One of the most difficult competitive examinations in India is the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam. Every year there are thousands of hopefuls who back themselves to clear it, with the aim being to serve in one of India’s ultra-competitive administrative services. However, success does not come easy, and the candidates often ask, “Which part of the UPSC exam is the most difficult one?” The answer can be different for different people based on different parameters like self-assessment, preparation, and time management among others. However, there are some parts of the UPSC that most people would agree are more difficult than others.
Understanding the Stages of UPSC
Each part of the UPSC can be divided into three sections: the Preliminary Examination (Prelims), the Main Examination (Mains), and the Interpersonal test (Interview). Such that each stage scrutinizes a different part of the aspirant’s knowledge, analytical skills and personality.
Prelims: Due to this stage, many candidates feel that Prelims are often the hardest part of the examination process. This stage is objective and encompasses a wide range of subjects including present events as well as historical events. Due to the level of competition, aspiring candidates are likely to seek for UPSC books containing general studies, as well as current affairs. It is worth mentioning that, the practice of UPSC sample papers is essential in the event of preparation for Prelims as they assist students in becoming familiarized with the question pattern, time and accuracy.
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Mains: A number of people see UPSC mains as an easier paper because their knowledge will not be broad. Nonetheless, the Mains Article Subjection consists of 9 papers including 4 general studies, two optional papers, an essay, and language papers. Each paper requires specific study and articulate written communication, thus thorough in going into the broad ranges of UPSC books. For example, history, economics, geography, and similar subjects explain the need to go through UPSC NCERT books in the first step. It is important to adhere to UPSC Mains's time constraints and employ writing in practical dimensions, hence sample papers are very effective in practicing these tasks.
Personality Test: The Interview is the last, and most crucial, of the stages to eliminate candidates: The Personality Test in Selects assesses Attention, sociability, and reliability in terms of making decisions. While this may appear to be the easiest stage and the most time-consuming in this competition, it is however not the case as it actually tests one’s personality since this stage comes Towards the end and it focuses rather more on personality. This stage also brings a lot of pressure to many aspirants as they are involved in engaging with a panel of experts. Trying specific skills involved in the processes, including efforts in past interviews, may help, but cannot be trained just through UPSC books or UPSC Sample papers.
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Which Specific Part can be Considered the most Difficult of UPSC?
There are those who will argue that every stage has its challenges, however, UPSC Mains is arguably the most challenging level since it entails mastering the lore and dealing with conviction arguments. The sheer amount of written content at Mains requires the writer to have focused ideas and broad understanding, within which only continuous readings of UPSC materials and UPSC NCERT books. On the other hand, Prelims are challenging due to how ungoverned they are as well as the Interview stage due to the elements of preparation and pressure associated with it too.
