UPSC is one of the toughest competitive examination in the country that allow the aspirants to get into civil services. This exam is the gateway for students to pursue their dreams. To be eligible for appearing in the UPSC examination, students must be in their last year of their bachelor's degree. Appearing for the UPSC exam takes a lot of effort. If you are someone who is also planning to appear for the upcoming UPSC exam then you have landed on the apt page. This blog will help you understand how you can effectively prepare for the UPSC exam and get an edge over the competition. Let's get started and have a look!
Minimum Educational Background for UPSC
This section will help you understand the minimum educational qualification that you must possess to appear in the UPSC exam. Let's get started!
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Bachelor's Degree
While appearing for the UPSC exam, you must have a Bachelor's degree from a recognised university. This category also includes degree that comes under distance learning, technical qualifications, and professional degrees.
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Final year candidate
If you are in your final year of graduation then also you can apply for the preliminary exam. But, you must provide the passing proof of the degree before your Mains exam.
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Medical candidate
If you have passed your MBBS examination but have not yet completed your internship then you can also apply for the UPSC exam. You must furnish a certificate to prove that you have passed your medical degree.
Read More: How to Prepare Current Affairs for UPSC Prelims (Monthly & Annual Strategy)
Eligibility Criteria for UPSC Exam
Apart from the educational background, other eligibility criteria also come into play before applying for the UPSC exam. This section will help you get acquainted with the eligibility criteria.
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Age limit
You have a minimum as well as a maximum age limit to apply for the UPSC exam. The minimum age should be 21 years whereas the maximum age can be 32 years for applying to the UPSC examination. This age bracket applies to the General category.
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Nationality
To be eligible for the UPSC examination and serve in the IAS and Indian Police Service, you must be an Indian national. For other positions, you can apply for the UPSC examination if you are a citizen of Nepal, Bhutan, or a specific refugee or migrant with a valid India-issued eligibility certificate.
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Number of attempts
The number of attempts for the UPSC exam will vary for different candidates based on their category.
How to Prepare for the UPSC Exam?
Preparing for the UPSC exam takes a lot of effort. This section will help you understand how you can effectively prepare for the UPSC exam and accelerate your preparation.
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Refer to impeccable resources
While preparing for the UPSC examination, it is important that you refer to impeccable resources. The market is flooded with numerous books related to exam preparation. But, you need to go ahead with the UPSC books that align with your goals and that have all the essential material for exam preparation. You can follow a bunch of IAS preparation books religiously to stay ahead with your exam preparation journey.
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Learn time management
Managing time is of great importance for the UPSC examination. When you are preparing for the examination, make sure that you solve the paper in a time-bound fashion. This will not only help you realise your preparedness levels for the examination. But, will also help you understand whether you are on the right track with your preparation journey or not. Apart from that, you will also understand whether you have a sync between speed and accuracy for the examination or not.
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Master answer writing skills
Answer writing is an art that you must master to excel in the examination. For the UPSC examination, UPSC sample papers will act as a great asset. When you take the assistance of solved sample papers, you will understand how to attempt different questions. This will help you get a command over the answer writing skills so you can tackle any type of question on the day of the examination.
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Leverage previous year papers
The UPSC PYQ book will help you understand the trends being followed in the examination. You will get a clear picture of the type of questions being asked on the day of the examination. Besides that, you will also understand how a particular question is being asked from different topics. This will further help you with the conceptual clarity that will help you on the day of the examination to tackle any type of question.
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Practice with mock test papers
Practice sessions play a predominant role in helping you ace the UPSC exam with flying colours. Mock tests mimic the real exam conditions and when you solve the mock test papers in a time-bound fashion, you will understand where you stand with your preparedness levels for the examination. The more you practice with the mock test papers, the more confident you become on the day of the examination.
Mistakes to Avoid While Preparing for the UPSC Exam
This section will focus on the common mistakes that most aspirants commit while preparing for the UPSC examination.
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Neglecting syllabus
Most of the aspirants don't pay proper attention to the syllabus while starting their exam preparation journey. While preparing for the examination, make sure that you don't commit this mistake.
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Referring to many resources
Referring to too many resources is a major problem for most the students. You should only stick to a limited number of reliable resources while preparing for the UPSC exam. The market has a large number of resources that you can refer to during your exam preparation journey.
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Not focusing on current affairs
Current affairs also play a major role in the UPSC examination and carry a decent weightage. Students often neglect this and consider that they will take up this section at the end. But, this is the biggest mistake as current affairs need a consistent preparation approach.
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Neglecting self-study
Self-study plays a major role in acing the UPSC examination. Most of the students believe that merely relying on the coaching will help them ace the UPSC exam. But, this is not the case as self-study plays a crucial role in acing the exam with flying colours.
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Not following a consistent routine
To ace the exam with flying colours it is important that the aspirants stay consistent with their routine. Most of the students face the difficulty that after following a certain routine for some days they tend to be demotivated and lose their zeal. But, if you want to ace the UPSC exam then you need to stay consistent with your routine.
For UPSC Online Mock Test Sample Papers and Latest Courses for Latest Exam
For UPSC Online Previous Year Question Papers for the Latest Exam
Final Thoughts
The minimum qualification to be eligible for the UPSC examination is a Bachelor's degree. You can use the above-mentioned tips to ace your exam preparation. Make sure that you take an ample number of practice sessions and revise extensively. The more you practice, the better conceptual clarity you will have to tackle any type of question on the day of the examination. So, design a meticulous study plan and follow it religiously to ace the UPSC examination.
All the Best!
