How should I prepare for the Indian Civil Services Exam 2011?

Tips to ease your journey towards joining the top brass of officers in India

Touted as one of the toughest entrance tests in India, the civil services examination is divided into two stages. Conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the first stage or the preliminary test is held in the month of May/June. This is followed by the main examination which is usually held in the month of October.

After the written examinations, the aspirant is required to face an interview round in the month of April or May of the following year. The examinations that last almost an entire year require continuous practice and thus, you must start preparing a year in advance. The mains written examination gives a wide range of subjects to choose from. So the first step towards its preparation is to carefully select the subjects.

• You must opt for those subjects that can be mastered and attempted in a short period of time.
• Learn the basics of various subjects taught in school along with the NCERT syllabus.
• Start studying in advance and prepare basic subjects such as geography, history, polity, general science, English language and environment to name a few.

With Inputs From India Today. © 2011. LMIL. All rights reserved.