The Bihar Public Service Commission is one of the most popular state Civil Services examinations for those who want to serve the state of Bihar in the administrative capacity. To crack the BPSC exam, one must have proper planning, dedication and must know what is actually being taught in the BPSC Books. If you are planning to prepare for the BPSC examination at your home, then you should know that you are not the only one. Several candidates have passed the examination through self-study, and therefore it is evident that the course can be passed through self-study. If the approach, resources, and commitment are correct, it is entirely possible to prepare from home as effectively as attending any coaching class.
Understand the BPSC Exam Structure
To begin with, it is important to note the format of the BPSC examination, as it will help to prepare effectively. The BPSC exam is divided into three levels:
Preliminary Exam—Objective Type
Mains Exam—Descriptive Type
Interview—Personality Test
All of them are significant and require a specific amount of attention. The first piece of advice is to make sure that you are on the right page with regard to the current syllabus and exam format. This will assist you to align your study schedule and excel in areas that you think are important.
Build a Realistic Study Plan
The first thing that is necessary to do while studying by oneself is developing a schedule. First of all, it is necessary to decide how many hours per day you can spend on it. Your study plan should include:
Daily study targets
Weekly revisions
Practice sessions
Solve BPSC previous year question papers and mock tests.
The main tips that can be given to the reader are to be consistent in their work and avoid overloading themselves. Do not forget that discipline is the secret to self-preparation.
Choose the Right BPSC Books
Choosing a right study material is very important. It is advisable to spend time in searching for and gathering standard BPSC books that tackle all the syllabus areas. Some of the major areas of interest include History, Polity, Geography, Economy and General Science. Do not accumulate BPSC books, instead know how to utilize them. Use only a couple of good resources rather than gathering many of them. The main source of preparation will be reliable BPSC books.
Importance of BPSC Previous Year Question Papers
Solving BPSC previous year question papers is one of the effective ways of learning the trend of the exams. These papers provide insights into:
This is because the type and nature of questions asked depend on the nature of the knowledge they seek and the amount of time they have to seek it.
Stay Updated with Current Affairs
General Studies is an important component of BPSC as it is one of the optional subjects that candidates can take. It is necessary that you are updated with the current affairs, particularly the Bihar current affairs, national current affairs, government policies and schemes, and social economic issues. Spend not less than 30-45 minutes daily in reading newspapers, watching news analysis or going through monthly magazines.
It is also helpful to keep a digital or paper notebook where you write down the events that make headlines every day. This will be a goldmine later when the writer is revising the paper to ensure that all the arguments are well articulated.
Effective Revision Strategy
Most students consider revision as a boring and tiring activity, but it is by far the most crucial aspect of any competitive exam preparation. It is therefore important to revise often, even if you have studied well, because you will find that you will forget the material you have studied. To sum up, it is necessary to say that after each topic or subject, one should take a break and revise. You should use the notes and the important points from the BPSC books to revise the key points.
Also, it is suggested to review the solutions of the previous year's question papers and identify which sections are usually covered in the exams. Other ways that can be used in quick revision include creating mind maps and flashcards.
Preparing for BPSC at home is not impossible at all if one is willing to devote the time and effort towards it. Try to be very clear in your concepts using the trusted books of BPSC, practice the previous year's question papers of BPSC to improve your exam understanding, and always assess your performance in the mock tests.
