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What to read and what not to read for IAS Examination

What demotivates aspirants is the idea that at least 4-5 attempts are a must to qualify UPSC CSE EXAMS. This is absolutely incorrect. It’s true that this exam demands time to prepare but that’s not more than 2 to 3 years. It’s a learning process where you will make multiple mistakes and so, would need time to rectify them too. Most aspirants do not realise this fact and waste their attempts with inadequate preparation, which in turn, demotivates them. So, you need a mentor to guide you in this journey and tell you WHEN TO START and HOW TO START your preparation. Also before knowing what to study an aspirant has to first know WHAT NOT TO STUDY in this era of overflooded information around us. This is where the role of a Mentor becomes all the more important so that you do not waste your crucial time reading unnecessary content.
Aspirants often have a misconception that at least 13-14 hours a day must be given to this exam. Again, this is not true. UPSC preparation is journey of not only gathering knowledge, but also of overall character and personality development. So, if you utilise 13-14 hrs a day only in studying, you won’t get time to interact with the outside world and evolve properly and this wouldn’t help in the training process. Diligent engagement of 5-6 hrs a day would be enough for the preparation and that’s why KAVISH IAS suggests its students to start planning from their graduation only, as regular practice will definitely help you reach your goal.
Many Institutes recommend starting UPSC preparation from 6th standard NCERT books and go through graduation level textbooks, which is not true. Also, the aspirant is prescribed to go through the entire newspaper every day. Reading so much of hefty content on a daily basis is a tedious and boring job to do. Such misconceptions only waste the aspirant’s valuable time and money. Each individual is different and accordingly he/she should be suggested where to start from. Coming to current affairs, news reading and its analysis is a skill that needs to be taught in the beginning, and with time the aspirant can himself decide what to read and how to read. Analysing and jotting down the essentials becomes easy for the student after a few months.
Another myth that students fear is that ‘UPSC IS DIFFICULT AND ONLY IIT OR TOP COLLEGE GRADUATES CAN CRACK IT ’. UPSC is open for graduates from every stream and doesn’t prefer anyone based on his/her background. So if you are willing to dedicate your time in this preparation, you can surely succeed in this exam with a good rank.