How to start preparing for UPSC | UPSC Preparation for Prelims

Step One: Know the Syllabus and Exam Pattern

UPSC Civil Services Examination is conducted in three phases namely:

• Preliminary Examination
• Mains Examination
• Interview

Here's the exam pattern for UPSC Prelims:

Since the syllabus is extremely vast and gets overwhelming at times, it is important to know the syllabus beforehand so that you can stick to it while studying. Here is the syllabus of UPSC Prelims:

UPSC Prelims Syllabus of Paper-I (General Studies-I)

• Current events of national and international importance.
• History of India and Indian National Movement.
• Indian and World Geography - Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World. Indian Polity and Governance - Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
• Economic and Social Development - Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.
• General issues on Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity, and Climate Change - that do not require subject specialization General Science

UPSC Prelims Syllabus of Paper-II (CSAT)

• Comprehension
• Interpersonal skills including communication skills;
• Logical reasoning and analytical ability
• Decision-making and problem solving
• General mental ability
• Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. - Class X level)

You can check out the detailed syllabus for Prelims here.

---

Step Two: Strengthen Your Foundation

Next, you should focus on building a strong foundation for covering the UPSC syllabus. Begin with the NCERTs. Read the NCERTs of the core subjects from Class VI to XII to build your foundation. After that, glance through the previous years’ papers to familiarize yourself with the questions asked in the exam.

---

Step Three: Build On The Foundation

After covering the NCERTs thoroughly, it’s time to step up your preparation game and read the standard books for all the subjects. Ensure you follow only one book per subject wherever possible and revise it repeatedly to cement the concepts in your mind. You can check out the booklist here.

---

Step Four: Revision

Revision and repeated revision is the only way to crack the Prelims. Make sure to keep your weekends free for revision. During the weekends, revise all that you’ve studied in the week to retain the concepts for a long time! CSAT, although qualifying, is an important crucial as it determines whether or not your GS paper will get evaluated. To gauge your efficiency in CSAT paper, attempt one paper, and check your score. You need 66+ marks to clear CSAT. If your score is above 120, give one CSAT mock weekly in order to revise the concepts. Otherwise, you need to focus on CSAT preparation as well. Check out our CSAT courses here.

---

Step Five: Mock Test-Based Learning

When there are about 50-75 days left for the Prelims, adopt a mock-test-based learning approach. Sit for a mock test daily, and analyze your score. Then, revise all the concepts repeatedly for the questions missed in the mock test. At this time, start giving mock tests for CSAT as well.

---

Prepare for UPSC CSAT with Career Launcher’s Online Coaching

Career Launcher takes you through the entire gamut of UPSC Preparation for CSAT to help you achieve your dream. Some benefits that you can derive from Career Launcher’s UPSC CSAT Online Coaching are:

Structured Learning: Career Launcher’s UPSC CSAT Online Course has been designed by Experts with 29+ experience in teaching Aptitude. With Live and Interactive sessions by experts, CL aims to ensure you get the most out of the course and build a strong foundation to ace CSAT. 

Comprehensive Study Material: Access study material prepared by the best Aptitude mentors country-wide. Build a strong foundation of important concepts through workbooks and 3000+ practice questions for thorough understanding. 

Practice: Comprehensive practice through Topic Tests, Sectional Tests & Full-Length Mock Tests, all curated exclusively by experts per the latest UPSC Exam Pattern.

This was a brief overview of how to prepare for UPSC Prelims. Career Launcher brings comprehensive UPSC CSAT preparation courses wherein you will also get one-to-one mentorship and guidance for UPSC preparation. Check out our CSAT courses here.