UPSC CSE is one of the most prestigious examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) annually. The official name of the exam is UPSC Civil Service Examination. It is also known by another popular name called IAS EXAM. The examination is conducted in three phases, namely prelims, mains, and the personality test/interview. Current affairs are an important part of all three stages of the examination.
The UPSC notification mentions “current events of national and international importance” as part of the prelims syllabus. Often questions in the mains are asked, linking the static portion with the current affairs. The UPSC CSE notification mentions that the personality test/interview is an assessment of not only intellectual qualities but also social traits and interest in current affairs. Therefore, current affairs are an important part of UPSC preparation.
Importance of Current Affairs in UPSC Preparation
To select the best among lakhs of aspirants, the UPSC tests the understanding capabilities and the ability of the aspirant to link up current events with facts and analyze the topic. Current affairs topics are extremely important for the UPSC Civil Service Examination because of the following reasons.
- The prelims examination is both static and dynamic in nature. The trend in the past few years shows that every year around 20-30 questions are asked about current affairs.
- Current affairs are extremely important for mains because the questions asked in the past few years’ papers show that many questions have been asked linking current events with the static part of the syllabus. Current affairs not only help to deal with these questions properly but also help to fetch good marks when we include them in our answers. The aspirants who supplement their answers in written exams with recent pointers score higher than others.
- The interview/personality test is intended to judge the mental caliber of a candidate. Candidates are expected to have taken an intelligent interest not only in their special subjects of academic study but also in the events which are happening around them, both within and outside their own state or country, as well as in modern currents of thought and in new discoveries.
Tips to Prepare Current Affairs for UPSC CSE
In UPSC CSE, questions are often asked on the issues in the news. Therefore, the current affair is an important part of UPSC preparation. The candidate must understand the news issues and make notes on them.
Understand the syllabus:
The candidate preparing for UPSC must understand the nature and scope of the syllabus. It helps to understand the areas from which current affairs questions can be asked in the examination. Therefore, the candidate should always be updated with current affairs related to the syllabus.
The market is flooded with study materials. Choosing the best study material for preparation is not a simple task. It is advised to start reading newspapers and linking the topics in new with the syllabus of the examination. NCERTs are the best source to get good information on various subjects.
Know the trend:
Go through previous years’ papers and analyze the weightage of current affairs and the trend of questions asked. Solving previous years’ questions will help to find the best study material. The analysis of previous years’ questions will help the candidate to understand the syllabus better and to identify the areas from which questions can be asked.
Practice mock tests:
Many institutes provide mock test series on current affairs. These tests help in preparation for both preliminary and main examinations of UPSC. They help to learn time management and revision. Mock tests are chargeable, but they are equally helpful for preparation.
The candidates have to be constantly updated with the latest current affairs related to the UPSC syllabus. Practicing MCQs on daily current affairs would help in revising the concepts. Candidates can follow the current affairs quiz to practice more MCQs on a daily basis. Also, it would be best to practice writing on current topics in a precise and concise way. This will increase your writing speed and help you put more information in your answers for the exam.