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Excell Career India

How to begin for Civil Services Exams

(Some practical tips, a list of books, Magazines, and useful websites)

Civil Services exams do not need born intelligence, extraordinary skills or one should have been a topper in his/ her academics from childhood. It demands certain strategies, techniques, planning as what the UPSC expects out of a aspirant. The mental makeup should be such that one possess intense passion for the country, as all questions narrow down to our History, Geography, Polity, Governance, various phases of Indian economic development, Every day Science and current affairs, national and international. Current affairs requires regular reading of newspapers, magazines and journals more focus should be on development activities of the country in Polity, Science, Technology, Business, commerce, banking, Defense, space, international trade, Social development schemes of Government. How to read newspaper a separate note is there in our website. Our idea should be to move our mind along with the objectives, programmes of Govt. As a future civil servant what all we will face, those will form the types of questions. To get a full picture of the exams “Topper’s tips” by Nagarajan All India topper is really good.

Now most of the questions are application based on reason and analytical skills rather than fact based which was the case earlier.  CSAT consists of 2 papers One GS and the other aptitude. In the GS, one should begin with a subject which is easier to the aspirant in the beginning, because that enhances the confidence level daily. One should start reading the subject where he or she has some spontaneous love for a subject be it Modern India, Geography, Indian economics, Science or polity.

First and foremost is one should have a sound foundation about the country in general. One should read India Year Book (GOI Publication). Daily newspaper reading is a must The Hindu plus One financial newspaper. Apart from that the following journals (relevant articles only), may be read.

  1. Front Line.
  2. Yojana.
  3. World Focus.
  4. Science Reporter (CSIR Publication.)

    Begin with simple NCERT Books for GS.
    • Modern India by Bipanchandra.
    • Geo 6, 7, 8th (Old) NCERT (Photo copies available with Excell) and Oxford Book on Certificate of physical geography by Goencheong.
    • Science 8, 9th NCERT.
    • One should spend 20 minutes in Atlas also daily.
    • For Polity begin with NCERT Book before one goes for Laxmikanth.
    • Economics- 11 th NCERT Book on Indian Economic Development before one goes for KPM Sundaram or Mishra and Puri. Aspirants who are pressed for time can go through Pratiyogita Darpan on Indian Economy.

      Detailed list of books is put up in our website.
      Aspirant should make his own notes, no readymade notes, guides will help.
      Detailed book list is available in the website.

IMPORTANT WEBISTES

Book shop where all this books are available

KRISHNA KNOWLEDGE TREASURY

‘H’ Block, (opp. Hot chips), No. 5107, 1st Floor, 12th Main Road, Anna Nagar,
Chennai – 600 040.
Contact:

Phone - 044 26160696
Mobile - 9444174492/9884803257

SUCCESS BOOK HOUSE

#2137, l Block, 7th Street, 12th Main Road, Anna Nagar, Chennai – 600 040.
Contact:

Phone - 044 42612215
Mobile - 9884912274/75 

One should develop the discriminatory powers while preparing as what topics need in depth study, and which needs surface level cursory glance. While reading one should ask for the prospective questions and prepare notes.

It needs 100% involvement and one should have that impatient hunger, carry the fire of enthusiasm always. For the preliminary exams one should work out maximum number of practice question papers.

Regarding Paper 2 of CSAT is concerned, one can go through the old question papers of CDS , bank exams for mental ability, logical analysis and reasoning. R.S Aggarwal books are also good.

  1. There is one Wizard Strategist that gives all the past 15 years question papers, topic wise, as and when you finish a topic kindly go through that as what types of questions are asked.
  2. Excell Career India has also the past test series of last year. Leaving out the current affairs work daily one question paper.
  3. It is better be conversant with one optional subject before the prelims.
  4. There is advantage and disadvantage in the new CSAT, you can prepare the GS in full detail from the mains point of view as there is no optional subject, at the same time it is better to be conversant with one optional subject before Prelims, and otherwise one will find it difficult to study two optional subjects in a short time.
  5. In the optional subjects also the trend is not on core subjects mentioned in the syllabus but their practical relevance to the present problems the society and the Government grapple with, and a solution for the same.
  6. There is one Wizard 4500 questions for GS, that is worth practicing.
  7. The following notes/ Booklets (well prepared ones are available with Excell Career India) Contact 044-45038020 0r 9884074048.
    1. Booklet on post 1947 facts.
    2. Personalities.
    3. Cultural festivals, exponents in music, dance and drama.
    4. List of amendments, important articles.
    5. List of committees and commissions.
    6. Special note on population, Inflation.
    7. Various social sector programs of Government.
    8. Well prepared notes on all chapters of Second Administrative Reforms commission Report.( As the new pattern is made purely on the Second ARC, it is better one goes through the important points in all the reports )