The minimum educational qualification for appearing in the IAS exam is graduation. And you must have a degree from a recognized university to attempt the IAS exam conducted by UPSC every year. So that means that you should start preparing for the IAS exam only after graduation? no, at all! If you have just completed your schooling, and are sure about your ambition to become an IAS/IPS officer and serve the nation, then we recommend that you start your IAS preparation now! Don’t wait until you’re 21 or get a degree.
If you are inclined towards becoming a civil servant then preparation after the 12th is the right decision. If you start your IAS preparation early, you have a chance to crack the IAS exam and start your civil services career early. This will take you a long way in your career, and you can even become a Cabinet Secretary (which is the highest among UPSC posts in India) depending on your potential. And now the question is “What is the strategy for IAS preparation after the 12th class”. This article gives you some tips on how to prepare for UPSC after the 12th.
What to do to prepare for the IAS exam after the 12th?
Read more about Civil Services. And find out about the life of a civil servant or a diplomat. If possible, talk to an IAS officer and get directly acquainted with the ground reality. And ask yourself, is this what you actually want? And if the answer is ‘yes’ then read on…
- Take an undergraduate course that includes politics and history. These topics are of utmost importance for the UPSC syllabus.
- And during your graduation, study these subjects thoroughly keeping in mind the UPSC syllabus.
- If you have mastered these subjects, then you can also choose any one of these as your optional subject.
- Also, start studying Public Administration, Economics, etc. You can also study these subjects as your main subject, it will all be based on your interest and aptitude.
- Don’t lose touch with the basic math you learned in school. It is essential for the CSAT paper in the IAS Prelims exam.
- And remember to study like an IAS aspirant and not a bunking college student.
- Make good use of your college library. Read more and more relevant books.
- Make a habit of reading daily newspapers and be aware of the latest happenings in the country and the world.
- Work on your interpersonal skills and communication skills. Try to develop a good personality which will help you in the IAS interview later.
- Do not throw away your school’s NCERT textbooks. These are the basic books for the UPSC exam.
- And learn to make notes and start doing the same.
- Practice previous years’ IAS question papers.
The best course for the IAS exam after the 12th is IAS Coaching in Dehradun. For more information on how to read newspapers for IAS preparation, how to crack IAS Prelims and Mains, and how to crack the UPSC interview, check out Doon IAS Academy UPSC Preparation.
The best course for IAS:
- Nowadays, it is seen that IAS toppers have different educational backgrounds and no single course can be pronounced as the best course to become an IAS officer.
- Based on their educational background, some toppers have chosen their optional and use it as an advantage. Whereas, there are toppers who have chosen completely different optional subjects from their educational background.
- For example, 2020 UPSC topper Aparna Ramesh (AIR 35) chose Anthropology as her optional subject even though her educational background is in architecture and urban planning. To know more about UPSC Topper 2020 AIR 35, refer to the linked article.
- So, after completing high school, one has to choose the subject in which he/she is interested. If the student is interested in UPSC exam preparation after graduation and wants to choose useful courses for UPSC preparation, students can check the list of optional subjects in the UPSC exam from the linked article.
- Based on the options available, one can opt for a course that lays the groundwork for the preparation for graduation.
