How to prepare for IAS during Lockdown | UPSC CSE 2020 | Career Launcher

With India stepping into the lockdown 3.0, UPSC finally announced the deferment of all exams along with the Civil Services Examination that was scheduled to be held on May 31st, 2020. A new timeline with fresh dates is expected to be released after 20th May.

Unlike earlier times, you are not allowed to move to offline test-prep institutions and consequently, your preparations might have suffered a lot. Such a scenario necessitates the shift in the preparation strategy in favor of online resources. It is the only alternative available to keep yourself safe yet fully prepared for the UPSC exam. But how to go about it?

This article will serve as a detailed guideline for all the candidates to re-start their preparation with the available resources in order to ensure they the aspirants can regain their lost focus and claim their spot in the final merit list!

What Should The IAS Aspirants Focus On: Prelims or Mains?

Prelims 2020. 


Now why we say this? Because there is a significant overlap between the syllabus of Prelims and Mains. Hence, you’ll anyway be preparing for both in any case. However, we urge you to go through the syllabus along with the micro topics in detail and identify your weak areas. Thereafter, you can work on the weak areas in the stipulated time and strengthen your preparation. 

Possible Dates of UPSC CS Prelims And Mains 2020

In the past, UPSC CS Prelims was usually conducted in August with the Mains being conducted in December month, a similar sort of timeline can be issued for this year as well. The commission has announced that they’ll issue a fresh timeline after 20th May, and hence, candidates should not worry too much on that front.

The exam will surely be conducted by the commission, and hence, you need to keep yourself on toes to ensure you’re studying well for the exam without any distractions of the sort. It is very important to keep your focus intact in these testing times.

How to utilize Online Resources for IAS preparation during Lockdown?

Here are some of the tips that might help you with utilizing the online resources in order to boost your UPSC Civil Services preparation:

  • Revisit the syllabus: Glance through the syllabus and identify your weak areas. Make the most of this time to work on those weak areas. Read those topics or watch video lectures to prepare them well.

  • Online test-series: With the lockdown, joining offline test-series is out of the question, hence you can join an online test-series from any reliable test-prep institution. Adopt a mock-test based learning approach where you learn all the concepts and revise your notes on the topics asked in the mock-test. You can check out the test-series offered by Career Launcher here. 

  • Crash course for prelims: If you think the current circumstances have wrecked your preparation so much so that you need a quick revision of the entire course, you can also join a crash course for Prelims preparation. It would bring your preparation on track and would allow you to be focused on your preparation.

  • Telegram/WhatsApp Groups: Another important resource that can be leveraged is telegram groups. Join relevant telegram groups to get access to important free resources. Join the CL’s telegram group for IAS aspirants to get access to newspapers, prelims test series, and detailed notes on important topics.

  • Micro Courses: Further, important resources such as budget, economic survey, India year book are often missed during the preparation. Utilize the time conferred upon by the lockdown to work on these areas. We have micro-courses on these topics that will allow you to prepare these topics holistically. 


How Should Fresh Aspirants Kickstart UPSC CSE 2021 Preparation?

The candidates who are aiming for UPSC CSE 2021 must also be facing similar confusion with prolonged closure of offline test-prep institutions. The uncertainty around the restoration of normalcy adds more to the confusion. However, in the current circumstances, accepting the new-normal and working towards the future along the same lines would be much more beneficial than living in denial and hoping for things to get back to normal!


Hence, make that necessary shift in your preparation and bring it online to get that edge. Here are some of the beginner-steps to kickstart your UPSC Civil Services preparation:

  • Read the syllabus thoroughly: It is important to have a complete understanding of the syllabus of UPSC Civil Services. The syllabus itself is extremely vast, hence, if you study anything that irrelevant to the syllabus, you will surely miss out on something extremely relevant. So, to avoid that, read the syllabus multiple times to have a basic understanding of the syllabus.

  • Start with NCERTs: NCERTs are the most introductory yet relevant part of the syllabus. Utilize this time to cover NCERTs from VI to XII. The NCERTs will build a strong foundation allowing you to take your preparation higher with other resources whenever they’re available. You can also join our NCERT course to cover them more effectively.

  • Refer to IGNOU/NIOS notes: Since you may not have access to standard books of all subjects, you can refer to the IGNOU and NIOS notes for these subjects. However, make sure you are reading only the relevant topics according to the syllabus. 

  • Enroll in Online courses: With offline coachings out of question for a long time, it is best to enroll yourself in the online courses at this time. It will allow you to adapt this new-normal soon and will allow you to have an edge over your peers. 

  • Previous Year Questions: Glancing through PYQs will give you an understanding of how the questions are asked enabling you to study more effectively. You can get access to PYQs on our website under the Previous Year Questions section. 

Online Resources that can be utilized for IAS preparation:

  • NCERT official website and app: To read the NCERTs, you can check out the official NCERT or app where all the new NCERTs are listed. Download them and start reading these NCERTs. If you face difficulty with understanding the concepts, you can enroll in our NCERT course.

  • IGNOU e-content app: You can also refer to the IGNOU e-content app to read the IGNOU materials. IGNOU modules of all courses are available on the app that can be utilized to supplement your preparation. 

  • Online Courses: Career Launcher brings to you several courses that will surely help you in getting an edge over your peers. Check out the entire course range here. Keeping in mind the current situation, we have kept the prices extremely low in order to help the student community. 

  • Telegram Channel: Join our Telegram group to get access to daily newspapers, prelims mini test series, current affairs and more. We also upload detailed notes on different important topics on our telegram group. 

  • Online Test Series: The test-series play an important role in the preparation of any exam. Not only it helps in quick revision of the concepts but it also allows you to keep a tab on your preparation. 


Aside from the preparation-oriented tips and suggestions, one important suggestion that is of paramount importance for all the aspirants alike, is that incorporate some form of physical exercise as well as meditation in your routine. It will help in keeping you physically and mentally strong, which is extremely crucial in these unprecedented times. 


If you need further assistance, you can always rely on CL mentors and experts! Career Launcher brings to you several online courses that will help you in boosting your preparation for Civil Services. You can check our entire course range here. Should you have any queries, get in touch with our course counselors. 

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