how to crack civil services examination pdf

HOW TO CRACK

CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION

written by RANKERS

A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION

Contributions by

Vineel Krishna, IAS

Mutyalaraju Revu, IAS

Vijay Kumar Mantri, IAS

B. Sandeep Kumar, IFS

Arvindhakshan, IRS

Bala Kiran, IPS

G. Kranti Kumar,IPS

A. Vijaya Laxmi, IPS

K. Veeraraghava Rao, IAS

Ramesh Reddy, IPS

Ramanjaneyulu, IRS

Raja Kumari, IPS

Compiled, Edited & Cover Page Design by

Vijay Kumar Mantri

XYZ PUBLISHERS, HYDERABAD

This book contains full of suggestions and guidelines. Each suggestion in this book is

the offspring of lessons that rankers learnt from their mistakes during their

preparation. Authors bear no responsibility for any damage from their suggestions

and guidelines, which are actually their opinions. Readers may follow these

suggestions and guidelines after judging rationally based on the suitability to their

nature and environment.

Published by

GVK Publications,

Hyderabad –02

© All Rights Reserved

First Edition 2007

Printed at

Xyz Press,

Hyderabad

PREFACE

“How to Crack Civil Services Examination” is a comprehensive guide to Civil Services Examination written by rankers. It covers every aspect of the examination at every stage of the examination including how to prepare, what to prepare, where to prepare, how to chose optional subjects, how to write the exam, how to prepare for interview, etc. It covers detailed strategy of preparation for General Studies Prelims and Mains Exams, Essay and Interview. It gives suggested reading and strategy of preparation for all popular optionals. It even touches upon some miscellaneous aspects, which have impact on the preparation like health, stress management, hobbies, etc.

Each suggestion in this book is the offspring of lessons that Mutyalaraju and other toppers learnt from their mistakes during their preparation. The main aim of this book is to make sure that aspirants do not waste their attempts due to lack of proper guidance.

INTRODUCTION

The Indian Civil Services is considered as the backbone of India and carries great respect and responsibilities. India's toughest youngsters compete for entry into the Indian Civil Services. Even though corporate jobs may offer very attractive salaries and perks, a majority of youngsters still crave entry into the prestigious Indian Civil Services held by the UPSC. The very fact that a big share of every year's top posts in the civil services exams are bagged by professionals from various streams shows that the IAS is still the dream job for many.

The path to the coveted Civil Services is full of ups and downs and is a highly uneven track to traverse. Before taking a decision about Civil Services as your career, it is expedient to check up oneself and remain determined after wards.

The first step towards your success is to choose your goal honestly. I mean you shouldn’t choose Civil Services as your goal simply because your father or mother has a dream or there is a pressure from your social circle. It should come from your heart. This exam is not like IIT-JEE or any other Engineering/Medical/University Entrance Examination. It demands at least one and half-year full time preparation with solid determination, which is possible only if the desire for Civil Services is burning your heart incessantly.

Many of you may be having presumptions that you should have come from a reputed

Institute like IISc or any IIT to succeed in Civil Services. But the fact is that you need

not have come from a reputed Institute. You need not to have a splendid academic background. You need not to have great scores in SSC or Intermediate. You need not have come from a rich family. You only need to have a dream to become an IAS officer and the rest will follow. Because, it is the human nature to work hard. It is the human nature to gain knowledge and succeed. I say it is your human right to succeed. Anyone can succeed.

Work hard as there is no short cut to success and hard work never goes unrewarded, Never. Every drop of sweat of your brow through hard work adds to the splendour of your bright career. I would like to quote Napoleon Bonaparte: “Victory belongs to the most persevering.”

Your motivation to prepare for Civil Services should be to help the hunger and ignorant people and to drive out the poverty from India. If you have this desire in mind, then the Almighty will also help you to succeed in Civil Services.

This preparation stage is generally the most fruitful stage of your life. Because you are just out of college and your parents are looking upto you for financial support. This is also the time you lay foundations for your career. That is why Preparing for Civil Services at this stage is putting your career at stake. It’s a war. You are the one who is fighting the war not the coaching institute, not the person sitting on the bank and giving you free suggestions. You should prepare your own strategy taking guidance from seniors and coaching institutes (if you join). If you follow a wrong strategy, you are the person who is going to lose not the coaching institute not the person who had given you free suggestions. I would like to remind the aspirants the words of Swamy Vivekananda.

"Stand up, be bold and take the whole responsibility on your shoulders and know that you are the creator of your own density. All the strength and success that you want are within yourself."

I would also like to stress that you should not attempt the first Prelims as a trial. The first attempt ought to be the best attempt. As Swami Vivekananda said “Arise awake and rest not till the goal is achieved”. All The Best.

Vijay Kumar Mantri, IAS

CONTENTS

1. About the Exam:

• Nature of the Exam
• Choosing the Optional Subjects
• Coaching
• General Trend of Marks
• Exam timetable
• General Suggestions
• How should a fresh candidate approach the exam?

2. Examination Scheme:

• Preliminary Examination
• List of optional subjects for Preliminary Examination
• Main Examination
• List of optional subjects for Main Examination
• General Instructions
• Interview test
• Number of Attempts & Age Limit

3. Preliminary Exam:

• Negative Marking
• How to tackle negative marking?
• General Studies – Preliminary Exam
• History
• Polity
• Geography
• Economy
• Sciences
• Mental Ability
• Current affairs
• General Knowledge

4. Main Examination:

• General Studies – Main Examination
• History
• Geography
• Polity
• Social Issues
• India and the world
• International Affairs
• Economy
• Science and Technology
• Statistics
• Current Affairs

5. Essay:

• Suggested root topics
• Suggested Reading
• Groundwork Preparation
• Tips
• Strategy

6. English and Indian Languages:

• English
• Indian Language

7. Interview:

• What is looked for in the Personality Test?
• How to Prepare?
• What type of questions does the Interview Board asks?
• Mock /practice
• Dressing up
• Entry
• During Interview
• General Do’s and Don’ts for the personality test

8. Reference Books & Strategy:

• Agriculture
• Anthropology
• Botany
• Chemistry
• Civil Engineering
• Commerce
• Economics
• Electrical Engineering
• Geography
• Geology
• History
• Law
• Management
• Mathematics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Medical Sciences
• Pali Literature
• Philosophy
• Physics
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Public Administration
• Sociology
• Statistics
• Urdu Literature
• Zoology
• Telugu Literature

9. Miscellaneous:

• Health
• Hobbies
• Internet Surfing
• Ideal Timetable
• Studying while doing a job
• How to Study
• How to prepare notes?
• Revision
• Where to prepare?
• How to write answers?
• How to remember?
• Stress Management
• For aspirants in the long term

Appendix I - Sample Interviews

Appendix II - Marks of Successful Candidates in CSE-06.