Some Myths About UPSC IAS Exam Preparation – Truths

Category: Academics

1) They say IAS Exam is the mother of all exams. Is it? Wrong. This is just another exam. The mother of all exams is Life. You can afford to fail in IAS, but not in Life. So, take IAS preparation / UPSC exam preparation as a phase in Life, not as your Life. 2) They say IAS Exam is not for faint-hearted. Is it? If you think you are faint-hearted, better start preparing for IAS soon – it makes you stone-hearted. 3) One topper in an interview said that she studied 20 hours every day for 365 days. Is this true? May be she suffered from insomnia. Even now she will be working 20 hours a day as an officer. On a serious note, good sleep is very necessary for UPSC exam preparation. It keeps you in good health. Don’t study beyond 14 hours unless you suffer from Insomnia. 4) Now you are saying 14 Hours! Are you mad? Calm down. If you have left your job, as a punishment you should devote these many hours. Didn’t you work 12 hours for your company? Anyway, every day at least 8 hours of planned study is required for UPSC exam preparation. If you can study more than that, it is well and good. But please ensure that you also get 6-8 hours of sound sleep. 5) My English is very poor. They say I am out of the race. Am I? No. You are still part of the race. Now you have figured out the problem – that your English is poor. Work on it. All you need is basic English. Moreover, you can write this exam and give the interview in your mother-tongue. Buy a basic Grammar book – read it, listen to English news on TV and radio, try to write something in English, everyday (don’t worry if it is very bad, keep trying) Necessity should push you to learn. Push yourself. Win the race. 6) I am worried. I can’t go to Delhi because of some personal reasons. They say it is Mecca for IAS aspirants. Can’t go to Delhi? Wow. That’s great. These days you can study from home itself. IAS preparation / UPSC exam preparation is neither religion nor life to seek enlightenment in a far away concrete desert. Do your duty sincerely, if pleased, almighty UPSC will call you to its shrine, if pleased with your personality, it will give you a pass to Heaven – the IAS. Why go there uninvited?