Strategy - Study Plan for UPSC

(Revised and updated as per syllabus pattern 0f 2026)

BEFORE YOU START

Before you start you need to know that there are two stages of preparation:

Prepare yourself
Prepare the syllabus

Yes, you heard it correctly, before starting the preparation you need to prepare yourself. This process includes following elements:

Making up your mind
Motivating yourself
Becoming passionate
Isolating yourself form rest of the world (you may enjoy Sundays).

This exam demands more than a decent amount of time to prepare with determination, which is possible only if the desire for coming into the services is burning in your heart incessantly.

Swami Vivekananda Once said-

“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life – think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success, that is way great spiritual giants are produced”

The first step towards your success is to choose your goal honestly. You should’nt choose it because your father/mother has a dream or there is a pressure from your social circle. Its should come from your heart, and once you have decided upon your choice, stick with it. This exam is not like any other entrance exam. It demands more than a decent amount of time to prepare with determination, which is possible only if the desire for coming into the services is burning in your heart incessantly. A passion without the utmost towards ‘your’ dream, cracking this exam remains a far cry.

IAS MYTHS

Many of you may having presumption that you should have come from a reputed institute like AIIMS or IITs to succeed in the civil services examination, and we must be a ‘topper’ at every stage of education. But the fact is that you need not have come from a reputed Institute or be a topper. What you actually need is to have passion to become a part if the civil services. You need to be ready to do lots of hard work and smart work. You need to be ready, from now on, to be a topper!

Preparation Guide

Smart study + Notes making + Daily revision = Key to success in CSE

What is ‘Smart Study’?

Many aspirants think, studying loads of book will make them able to crack IAS exam. But, “Studying too many books = waste of time = failure”

Here “Smart Study” means studying only those book/reference sources that provide adequate knowledge required according to the syllabus of IAS exam + extensive newspaper reading.

Why to “Make Notes”?

Note Making is necessary due to following reasons:

Quick Revision.
Improve Writing Skills.

Try to make Notes in Question-Answer format, this will make your notes comprehensive + Lucid

“Notes Making” process required for all books?

No, Notes must be prepared only from two sources:

NCERT books (you can add some additional important information to your notes while referring other books )
Newspaper (i.e. Current Affairs)

Why “Daily revision” is necessary?

Always remember: “Study + No revision = No study”

Revision is an important part of preparation. It should be done on daily basis (may be at the end of the day). Make your daily study schedule accordingly and implement it.

How to start your preparation?

Initial Stage-

If you are preparing for 2025 ICS exam then you should start preparing from jan/2024 or at least form June/2024. In the initial stage of your preparation start with NCERT/State books and also you may refer one or two newspaper as well as maintain notes simultaneously. At this stage you do not need to overload yourself. this process may continue for 2 months(Jan + Feb).

NCERT Books	New NCERT/Old NCERT
State book	Tamil Nadu text book(TNT)

Why NCERT/State books?

NCERT/state books provides you the basic knowledge. To begin with the preparation, one must have strong base of knowledge + concept clarification which can be acquired with the help of NCERT.

Is it necessary to read both old and new NCERTs?

No, it is not necessary to study both. However, the old NCERTs provide more detailed information on important topics, especially in History. Therefore, they are a good resource to refer to. What you can do is cover History topics in detail from the old NCERTs, while using the new NCERTs for the remaining subjects.

From where to get old NCERT/TNT?

Download all NCERT books from “Downloads” section given on our website. You may also visit our e-library. All e-books are free of cost. Click here to download

Which newspaper should you read?

When it comes to choosing a newspaper for UPSC preparation, The Hindu is a must-read. Along with it, you may also refer to The Indian Express and The Economic Times (if you can manage the time).

Now, you might be wondering why I’m recommending The Indian Express when both The Hindu and The Indian Express cover similar news. The reason is that The Indian Express is often easier to understand, which helps in grasping the concepts behind the news — something that’s crucial for UPSC. Additionally, it offers a valuable editorial page, which is one of the most important sections for aspirants.

Also, remember: making notes while reading is just as important as reading the newspaper itself.

How many hours should I study per day?

This is one of the most common questions asked by aspirants — but the answer varies from person to person. There is no single formula that works for everyone. However, I can share my opinion based on experience.

In the initial stage of your preparation, 5 to 7 hours of study per day is more than enough. As I’ve mentioned earlier, you don’t need to burden yourself at this stage.

Many aspirants believe that cracking the UPSC requires studying for 15 to 16 hours a day — but let me tell you, UPSC does not demand such long hours. What it really demands is hard work, and hard work means putting in the right efforts in the right direction.

Once you’ve crossed the initial stage, it’s time to pull up your socks. Now, you should aim to study for 7 to 9 hours per day. If you’re a working professional, managing 5 to 6 hours effectively will still be sufficient.

Remember, the number of hours needed varies by individual. One person may complete a task in 2 hours, while another might finish the same in just 1 hour. So, plan your daily schedule based on your own efficiency and convenience.

By the final stage of your preparation, you should ideally be studying around 7 to 10 hours per day, depending on your grasp of the syllabus and your revision plan.

Can I prepare along with my job?

Yes, you can prepare for civil services along with your job. Every year number of working professionals/employees crack UPSC exam therefore job/profession can not affect your preparation if you are ready to work hard. What you need is keep yourself updated with all the things happening in your surrounding, surrounding does not means your office or working area but the world. you may discuss about the major happenings/current events with your colleagues,friends etc. Also, for self study one must try to manage 4 to 5 hours/day.

How to prepare for CSAT paper II?

Although the CSAT paper is only qualifying in nature, its difficulty level has been rising year by year. Many aspirants, especially those from non-mathematical or non-engineering backgrounds, tend to overlook it — often at their own risk.

Clearing CSAT requires scoring just 33% (66 marks out of 200), but due to tricky comprehension passages, time-consuming math problems, and logical reasoning questions, even strong candidates have found themselves falling short.

So, treat CSAT with the seriousness it deserves. Regular practice, a strong foundation in basic aptitude and comprehension skills, and timed mock tests can make a significant difference.

One may start preparing it 3 to 4 months before prelims to get through it

Middle stage

Now, this is the time when you need laborious study with full honesty and determination. Cover all your static portion of prelim as well as mains(including optional subject) in this stage of your preparation. This stage extends form 8 to 9 months(March to Nov.). Revise your work as much as possible. For reference books required to cover static part of the syllabus – Important reference books. Do not forget to cover daily news though different sources such as newspaper(The Hindu), Magazine (follow any one monthly magazine such as chronicle, wizard etc. till end), govt. websites (PRS,PIB etc).

Final stage

Finally, all parts of the syllabus has been covered and now you should be ready to introspect your preparation. Test yourself by solving previous year papers, sample papers, tests etc. Examine your preparation, find out your weaknesses and try to overcome them. Do lots of answer writing practice which will help you in mains.