The Civil Services (Main) Examination 2011 is just a few weeks away. Over the years, there has been a rise in preparation awareness among civil service aspirants, but this coveted exam continues to throw a surprise element calling for newer strategies.

The question papers in recent years have clearly shown that the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) seems to be determined to select those aspirants who are able to cover most of the topics in the syllabus with focus on current affairs.

The number of questions in the General Studies question papers has been doubled from 30 to 60, says P.S. Ravindran, director, Vajiram and Ravi Institute for IAS Examination, New Delhi. “As UPSC covers a large number of areas, General Studies preparation should be comprehensive,” he says. He stressed the need to score more than 320 marks in both the optional subjects as scoring in the General Studies has become more challenging.

A sizeable number of candidates in the previous mains examination were not able to score more than 270 out of 600 in the General Studies papers.

Many questions pertaining to current affairs of the month of October 2010 were unexpected and candidates found it tough to handle them in the previous mains.

Aspirants who were able to read at least two broadsheet newspapers such as The Hindu regularly were able to answer those questions. “Reading of two newspapers and Frontline is necessary. Questions based on less prominent news is also being asked,” says Mr. Ravindran.

Instead of reading several study materials, candidates are advised to select two source materials and concentrate on that with four rounds of quick revision.

A thorough preparation of topics covered in statistics and Indian Economy is crucial for a high score. The questions would cover Indian economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation of resources, growth, development and employment.

Issues arising from the social and economic exclusion of large sections from the benefits of development, economic and trade issues such as foreign trade, foreign investment, economic and diplomacy issues relating to oil, gas and energy flows, the role and functions of IMF, World Bank and WTO which influence India's economic interaction with other countries and international institutions are important.

The candidates who score more than 300 in the General Studies papers are those with excellent understanding of the subjects at the secondary and higher secondary school level. They do not require any specialised study in any of the subjects for the General Studies. NCERT books of history, geography, polity, economy and statistics continue to be useful for revising the syllabus for the main examination.

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Courtesy: Thehindu.com