The IAS Dream: How to Craft the Vision?

“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude” - Zig Ziglar

It all starts with a dream and a vision; the vision of a better future for the country, the society, the community, and finally, your family and you.

Yes, almost every educated youth (including their parents and family members) in India aspires for a dream career in the Civil Services. If you are one among those, we highly appreciate your thought and your purpose.

After deciding to be a civil servant, the next logical step follows: preparing for the Civil Services Examination (CSE). Here we have come up with an eight-point agenda that will get you started on the right path from the beginning and ensure your success in the Civil Services Examination.

1. The Clouds of Confusion and Queries

As soon as a student decides to prepare for the CSE, he/she is bombarded with hundreds of queries related to preparation. This results in utter confusion on the part of candidates. They seek advice /suggestions from every possible quarter and get even more confused as to which advice to follow and which way to go.

2. The Need for a Right Strategy

This is where the need for proper planning and a right strategy comes into picture. Please remember (till you succeed in CSE) that strategy can make or mar your career. It is one of the most crucial aspects of preparation for the CSE.

3. Master the Right Mindset

Again, the importance of a right mindset cannot be overemphasized when it comes to preparation for the CSE. Right mindset is the base on which your entire preparation will depend, every single day, every single moment.

The most basic qualities that can see you through in this examination are as follows:

• Positive attitude - Looking at the brighter side
• Self-confidence - Believing in yourself
• Patience - Knowing that success takes time
• Willingness to work hard - Being eager to do more than what is expected
• Perseverance - Knowing that slow and steady wins the race
• Focus – Mastering the art of ‘one thing at a time’
• Never-say-die spirit – Refusing to surrender

4. No shortcuts to Success

Let us put it bluntly. There are no shortcuts to success and there are no alternatives to hard work. This one aspect, i.e., hard work can do miracles that you may not even imagine. And a tough battle like CSE calls for exemplary hard work.

5. Smart Study

When we say you should adopt a ‘Smart Study’ strategy, what we essentially mean is:

• Know what to read and more importantly, what not to read;
• It is better to read and revise one book several times than trying to read many books/study materials;
• Form a group that helps and supports you inch towards your goal;
• Know how to use technology to your advantage; and
• Practise prudent time management.

6. Quality Matters over Quantity

Given the nature of the CSE, aspirants are expected to read and understand a lot. Often this leads to the development of a tendency among the candidates to pick up whatever they can lay their hands on. Without any further thought, they start reading multiple books, journals and magazines, newspapers, study materials and what not. We advise you not to fall into this trap.

In the CSE, quality always matters over quantity. It is not about how widely read you are; it is about how much you understand what you have learnt and how much of it you can relate to the world around you. Always choose your study resources keeping this fact in mind.

7. Preparation Approach

As far as CSE is concerned, what you read matters. But what matters even more is how you read it. This brings us to the approach you should adopt while studying.

Some of the points that need to be kept in mind while reading are:

• Basic Understanding/ Conceptual Clarity – Whenever you read something, try to understand the topic completely and develop conceptual clarity. You must master the basics first. In the course of your preparation, you will need to remember some key facts as well.
• Analytical Perspective – With more and more open-ended questions being asked in the CSE these days, you need to think critically, reason and develop an analytical perspective on topics that you read.
• Balanced Viewpoint - Your viewpoints related to different topics must be balanced. Try to incorporate it in your answers. This will reflect the maturity of your outlook.

8. Self-Assessment

Without periodic self-assessment and evaluation, you will be in the dark. You may think you have prepared well but unless you test yourself from time to time, you will not be able to discover your true strengths and weaknesses. On the other hand, tests will serve as a reality check, allowing you ample time to rectify your mistakes and move ahead.

In the pages that follow, we have dealt with all major aspects of preparation for Civil Services Examination in great detail. This, we hope, will serve as a foundation stone for the budding administrator in you.

Happy reading!