With changes in the civil services exam pattern, the appropriate strategy would be to identify the changes along with the expected areas and prepare accordingly.
The examination system devised for selection to the civil services is one of the most exhaustive and comprehensive.
The selection begins with the preliminary examination, followed by the main examination and concludes with the personality test. Over 1.5 lakh candidates had appeared for the preliminary in May this year and about 12,000 were declared as qualified for the second stage i.e., the main examination, to be conducted in October.
The main examination presents a striking contrast to most of the competitive examinations being held today. It comprises nine papers, all of them of a descriptive type conducted within a span of 20 days. It is designed to test not only the academic talent of the aspirant but also his ability to coordinate and present his knowledge in a clear and cogent manner.
To begin with, the basic skills of an aspirant in a Modern Indian Language and English are tested. This is followed by two papers in General Studies, a General Essay Paper and two papers each in the two optional chosen by the aspirant.
More contemporary
The 2008 main examination is of special significance as the syllabi of the General Studies papers and the Optional have been revised and made more ‘contemporary’. This is in tune with the recommendations of the Satish Chandra Committee, which made a firm case for periodically adding the contemporary dimensions to the syllabi and deleting the antiquated parts. The changes reflect in all the stages of the examination, more so at the main examination.
In such a situation, the appropriate strategy for success would be to identify the changes along with the expected areas and prepare accordingly. There are two qualifying papers — Modern Indian Language and General English. An aspirant has to score at least 35 per cent to qualify in these papers.
The right strategy would be to answer all the questions without any complacency. While most of the candidates are adept in ‘speaking’ they face difficulty in writing the script of any Modern Indian Language.
The General Essay paper was a compulsory component of the ICS examination since its inception. It was deleted from the scheme of examination in 1979. The Satish Chandra Committee recommended its re-introduction in 1993, and since then it has played a crucial role in determining a candidate’s position in the merit list.
The aspirant has to write an essay for three hours on one topic of this choice out of the listed topics. Usually the topics in the General Essay paper are centred on the contemporary issues. It is advisable to devote the first five to ten minutes in ‘zeroing in’ on two topics. The next five minutes can be spent thinking about both the topics and arriving at the one which is in your ‘comfort zone’. Having decided on the topic, start brain storming — write down all the ideas that you have about the topic. Put them on paper randomly as they flow in. Later, arrange these ideas in a logical and sequential manner.
The General Studies comprises two papers, Paper-I and Paper-II. In paper-I current national issues and topics of social relevance has been emphasised and the areas have been clarified apart from existing topics. A business approach is the basic pre-requisite for scoring high in these papers i.e., the time allocated should be commensurate to the marks that will accrue from the question.
Some of the important topics include growth of education in India, impact of communal politics, reasons for the rise of ‘revolutionary terrorism’ in the early decades of the 20th Century, earthquakes and floods (terminology and preventive measures), India’s vulnerability to natural disasters, Sethusamudram project, parliamentary Vs presidential form of government, demands for smaller States, Women’s Reservation Bill, position of the Speaker, inclusive growth, impact of oil prices, feasibility of reservations in the private sector, SEZs Act, Recognition of Forests Rights Act - its merits and criticism.
After having identified the important areas in the compulsory papers, it is advisable to repeat the same exercise in the optionals. Such an effort will lead to the winning edge.
The winning edge
Plan your preparation according to the time table.
In case, there is a long gap between the first optional and the second you can stop the preparation for the second optional.
Logically, questions which have answers not exceeding 20 words are more scoring than questions for which you have answer in 125 words or 250 words. Answer as many short questions as possible.
If you are good in the statistics area, start first with statistics. However, if you are weak opt for it in the last half hour.
Allocate time for each area according to the weightage of marks.
Answer as many questions as possible. It is easier for the examiner to give you average marks in more areas than high marks in one area.
Make your answers attractive by using flow charts and diagrams.
Ensure that the word limit is adhered to.
For the last few years, no candidate who has qualified at exam has been able to complete the paper and answer all the questions.
Usually, candidates are not able to complete the paper and questions amounting to 20-30 marks are left out.
Lastly, do not let your performance in one paper affect your performance in the other.
Remember what we require is above average performance in all the papers and not extreme performances.
With the number of vacancies on the increase and the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission in the offing, this would be the best time to aim for being included in the list of selected candidates. Ensure you do so by adopting the winning edge.
The author is Director, Brain Tree
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