M. Laxminath- Indian Polity

Geography: Majid Husain –Physical Geography; GC Leong- Certificate Physical and Human Geography

Economy: Ramesh Singh- Indian Economy

History: Bipin Chandra- India’s for Independence; S.R. Sharma- Medieval India; NCERT History books

Environment & Ecology: Shankar IAS- Environment Ecology

Science & Technology:

Spectrum’s Science and Technology for general understanding

Current Affairs- new developments for ISRO missions, biotechnology

General Studies Paper 2: 

Arihant’s CSAT:  General studies and aptitude books for CSAT

Upkar’s CSAT Manual: You should practice Reasoning, Logical Ability, and Quantitative Aptitude

Previous Year Papers: You should solve previous year papers to understand the type and pattern of questions.

Study Resources for Mains:

General Studies Paper-1

History: Bipin Chandra’s Modern India, India’s Struggle for Independence, and Ancient and Medieval India by R.S. Sharma.

Geography: G.C. Leong’s Certificate Physical Geography; Majid Husain’s Geography of India.

General Studies Paper- 2

M. Laxminath- Indian Polity

Governance in India by M. Laxminath

General Studies Paper 3

Economy: Ramesh Singh- Indian Economy

Environment and Ecology: Shankar IAS- Environmental Ecology

Science & Technology: Focus on recent developments government schemes, and innovations.

General Studies Paper 4

Ethics: Lexicon’s Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude for UPSC.

Case Studies: You should practice solving ethical case studies from Vision IAS or Insights IAS.

Essay Paper:

You should practice essay writing on diverse topics.

You should read and analyze previous year papers to understand the format.

You should have a habit of writing essays to improve speed and quality.

Optional Subjects Paper 1 & 2:

You should choose subjects according to your interests, availability of resources, and overlap with General Studies.

Books for Example:

Anthropology by S.C. Dubey and P.K. Chakrabarti

Geography: Majid Husain- Geography of India; Rupa’s Geography Optional

Sociology: Ram Ahuja- Sociology; C.N. Shankar Rao

Language Papers:

You should practice writing and comprehension regularly.

You should focus on understanding the grammar and structure for the Indian language paper.

Use NCERT and standard textbooks for the regional language.

Practice and Revision:

You should enroll in a popular test series such as Vision IAS, Insights IAS, or Forum IAS to test your preparation.

You should write answers regularly to improve writing speed and articulation of thoughts.

You should solve previous year papers to understand the pattern and type of questions.

You should practice mock tests regularly for Prelims and Mains are important to identify weak areas.

Optional Resources for Revision & Extra Preparation

You should make concise notes from NCERT books for quick revision.

You can read books such as General Studies Paper-wise Summary by Vision IAS.

Time Management and Strategy

Divide your preparation into phases:

Foundation Phase

Core Phase

Revision Phase

You should regularly update your current affairs and integrate them with your syllabus.

You should maintain balance between General Studies and Optional subject preparation.

You should make daily schedule of 6-8 hours for study.

Additional Resources

Online Platforms:

Unacademy, BYJU’s, and IAS baba offer online courses and free resources.

Insights on India and Forum IAS also have regular free webinars, study materials, and resources.

Telegram Channels: Many channels share notes, current affairs, and daily updates.

Conclusion

The preparation of UPSC takes time, it’s important to stay disciplined. You have to follow a structured approach, and adaptive to the nature of the exam. Your chances of success depend on your consistency, ability to handle stress, and utilization of available resources.