The UPSC aspirants must go through the current affairs regularly. He/She has to allocate a particular time of the day to study current affairs. As we all are aware that IAS current affairs are the vital portion to be covered for the civil service exams. Therefore it is said to be an integral part of the UPSC exam. Every single aspirant must pay keen attention to it. Current affairs cannot be covered in one day. It requires a series of preparation under proper guidance. The current affairs cover the things that surround you and of the situations that are of high importance like national and international details. Now let us focus on the quick tips that help UPSC candidates to study current affairs.
Tip 1 – Limit the resources:
UPSC aspirants believe that studying more bring success. They also think this strategy will help them to answer better. Students must get rid of that concept and it is high time to embrace the right strategy. UPSC syllabus seems to be lengthy. There is no point in studying unnecessary things. Thus, limit your study towards good quality study materials and go through them regularly.
Tip 2 – Limit the Time:
UPSC current affairs don’t require an entire year to cover. It is imperative to limit the time being spent on it. By doing so you can cover the portions quickly and focus on other important topics. The Dominant source for current affairs is the newspaper. The aspirant must read at least 2-3 different newspapers and choose one among them. For example, The Hindu, The Indian Express, and so on. You should not spend an entire day reading a whole newspaper which is not worth also. Restrict yourself to reading one newspaper at a time. Try to spend 1.5 hrs reading the newspaper thoroughly.
Tip 3 – Know your Syllabus:
UPSC aspirants must know the syllabus by heart. This will help them to avoid unnecessary topics and save time. Along with having quiet knowledge of the syllabus, one must understand and have explicit knowledge of the exam pattern.
Tip 4 – Have a Detailed Preparation:
Many believe that a detailed study is not necessary for current affairs which is totally wrong. This section requires a comprehensive study of all the topics that come under this category. Say for example, when we are studying the news, it is essential to find out the reason behind it. Also, find out the background, actual cause that led to this incident, its current situation. Making note of the advantages and disadvantages works well for this section.
Tip 5 – Focus on Keywords:
While studying each topic, make notes on the important keywords related to it. By doing so, one would not miss out on the critical keywords that should be present for that particular answer. The examiner wouldn’t have enough time to read all the answers line by line, instead, they will search for the exact keywords. So, while writing answers, highlight the keywords whenever possible.
Tip 6 – Quality over Quantity:
Choose good quality study materials. Don’t collect too many study materials. It is essential to collect only the quality materials required for the exam. Better quality material will help you to write better answers.
Tip 7 – Revision
Aspirants cannot remember all the points that are studied for the exam. They struggle with forgetting things that are primarily related to current affairs. One has to revise as much as possible for recollecting the things that are studied earlier. Finish the current affairs as soon as possible and spend time revising the concepts.
Tip 8 – Appear on Mock tests:
Various coaching centres enables us to take the regular mock test for testing our knowledge. The more mock test you take, the more would be an opportunity to clear the exams. Check out your strengths and work hard to turn the weakness into strengths.
Therefore, follow the guidelines mentioned above which help in the quick preparation of current affairs. Each and every person might devise his own strategy for the UPSC preparation. The method might differ from person to person. Self- Confidence is the key to success. We wish you all success in clearing the UPSC exam.