UPSC is one of the most sought after career options for individuals who want to serve their country. Every year there are lakhs of candidates who appear for this exam with the dream of becoming a Civil servant. They take up various preparation techniques and enroll in offline and online UPSC courses to boost their exam preparation. In this process, the biggest hurdle that candidates have to face is to complete the vast UPSC syllabus on time. 

However, there are many other hurdles that candidates face in this journey, and in turn, they make several mistakes trying to be in tune with their UPSC exam preparation. In this article, we will highlight some of the common mistakes that candidates make while appearing for their UPSC 2021 Exam. So, without further ado let’s begin with these mistakes and their respective solutions.

Not Knowing the UPSC Syllabus 

One of the most important steps that candidates lack while preparing for their UPSC exam is to ignore their UPSC syllabus. Not knowing the complete syllabus can hinder their preparation as all the concepts will be majorly covered from the syllabus itself. Go through the latest and complete syllabus from the official website of UPSC. We suggest you carefully read the topics of each subject from both prelims and mains paper and only then proceed with your studies. 

UPSC 2021 SCE Exam Full Syllabus

Poor Time Management

Proper time management is very necessary while preparing for this exam as the syllabus is quite vast and completing it before the UPSC exam is the biggest challenge that you have to face. Many candidates make the mistake of starting their preparation late and end up missing out on certain topics that can be important from the exam point of view. So, firstly, one must start their preparation very early i.e. when candidates are studying in the last year of college. 

Then candidates must make a study plan/timetable so that they can be on track. Adjust the timetable as per the flexibility and in a way that the syllabus can be completed on time. Also, dedicate ample time for revision in the last few months. Give at least 1 hour for reading newspapers, practicing essays, and solving maths problems. Apart from that, if candidates have joined any UPSC online coaching then adjust the time accordingly and leave enough time for self-study on a daily basis.

Not Focusing on Writing Skills 

For the UPSC mains paper, candidates are asked to write two essays for 1000-1200 words each. Many candidates often ignore the importance of practicing their writing skills and end up scoring the least marks in this paper. So, one must choose any essay topic and practice writing on that topic every day. While doing so, candidates must also pay attention to how well they can present their essays. 

Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses

Identifying one’s strengths and weaknesses is very essential for the UPSC exam. You must evaluate yourself daily and figure out the areas that you lack. UPSC gives you an option to choose one subject of your choice in the mains paper but candidates make the mistake of selecting the wrong subject which in turn affects their marks. This is because they are not well-aware of their strengths in particular areas. So, to overcome this, one must take up mock tests or UPSC courses to get proper guidance and feedback and to know where they stand in their exam preparation process. 

Studying from Too Many Books 

Candidates mostly study from too many books for each subject and end up causing blunder in their exam preparation. They often get confused as to which books to refer for the UPSC. However, candidates must remember that NCERT is the key to their success. Refer to the NCERT books and work on the basic concepts. One must refer to other reference books only if needed. 

Ignoring Previous Year Question Papers 

Candidates do not realize that solving previous year’s question papers plays a major role in the UPSC preparation. By solving these papers, they will be well-aware of the type of questions asked and the overall exam pattern of UPSC. So, candidates must try to solve at least 1 paper daily and observe the trend of each year’s papers to ace their UPSC exam. 

Solving Mock tests

Mock tests are an effective way to prepare for the UPSC exams. However, candidates fail to do that and often lack enough practice required to clear this exam. As the saying goes, “Practice makes a man perfect” similarly adopting rigorous practice sessions will help candidates clear this exam in the first attempt itself. If candidates choose offline or online UPSC courses then they can enroll for regular mock tests and prepare accordingly.

Wrong Selection of Coaching

Having the right kind of guidance is very necessary while preparing for this toughest civil exam. Candidates often make the mistake of choosing the wrong coaching which affects their preparation and in turn results in poor marks. One thing that candidates should note is to choose the best online coaching for UPSC 2021 so they can score good marks in this exam. We suggest candidates go for online coaching as this approach is much flexible which allows them to take the classes anytime and anywhere. They can save a lot of time and money and can feasibly learn in the comfort of their homes. 

How to choose the best online coaching for IAS? 

The online coaching should offer live and recorded classes along with interactive study materials. Candidates should be able to get a personalized learning experience along with one on one guidance and doubt solving sessions from teachers. The coaching should impart knowledge as per the learning pace and need of each learner. 

Insufficient time for Revision 

The last and the most crucial step that candidates should never ignore is to give enough time to revision. Often candidates get so engrossed in completing their vast syllabus that they forget to revise the concepts at the last moment. However, this should not be the case as proper revision should be followed on a daily basis. Candidates should not only revise daily but keep the last one month purely for revision purposes as the syllabus is vast and they might forget certain concepts during their entire preparation. 

To conclude, the above-mentioned mistakes are very common and candidates make them while their UPSC preparation. However, candidates must try to be calm and approach their IAS vision with full force by avoiding these mistakes. Remember to choose the best online coaching for IAS as correct guidance and direction is very necessary to prepare for this exam. Lastly, be confident and stress-free to excel and score the best grades in UPSC. Good luck to all the UPSC aspirants. 

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