How To Prepare For UPSC IES

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Before beginning your preparations for ESE/IES, please take note of the following points:

• Understand the exam. Read the notification properly. Check the vacancies. Study about the various departments. You should be absolutely clear whether you want to go for ESE or not. The reason I am talking about this is many students start preparing for GATE and ESE but after a few months, they realise that it is too tough or requires too much time, so they give it up and then focus only for GATE. Please don’t do that. Also, carefully go through the medical requirements for the different departments. Few candidates get rejected in medical every year and it is very unfortunate.
• Read the syllabus thoroughly. Check the subjects that might be new to you. Read the topics that are included there. There was a faculty in Made Easy in Electrical department, he used to tell us that ‘Agar aapko pata hai ki syllabus kya hai, to aadhi tayyari to ho gayi!’ (If you know about the syllabus, then half of your preparation is done)
• Self evaluation. Are you clear with basics? How much help do you require in learning the new subjects? How much time do you have? etc and depending upon the answers to such questions, decide whether you really need coaching or not.
• Lastly and most important, don’t give IES thinking that you might get same treatment as IAS. IAS is something completely different. Many people realise this later and get disheartened. Just to mention IES is also a very good job, just don’t compare it with IAS.

Preparing for IES …

It is the biggest question mark when you decide to go for any competitive examination.

How to start your preparation ?

Unlike you all, I faced the same problem when I decided to prepare for UPSC IES.

I got my answer when I asked some questions to myself.

Make the use of 5 ‘W’ and 1 ‘H’

We shall see all this one by one

1. Why ?

Why have I decided to go for IES?

It is your area of interest to serve in techno-managerial job under Government of India. Bright career, excellent facilities, huge respect and after all job security.

Once you know the reason why you are preparing for IES, you will start asking more & more questions to yourself and you will find answers.

2. When ?

When should I start my preparation ?

You can start your preparation from 3rd year of Engineering or final year.

Mostly many students start their preparation after Final year. They dedicate one complete year for preparation.

3. Where & How ?

Yes, I have decided to go for IES and I know when to start.

Where should I begin from and How should I plan?

How much time should I give per day for my preparation ?

• Firstly refer the previous 15 years question papers and find out the weightage for all your subjects.
• Decide the Subject priority list and start your preparation from that subject which has got more weightage in exam.
• You have the complete list of subjects according to their weightage.
• You have made a rough plan for your preparation. But what if you face doubts while preparation. And yes, you are going to face many doubts while your preparation.
• I studied for 11 – 12 hours per day. It depends from person to person. Some might study 9 – 10 hours while some for 13–15 hrs. That depends on your memorizing capability & smart study techniques.

For Technical subjects

• The questions in Prelims will be a lot easier when compared to the level of GATE. So, you only need to cover the basics and nothing else. No need to solve any advance level questions. (if you have time then surely go for it)
• As the syllabus has changed and there are some new subjects, which you might have not studied in college, so you might need some assistance for these. Be very clear that UPSC gives special attention towards these new subjects. So, never think of leaving one or two subject. It might cost you dearly. It is advisable to take coaching for these, as the subjects like Basic Electrical, Advance Communication etc are not that very easy to cover (as the syllabus might be new to many) and has been given a good weightage by UPSC in previous years.
• Students often ask, konse subject se shuru karein? (which subject to read first). Now this point is specifically for the ECE students. I’ll advise, before beginning technicals, first cover Mathematics. As we are all comfortable with Maths, so it gives a good start for the preparation. Then go for the easier subjects like Networks, Controls, Signals. Then go for the core ECE subjects like EDC, digital and analog electronics. Then go for the fairly tougher subjects like EMT, Communication Systems etc.
• Now, you should keep some reference books with you, you know, for reference 🙂 I brought textbooks for subjects like EMT, EDC, Communication etc for more clarity as for some topics neither coaching nor coaching textbooks were enough.
• UPSC IES Syllabus Click Here

For General Studies

• For GS, I feel that joining a coaching is very helpful than self preparation as it gives a very organized approach to it. As GS is like an ocean and it might seem very perplexing, what to study and what to skip. So, my advice here is to either join a coaching or buy their postal study course.
• Now, coming to newspaper reading. Although it is absolutely necessary for Civil Services, but for Engineering Services, it is not mandatory. Just keep touch with the daily news and that’s enough. No need to spend time understanding the editorials of The Hindu! Also, some coachings publish magazines specifically for ESE, so that is also very helpful.
• Final advice for GS is, please don’t take it lightly. Give it sufficient time. It can be a deciding factor in your final rank.

• The next question which will come to your mind is –

4. Who ?

Who will guide me ?

• Whether I should join some good coaching institute or else I can do it myself by self study.
• If you join some coaching institute, I will suggest you to strictly follow their schedule. Attend all classes regularly and be honest to yourself while preparation.
• If you haven’t joined any coaching, refer standard reference book for all subjects. Refer only one standard reference book per subject. Dont refer too many books. That can create confusion. Start your preparation from the subject priority list you made.
• Nowadays there are many sources available online. Lectures by UPSC toppers and coaching institutes to guide you in proper direction.
• And the last & most important question –

5. What ?

What should be my preparation strategy for IES ?

a) As I already told, once you know the subject priority list. Start with the subject which has more weightage in examination.

b) See whether theory or numericals are asked from that particular subject. In IES, generally it is 70–30. 70% numericals & 30 % theory.

If you have joined coaching, study all the class notes for that subject. If you find something difficult to understand, refer only that part in reference books.

After you study all your class notes, solve previous 15–20 yrs questions from that subject. Solve this questions setting time based on their marks. This will help you improve time management during exam.

c) After solving questions and revising entire subject, make your own short notes. Include only important key concepts and formulae in your short notes.

Short notes will help you revise the subject quickly during the 11th hour of exam.

Accordingly study all subjects in the list.

This should be your strategy,

1. Clearing Basics
2. Previous Year Papers
3. Test series
4. Revision

d) At last, before examination, dont study anything new. Revise the short notes you made. Join some good test series subjectwise as well as full length test series. It will help you monitor your performance. It will help you know what you have forgotten and retained while preparation.

Now coming to the start of preparation, I know that all the UPSC aspirants don’t fall into the same category. There are students with different backgrounds and they need to adopt a strategy convenient for them. So, here I give different tips for students. You may adopt the one most suitable for you:

• If you are currently pursuing your B.Tech., then you have sufficient time, so I will advise you to read directly from standard textbooks and NPTEL. Discuss doubts with college faculties and friends. Please make use of your college time and get serious about your career goals from this point otherwise it might take you some extra years to achieve it.
• If you have completed your graduation and don’t have clarity over basics, then it is strongly advised to join a coaching otherwise if you decide to do self study, you might never get that command over basics and your rank will not improve.
• If you are very much clear with your basics and feel you have a good command over most of the subjects, then no need to join any coaching, you are already ahead of over 90% of the candidates. Then you only need to do self study. This is more important than any coaching.
• If you have got some campus placement offers, then I would suggest that if you need to support your family, then definitely join it and then prepare along with job. there are so many students who clear this exam along with job. But if you are financially stable, then don’t go for that job instead give your maximum effort here, so that you can clear it early and also with a good rank.
• If you have already attended a coaching once, then no need to do coaching again. It won’t help you any further. Just continue with self study.