Top 10 Practical Tips for IAS Preparation

So you are deeply into writing the examination for IAS (Indian Administrative Services)? You feel have made the wisest decision of your life. How do you go about it?

The moment you feel you've worked hard enough and are ready to rumble the exams away, begin your revision. Listed are some practical tips and things to do while preparing for the IAS.

Transform yourself into a bookworm

Study from morning till night and from night till morning! Get your bro/sis/buddy/mom/dad to check your answers. Let them test you in every possible way. Writing/reading, objective type questions, the works.

Choose the Subjects

Choose wisely from beginning. The preliminaries will be the first obstacle you have to overcome. you will face objective type questions which have the inherent quality of actually being a prompter. If you were to be unsure of answers, you would be able to identify the right answer. Precise answers are possible in Mathematics and it could be your first choice.

Additional Subjects

History and geography should also be comparatively surmountable. Buy cheap editions of books pertaining to these subjects and read them. I mean READ them. If you are an engineering student, you may well choose subjects you had studied during your course.

General Knowledge

General Knowledge is not actually one subject. It is a conglomeration of any number of subjects. The question setter, could be a vicious man taking some pleasure in asking questions like "How many strings did Eric Clapton break in his guitar during his 1999 concert in Madison Square garden?". I bet no one on this earth will know the answer including the the paper setter.

Watch knowledge TV channels

What you can do is read anything that comes your way, including the cheesecake wrapper that you throw away. Stop watching saas Bhahu and go instead for CNN and National Geographic. And, read as may newspapers as you can everyday.

Dress well for the Interview

The face to face interview could prove to be intimidating. You should be dressed to kill with nary a deficiency nor an over-do. As far as possible, wear hand-stitched dresses that are skin fitting. Insert the shirt into the pants. Wear a sober tie and a decent pair of leather shoes.

Carry yourself with confidence

Your manners should show how sure you are about yourself. The intimidator should feel intimidated by your sure manners. Remember that men sitting on the other side of the table are people with flesh and blood just like you are.

At the Interview Table

The trick is for them to ask you what you may consider some inane and stupid questions but they are being asked to gauge how alert you are. Well, here again, it could be anything, like "How many glasses of water did you drink today?" You, of course, do not know the answer. But neither does he. Inform him emphatically without batting an eyelid, "15". Do not worry, you are safe.

Language Skills

The importance of language practice can not be stressed enough. Be sure to know the nuances and intricacies of the language that the interview is going to be conducted in. Communication skills cary their own rather heavy weight in the IAS interviews.

Sleep in order to be awake

Whatever the examination, I strongly advice you to take complete rest the previous night. You are not going to be any wiser by reading at the eleventh hour.