Where can you get the best study material for Exam preparation
The UPSC conducts exams for some of the most prestigious cadres in the government and public sector undertakings of India. Estimates suggest that each time, more and more candidates appear for these exams, but merely 0.2% clear them on average. In 2020 alone, over 10 lakh aspirants appeared in the UPSC examinations held in October.
The material and method of preparation act as key components in the success of any aspirant. Needless to say, nothing but the best would be required if you want to make it to the end. So how and where do you get the Best Study Material for UPSC Preparation ? By the time you finish reading this, you would have a fair idea.
The best study material
It is believed that over 97% of candidates fail to clear the preliminary exam! With such a dismal rate of clearance and the heavily demanding nature of preparation required, study material gains the utmost importance. Books, newspapers and online articles form the basis of the study material for UPSC that should be regularly visited.
Books
For specific subjects, you should refer to recommended books that cover the topics in depth. Also, some books are highly important, considering that several questions are often directly asked from them. For instance, the following books are noteworthy.
- History – for ancient, medieval and modern history, ‘Ancient India’ by RS Sharma is regarded as one of the most comprehensive materials available
- Notes by Shankar IAS are commonly followed for science and technology.
- Current affairs are best gathered from print and electronic media. Reading news papers should be a daily habit that you inculcate to excel in global current affairs.
- ‘Indian Economy’ by Ramesh Singh is one of the most sought after books when it comes to studying economics.
- ‘Indian Polity’ by Laxmikanth is highly regarded as another important book for reference.
- For Indian culture, a book titled ‘Art and Culture’ by Nitin Singhania is regarded amongst the top resources.
- The Manorama Yearbook is a complete repository of information for the happenings in current global affairs, science, technology, economics and is specifically designed for the aspirants of competitive exams. Going through these would give you a competitive advantage.
This does not mean you should disregard all other similar books on these subjects. NCERT books for classes 8 to 12th are certainly helpful to understand the basic and advanced levels of these subjects.
Besides your undivided attention and utmost efforts, the method or preparation is significant. However, many candidates make the mistake of preferring one subject over the other and not paying equal attention to all subjects.
Online
Although one of the most important resources to grab hold of, books are one of the most important resources whilst preparing for UPSC exams; however, other materials that provided relevantly and up to date information can be found online. There are multiple websites and online coaching centers, helping UPSC aspirants by providing study materials that are up-to-date with the syllabus. You can avail compact notes, that will require no further research. Thus, you can save your precious time and be more confident.
Besides Study materials for UPSC, Online Classes can make a huge difference. Given the current pandemic situation, online classes are more convenient than offline ones. You can simply sign up for your preferred classes and prepare for your exams from the comfort of your home.
Youth Destination, one of the premier IAS coaching institutes in the country, can provide you with all the necessary study materials needed for the UPSC exam preparation. Their online classes can be good source of preparation as well.
Newspapers and magazines
Since, Current Affairs are a crucial component of these competitive exams, you must be updated about all national and international current affairs. For that purpose, newspapers and magazines can be your best option. Following newspapers and magazines on a regular basis can be of huge help. Online news portals and e-magazines fall under this category as well.
Test series
The Test Series for UPSC help you prepare for the exams by teaching you better time management. It refers to a methodology where one first solves mock tests and then studies the wrong answers to learn where you went wrong.
Many IAS toppers swear by the benefit of this approach and recommend doing it specifically in the last month of your preparation. Youth Destination, provides some of the Best UPSC Test Series for preparation of exams.
Also, Read: Study plan for UPSC mains preparation – Beginners friendly
How do test series help?
Once you go through the same environment of IAS tests before the actual tests, your brain gets into the habit and the actual test does not feel like a nightmare. No matter how prepared you are, if you can not manage time both in the static subjects and current affairs, your efforts would go in vain. Here is how Test Series for UPSC can be helpful.
- Accurate evaluation – Meticulously planned UPSC test series gives you unmatched capabilities for cracking the test. It provides you with the two-fold benefits of consistent time-bound targets for subjects and insight into your strength and weaknesses.
- SWOT analysis – The right UPSC prelims test series would help you understand the pain areas and strengths of your preparation for the preliminary examination. You must focus on the areas you struggle in because they can drag your scores down and ruin your chances of entering the mains rounds. Both the papers carry negative marking scheme and hence, you must know how many and what questions to answer. Mock tests in the UPSC prelims test series are the best tools to understand how that works.
- CSAT readiness – The second paper of prelims, also known as the CSAT, makes up for 33% of the overall marks. Aspirants often neglect this; however, recent paper trends show that it also requires a decent level of preparation.
- Mains simulation – UPSC Mains test series are an essential element to time management of the mains exams. Many candidates fail to reach the personal interview rounds because they spent excess time of the essays, comprehension and precis writing sections. Using a UPSC mains test series for simulated papers would get you a fair idea of how quickly you should write.
If you are serious about your UPSC preparations, time is of the essence. Why struggle to create a path when there exists a proven, step by step method that helps you achieve your dreams! Youth Destination is one of the premier coaching institutes of India that employs experienced faculty and highly targeted mock tests for online UPSC coaching.
Check out the free resources on Youth Destination’s Website or schedule a demo class today and set yourself on the path to success!
