There is a prevalent doubt whether UPSC Civil Service Examination can be cleared by the working professionals as the exam demands maximum attention through the preparation. Well, the answer is a big ‘Yes.’ Anyone with the right strategy and efforts regardless of their work profile can clear the examination.
Working people who are doing well in their jobs also prefer to quit their corporate lifestyle to get into public services. For them IAS Salary suffices to let them lead a contented life. Though there are other perks and benefits involved in the civil services, the majority of aspirants desire to serve the nation and keep themselves on toes to render their services.
Here you will find out such tips that can help you chalk out a plan for yourself if you are also a working professional and have the same zeal to get into public administration.
A Blend of Smart Work and Hard Work
Compared to the candidates who study at home, working professionals have the biggest limitation in the name of ‘Time Management.’ There rarely comes a chance where working people can give more than a couple of hours to their preparation during their working days. That is why, it is often said, work hard, work smarter.
Before a working person decides to start their preparation journey, they have to accept that there are many aspirants who are having an edge over them given availability of time. Therefore, they have to plan well ahead of time to beat the rest.
UPSC Books to Follow
There is a list of books that one can follow and also finish reading with the time in hand:
- NCERT – One must not ignore it at any cost. Don’t think that by skipping these, you can save some extra time to read reference books. NCERTs are the backbone of UPSC preparation as they solidify your concepts. Hence, make a point to read them first.
- M.Laxmikanth’s Indian Polity – This is a saviour for your Indian Polity preparation. Ignore it at your own risk.
- Reference Books for other subjects – One must be selective while reading reference books for subjects like economy and geography. As can be seen from the trend, questions from these subjects have bent towards current affairs, therefore, candidates can act smartly while covering these subjects.
Timetable for Working People
Working Day
Assuming that everyone is working for at least 9 hours a day, it leaves 15 hours in hand. 6-8 hours are dedicated to personal care (sleep, eat, family) etc. Therefore, at maximum, a working person gets 6-7 hours in hand to study. Please note that there are situations where working deadlines extend and one has to manage their time.
In these 6-7 hours, practically one can only study for 3-4 hours with utmost concentration and will. As we are not taking into consideration the factors like tiring day, work stress, family chores etc. Now, it depends on the candidate how they want to utilize these 3 to 4 hours.
Non-Working Day
In a holiday, weekend or any other leave, a candidate has a full day to himself/herself which can be very well managed as per the study-requirements. It is often suggested to devote 12-14 hours on these days considering the fact that weekdays are tough to bargain from.
Newspaper in morning
It is a best practise to read your newspaper early in the morning as it will take only 25-30 minutes. If you are planning to devote extra time in newspaper-reading, you must rethink your strategy. Every minute counts and every minute should be useful. Therefore, one must not dive deep into newspaper reading, rather note down those issues that are important and later revise them through current affairs magazines.
Complete your GS 4 and Optional Syllabus First
Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude subjects and your optional subject should be taken together. It will bring down your burden to a greater extent.
Use of Sabbatical
If your company provides you sabbatical leaves, you must take it before the prelims.This will help you take mock tests, revise more and be with yourself at ease before the IAS Exam. However, don’t worry if there is no such provision at your disposal. Things can still workout. You have to be determined to finish your syllabus on time.
Time management is different for different people, therefore, one must get a broader idea from the points mentioned above to make a time table for themselves.
The examination surely is competitive but there have been toppers who have cleared the examination with their regular jobs. If they could, you too can.