Civil Services examination

Civil Services examination

Selection of subjects

The second part of the series on the Civil Services examination deals with various aspects of preparation, including selection of optional subjects and approaches to studying these.

Students writing the Preliminary examination.

Two crucial factors in the preparation for the Civil Services examination are time allotted for studying and selection of optional subjects.

Time management

When should you start your preparation? A simple answer is difficult. One should ideally start working on general knowledge and English language skills right from high school. Basic general knowledge about countries, capitals, currencies, language, inventions, books and authors, largest, tallest and so on could be learnt gradually over a period of several years.

Current affairs can usually be mastered a few months before the examination. However, there are several successful candidates who have spent just 15 to 18 months on intensive studies for the examination. It is not the duration alone that counts, but the way the time available is utilised. If you start focussing on the Civil Services when you are an undergraduate, preparing for the examination would be relatively easy.

Choosing an optional

You have to choose an optional subject for the Preliminary and two optional subjects for the Main examination. It is convenient to take up the optional subject for the Preliminary as one of the optional subjects for the Main. Although the examination comprises the Preliminary, the Main and the Interview, let us consider the Preliminary and the Main as one single unit for the purpose of preparation. There is an interval between the Preliminary and the Main examinations, when the results of the former are announced. This period should be utilised to learn one optional subject.

While choosing the optional subjects one must take into account factors such as the subject of our specialisation in college, aptitude, the quantum of the subject content and availability of reference material. Students of science or technology often choose subjects such as Public Administration, Sociology, Indian History, Geography and Political Science and International Relations. However, it is not advisable for students of humanities to opt for science or technology. Similarly, it may not be profitable for science students to choose a humanities subject.

General Studies

As General Studies covers a vast area of topics, you may have to focus on certain subjects from the point of view of the examination. Questions of the previous examinations can easily guide you in this regard.

The General Studies paper in the Preliminary examination covers current national and international events, general science, history of India and the struggle for freedom, geography, Indian polity and economy. It also includes questions that test general mental ability. Questions on the Indian national movement, economic geography of India, planning, budgeting, developmental schemes, electoral reforms, amendments to the Constitution, Panchayati Raj, national-level committees and commissions are common. Updating the information available is important for this paper. One should practise doing such tests to get an idea of the questions asked. The fact that the General Studies paper has only half the marks of the optional subject paper should not lead you to neglect the paper. Each mark counts.

The General Studies paper in the Main covers history of modern India and Indian culture, geography of India, Indian polity, current national issues and topics of social relevance, India and the world, Indian economy, international affairs and institutions, developments in the field of science and technology, communications and space, statistical analysis, graphs and diagrams.

Many candidates make the mistake of acquiring all kinds of textbooks and journals, without considering the time constraint.

Concentrate on one or two standard books. Textbooks published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) for Classes X, XI and XII have been found to be useful to get a grasp of basic facts and figures. Previous question papers should be analysed carefully so as to plan your approach.

Learning from the newspaper

While preparing for the Civil Services examination, it is mandatory to read at least one English daily. Concentrate on the names of prominent people and places in the news, important numbers and dates. Read carefully and take down notes. The raw material of news should be processed and inferences and conclusions drawn. Analysing news, editorials, lead page articles written by experts, articles in competition magazines, critical studies in news magazines, and live discussions on the electronic media are of immense help.

B.S. Warrier