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A. Preliminary Examination
This is the first stage of the exam and should never be taken lightly. Candidate should clear it to keep himself in the race. But its never been easy; it is a hard nut to crack. The preparation should be such that you should not have any doubt about clearing the exam. The prelims should only be a passing phase. If you prepare well for the mains exam and be clear about the basics, then prelims should not be problem. Now, we have a brand new syllabus for PRELIMS with two papers, the nature of syllabus requires a candidate more to concentrate on the General Studies section. Though we have Paper 2 which is more or less an extension of Paper 1. The new Recruitment Process of Civil Services Exam conducted by the UPSC is called the CSAT or the Civil Services Aptitute Test. The CSAT has in effect from the Civil Services Examination, 2011. CSAT will not only enable us to choose civil servants with right aptitudes but also end the use of scaling system for varying subjects that has been a matter of concern for many. Earlier it used to be one paper of General Studies and other is one of the 23 optional subjects offered by the UPSC now the paper 2 has changed to a new Paper called CSAT. There are no optional subjects as both the subject is common to all candidates. In one way we can say that preliminary exam is a test of recognition. You have to recognize the correct answer from given options. So if you are strong in basics this should not be problem. Do not spend too much time in memorizing facts. Its fine if you can recognize it. Prepare some mnemonics, which will help you in recognizing the right answer. One should do as many previous year papers as possible. It will help you in time
management and also in identifying the weak areas. Please remember that this practice should be right from the beginning and not in the final stages. As the new pattern suggests that aspirants should focus more on the language skills along with other disciplines.
information. So this needs to read extensively. And its time to give up traditional way of studying and take up fresh challenges that has emerged and emerging day by day. The nature of question of Prelims exam is factual as well as analytical, we must keep this aspect in mind. Preliminary examination intends to focus on analytical abilities and understanding rather than the ability to memorize. General Studies (GS) has to be prepared with great ease. Because the very nature of this paper any issue both major and minor can be asked. This means that studying NCERT is good but not sufficient as the candidate has to cultivate the concepts beyond the conventional perspective. Therefore the preparation of GS Prelims requires to identify the he most important aspect for the preparation of GS Prelims, therefore, is to identify the ambiguities of the subject and and plug always them as soon as possible. The books available in the market is good but the skill which requires nowadays is lacking there are which is incorporated with each other.
4.
5.
Note 1: Total Marks 200 Note 2: The duration of the paper will be of two hours. Note 3: The questions will be of multiple choice, objective type. Though UPSC has given the syllabus of both the papers but we cannot measured merely by it. We have to understand that anything that exists in the Universe can be a part of UPSC Prelims syllabus, as nothing is very mention in syllabus. Sticking to the syllabus is good, you feel that the preparation is good, but certain new trends have been
emerging in the examination. So we should go beyond the given syllabus. It is challenging but not impossible. It always helps to understand the trend in this changing scenario. Go through previous years' questions again-and-again and identify the areas from where most of the questions are being asked. To tackle the menace of the General Studies you have to give up the traditional way of studying and follow the new way. More time should be devoted to GS. General Studies is as vast as an ocean. It cannot be measured merely on the basis of topics or sections. Union Public Service Commission is not following any sort of standard pattern of allotment of questions in the examination. Hence, it is wise to stress on those subjects, which are common for Main Examination. The areas to be taken care are Modern India, Polity, Indian Economy, Geography, Current Events and General Science. We can bifurcate whole General Studies into : Conventional topics. General knowledge and current affairs. Traditional topics comes under the traditional parts of General Studies, for instance history of India and Indian national movement, Indian and World Geography, Indian Polity and governance, Economic and social development, environmental ecology, biodiversity, climate change and general science are the traditional areas of the General Studies. Whereas another part of General Studies is composed of General Knowledge and Current Affairs. Recent trend of the examination suggests that latter part is more comprehensive and important than earlier one. As the whole scenario has change with the introduction of new syllabus, the new syllabus requires a candidate more focused and up-to-mark study. We will discuss this Paper with the help and important takeaways of 2011 PRELIMS Question, it will help us to find out what the new trends are adding in the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
Conventional Topics:
It is composed of: 1. Indian History : History has always been a important component of each and every competitive examination being conducted in India by different recruiting agency. It is also a vital component for the Civil services exam. It is considered that a good and successful administrator must have knowledge of history because it is history which gives us culture and makes us civilized. Just as we should know our family history to know our family better it is Indian History to know the India better as well. History is important in developing a larger understanding of our country and its culture. The subject is like a story and there could be linkages between two questions. Students thus need to ensure that the entire syllabus is covered in detail while revising history. We all, whenever think studying history is all about mugging up events and dates, but we should take history beyond this perception. They can, however, do without preparing portions which appeared last year in the main stage of the examination. The general trend is that there are no repetitions from last year's papers, but once in a while students could be in
for a surprise. The part relating to Indian culture will cover all aspects from ancient to modern times. One need to have a good understanding of the National movement (1800s-1947). The areas to be covered are the history from ancient to modern period. The basic understanding can be obtained from below 10th NCERT books. The focus should be on modern Indian history, which is covered in the mains. The basic knowledge in Ancient India and Medieval India is sufficient.
The Analysis clearly shows that our focus should be on Modern India. Especially Indians Struggle for Independence part is important for prelims point of view. Now take some examples: 1. Which one of the following observations is not true about the Quit India Movement of 1942? (PRELIMS 2011) a. It was a violent movement b. It was led by Mahatma Gandhi c. It was a spontaneous movement d. It did not attract the labour class in general Ans: The Wardha Propsal of Quit India Movement was passed in historical Tank Ground in Bombay on August 8, 1942. Mahatma Gandhi gave the sologan for the Movement Do or Die. The Quit India Movement attracts all classes from the society despite one or two, the labour class was also part of the movement. Though, many contemporary labour organizations didnt actively participated in the movement. 2. With reference to Indian Freedom Struggle, Usha Mehta is well-known for(PRELIMS 2011) a. Running the secret Congress Radio in the wake of Quit India Movement b. Participating in the Second Round Table Conference c. Leading a contingent of Indian National Army d. Assisting in the formation of Interim Government under Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Ans: Usha Mehta along with Ram Manohar Lohia and B.M.Khakar had gone underground and had been running the Secret Congress Radio in the wake of Quit India movement of 1942. The questions requires a candidate in-depth study of any topic and interconnects it to
another topic, if any interconnection. The interdisciplinary approach of study will always helpful to crack it. The NCERT books (Class XI and XII) are good enough for the purpose. You can refer following books Ancient India , NCERT Class XI Medieval India , NCERT Class XI Modern India , NCERT Class XII A book comes with the publication of NBT(National Book Trust) it cover certain parts on Indias Struggle for Independence. History Study Kit provided by UPSC Portal. Indias Struggle for Independence by Bipan Chandra is a good book. Read it cover to cover.
2. Geography:
There is significant change in the Geography syllabus, several new areas has been added. Major inclusion is the Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate. As we are in the era of Global Warming and Climate Change, we can expect most of the questions on this topics. A significant number of questions are being asked from these topics every year. Students should concentrate on human and economic geography. Human section includes issues related to population. There will be questions based on the Human Development Report prepared by United Nations Development Programme. The World Development Report of World Bank deals in different aspects of economic geography like safe drinking water. Students should emphasise less on classical geography like types of soil and rocks. The stress should be on preparing cultural and economic geography and issues related to it. But do not invest too much in the pure Geography rather focus should be on issues like ecology, sustainable development, green living, environmental impact assessment etc.
Power Projects, Irrigations Projects, Dams 0 Minerals and Natural Resources of India 0
Indian River Systems and Water falls Map Based Questions Current Affairs Based Questions Total
3 8 0 16
2 11 5 28
2 6 2 25
3 5 4 22
2 2 1 20
3 0 1 17
Suggested Reading:
For Indian Geography Physical Geography of India, NCERT Class XI Land and People, NCERT Class XI
a. Andhra Pradesh b. Gujarat c. Karnataka d. Tamil Nadu Ans: Gujarat state is located on western coast. Its northern part is dry and semidry. 2.La Nina is suspected to have caused recent floods in Australia. How is La Nina different from El Nino? i. La Nina is characterised by unusually cold ocean temperature in equatorial Indian Ocean whereas El Nino is characterised by usually warm ocean temperature in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. ii. El Nino has adverse effect on south-west monsoon of India, but La Nina has no effect on monsoon climate. Which of the statement given above is/are correct? a. 1 only b. 2 only c. Both 1 and 2 d. Neither 1 nor 2
additional study material in our preparation apart from the traditional ways of studying. For instance we need to add newspaper in our study material and collect information on the contemporary issues and take a note on various opinions of eminent scholars on those contemporary issues. Newspaper also keep us up-to-date. Year wise last 6 year question analysis: Topic Polity Indian Constitution and its various Concepts Indian Political History Current Constitutional News Total Years 2007 2009 2009 2010 2011 6 4 5 6 3 8
2 2 10
4 1 9
4 1 10
4 2 12
1 1 5
1 1 10
Any good book on the constitution is fine.The Indian Polity by Lakshmikanth and NCERT books are sufficient. Also refer, DD Basu. Read it also cover to cover.
4. Indian Economy:
First of all, the heading of Economy in the prelims level has been changed to Economic and Social Development Sustainable development. It shows growing importance of Indian Economy of General Studies of civil services exam. It is one of the most important constituents of General Studies as well. If we analyze the last 5-6 years question pattern of UPSC we will discover number of questions from economics is increasing every year. It has increased from 5-6 to 25-30. Moreover, the nature of the questions have become more contempory, analytical and interdisciplinary. The candidate should have a grip over the basic economic concepts. The important current topics should be studied extensively. We are in the global financial crisis and at the domestic level the changes is very structure of Indian Economy that is leading to a paradigmatic shift in the policy focus. These all developments within and outside has not gone unnoticed by the UPSC and hence a frequent change in the syllabus, questions nature and the pattern of the Civil services exam. Along with, Budget and Economic Survey the two most important documents of India. These two documents should be read in details every minute details is important. The role and functions of World Bank, IMF,WTO, WIPO, etc. which influences Indias economic interaction and have effect on Indian Economy. It should be understand clearly.
terms of economy, the visit of foreign nationals to witness the 19th Commonwealth Games in India amounted to. There were questions which is mixed of current economy and basic of economy for example Economic Growth is usually coupled with------? It is called Inflation. We all are suffering from Inflation. Candidate are expected to know the facts and facets of Inflation or such topics.
Candidates are required to know about some basic terminology of economics like repo rate, reverse repo, CRR, SLR etc. Indain Economy by Dutt & Sundaram is good book for the Indian Economy it can be read. The book by Uma kapilais also a good one. Economic Survey and Budget should be followed with comprehensively. Read some business newspapers at that time and also read the summary of the budget which will be posted in the net.
measures occupy the most important place. Pervious questions: At present, scientists can determine the arrangement or relative positions of genes or DNA sequence on a chromose. How does this knowledge benefit us? (PRE 2011).
Chemistry - Pure Conceptual 1 Chemistry Applied Biology Botany Animal World Total 2 6 0 0 14
Science and Technology are another major area. This generally include the application parts of the science as space technologies, IT, electronics, biotechnology, nuclear science, defence etc. recent trends showed that this part is growing significance. The questions in this sections in 2011 are related to Bluetooth, wi-fi, CFL, LED lamp? Topic Defence Technology Space Technology Nuclear Technology 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 0 2 2 4 2 0 0 8 3 5 3 0 0 11 2 1 1 0 0 4 1 1 4 3 5 14 4 1 4 1 4 14
Use wikipedia extensively for the section of Science and Technology section. Daily newspaper The Hindu also published supplement on Science and Technology. Also, keep an eye on emerging technologies and recent Nobel winning technologies
Suggested Reading:
The Hindu News paper Frontline Magazine Yojana Magazine Competition Wizard or Pratiyogita Darpan or UPSC Portal Monthly Magazine. This is just to make sure that you have covered all the current affairs issues in News Paper. Newspaper is best to prepare for Current Affairs and General knowledge. One has to follow at least one newspaper to keep abreast of National and International developments. It will keep your current affairs up-to-date.
common to all candidates. Both these papers will have equal weightage. The emphasis will be on testing the aptitude of the candidate for the demanding life in the civil service and on the ethical and moral dimensions of decision-making. In the new format the traditional way of studying and the rote learning of concepts would no longer help to crack the exam. CSAT has came into effect from Civil Services Exam, 2011. As of now, the change is effective only for the Preliminary Test, i.e., the first stage of the Civil Services Exam from 2011 onwards. The second- Civil Services Main Exam and third stages- Interview will remain the same. The syllabus of second Paper is to test the candidates' skills in comprehension, interpersonal skills, communication, logical reasoning, analytical ability, decision making, problem solving, basic numeracy, data interpretation, English language comprehension skills and mental ability. With the new pattern, more stress is on language skills and analysis and decision making capacities, so work on these on a consistent basis as these are skills that are developed over years and not just in a few months. It would be advisable to start focusing on your problem solving and language skills as soon as you decide to take these exams.
7. Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. - Class X level) 8. English Language Comprehension skills (Class X level). Total Marks 200
Note:
A Hindi equivalent / translation will be available for the initial six tested areas, while the seventh area , English Language Comprehension skills, will be available exclusively in English language, indicating a need of understanding of English
language in prospective IAS officers as English is the Lingua Franca of our country. The duration of the paper will be of two hours. The questions will be of multiple choice, objective type. Moreover, there are sections in the paper 2 which a candidate thinks that it is more or less like on the lines of banking or MBA but this is a mistake we should understand that the very purpose of this examination is to select Civil Servants, thats why the syllabus adds decision making and problem solving.
1. Comprehension
In terms of Comprehension Candidate needs to improve their comprehend power as comprehension consists half of the paper. It is bilingual, hindi and English both, daily newspaper reading could keep you in safe. The paper also gave importance to testing English language skills. A comprehension exercise consists of a passage upon which questions are set to test to candidates ability to understand the content of the given text and infer information and meaning from it. English Language Comprehension skills. Questions relating to English Language Comprehension skills of Class X level (last item in the Syllabus of Paper-II) will be tested through passages from English language only without providing Hindi translation thereof in the question paper. For doing best in comprehension one should keep few points in mind while attempting
this. Firstly, read the passage thoroughly and carefully, if the meaning of the passage is not clear in very first reading then quickly go through the passage again. The meaning of the passage should be very clear and one should understand what the writer is trying to convey. Understanding of vocabulary, rhetorical tools, hunting for the required information while keeping the holistic picture in mind, etc are essential comprehension skills at play in this area. Here we can find that paper one is helpful to solve, for instance in the the Passage section questions like inclusive growth, creative society ecosystems are the part of 2011 paper second, which is very much part of paper one. English Language Comprehension is a major concern for hindi medium candidates they should take it seriously, a basic english grammar such as High School English Grammar & Composition by Wren and Martin could be useful. This section tests a candidates understanding of the language that a candidate uses.
2. Interpersonnel Skills
Inter-personal skills is basically a skill of communication that entails face-to-face communication which is best tested in a Personal Interview or a Group Discussion format. It is people skills the ability to work with and get on with other people. Questions reflecting the ability to understand and manage the dynamics of social interaction can be tested such as Fill in the Blanks, Analogy, Synonyms, Antonyms, Jumbled Paragraphs, Single word substitutions, Meaning Equivalence of sentences, etc.
6. Basic numeracy
It is also a major section. This section is to check numerical proficiency of a candidate involves solving simple numerical problems. It will also include questions which require a candidate to sift through and interpret data in tabulated or graphical format. We have Basic numeracy in syllabus but there is nothing basic in questions paper, yes your basics
should be clear but you should raise your level beyond the basics. Number System, Average, Percentage, Ratio and Proportion, Profit and Loss, Time and Work, Time and Distance are the important topics. Data interpretation has charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. Break up of questions on this topics which came in the Prelims 2011, there were a total 12 questions from this section out of which 7 questions was from basic Arithmetic which included 3 questions from Time, Speed and Distance. There were 2 questions on Permutation and Combination etc. In all this paper constitutes 15% of the complete paper, this means a good amount of preparation should be devoted in this section. The approach should like this, firstly understand the basics of any topics then focus on those topics which is likely to come in the examination. One should never focus solving difficult problems of the topics and mugging up questions and their answers. Main focus of the study should be Arithmetic which will include Percentage, Ratio and Proportion, Time and Distance, Time and Work, Simple Interest and Compound Interest and Profit and Loss. Permutation and Combination should be studied as well. Basic concepts from your 11th and 12th class mathematics should be very clear and you should be able to derive and apply the formulas to any given situation. If the concepts are clear you will be able to relate and then solve each problem confidently. Solving mock question papers is the easiest road to cracking any Maths paper. Dont just solve questions, solve them quickly, and keep track of them time you take to solve a question. You will have limited time during the papers so stick to your time limit and solve mock papers within the stipulated time. Keep a stopwatch if required.For this section you must go thoroughly, Quantitative Aptitude by R S Agarwal and Quicker Maths (Magical Book Series) by M. Tyra
7. Data Interpretation:
Data interpretation, which covers questions based on data analysis. The data can be represented in different forms such as tables, graphs, bar diagram, line graphs, pie charts etc. and Data Sufficiency, where one just has to check the sufficiency of data for the question asked. It measures the numerical ability and accuracy in mathematical calculations. The questions range from purely numeric calculations to problems of arithmetical reasoning, graph and table reading, percentage analysis and quantitative analysis. In all, the candidate are tested for their sharpness to analyze the given data in a short span of time. In Data Sufficiency, a question is followed by two statements and you will be expected to answer whether the information provided in the statements individually or collectively is sufficient to answer the question. Taking a mock test of mathematics and general ability questions would be a good practice and help to pick out the most appropriate option. Develop the skill to solve mathematical & reasoning problems faster. It comes with
practice. So the sooner you start practicing, the better your chances of clearing CSAT. The Civil services examination also tested the candidates' understanding of civic issues. In the Preliminary examination of 2001there were questions that checked the understanding of rural development schemes, fiscal stimulus, inflation and demographic dividend. In the new format the traditional way of studying and the rote learning of concepts would no longer help to crack the exam. In the CSAT paper only application of knowledge is required, there is nothing to mug-up. The plan and examination standards make it very demanding in nature. You are supposed to catch and collect newer information and fresh ideas whenever it comes to you. More emphasis on understanding and analysis than memorizing This is test of the candidate's aptitude for the prestigious civil services from the ethical and moral dimension. Candidates with low moral and ethical aptitude will get weeded out. Spruce up your general awareness and mental ability
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