It’s an examination in which an average graduate student can emerge a topper while a medical student may find the going tough. It’s a test not so much of your intelligence as about perseverance and managerial skills. Though hundreds of thousands of students appear for the civil service examination (CSE) every year, only a handful clear it in the first attempt. But it is a doorway to the most coveted of careers.

CSE is a prestigious examination that is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for various services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Services (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Revenue Service (IRS) and a host of other allied services. The services are allotted to successful candidates according to their ranking in the exam, followed by their preference.

“You can’t afford to do anything else while preparing for the civil services,” says Srirangam Sriram of Sriram’s IAS coaching centre, New Delhi. The exam has a three-stage recruiting process that includes the preliminary examination — popularly known as the prelims — main examination and an interview. Around 3.5 lakh to 6 lakh candidates take the prelims of which only 4,000 to 5,000 make it to the next round —the mains. About 1,000 to 1,200 are selected for the next stage, the interview. Only 500-600 candidates are finally selected.

Once you have made up your mind to appear for CSE, the first and foremost step is to develop a strategy. Decide whether you want to join a coaching centre or study on your own. Log on to the official website of UPSC (www.upsc.gov.in) to check the notification, syllabus and important dates. “Give yourselves at least 18 months’ head start, which should be spent in preparing for both the prelims and mains,” says Sriram.

The minimum qualification to appear for the CSE is a graduate degree and the examinations are conducted in both Hindi and English. A candidate has to be at least 21 and not more than 30 years of age on August 1 of the year of examination.

The preliminary examination, to be held on May 17 this year, consists of one general studies (GS) paper and one optional subject chosen by the examinee. The multiple choice question paper allots 150 marks for GS and 300 marks for the optional subject.

The first major decision you have to make is selecting the optional subject. “Choose a subject which you are comfortable in and confident about cracking,” says P.S. Ravindran of the Vajiram and Ravi coaching institute in Delhi. Though it would seem wise to select a subject that you studied in college, it doesn’t always work in your favour. “A science student should avoid subjects such as chemistry as they are too technical and difficult to cover under the stipulated time period. They should instead opt for humanities subjects,” advises Sriram.

Parveen Thind, assistant commissioner of Bhatinda, Punjab, did exactly that. “I chose public administration despite being an engineer because I knew my engineering subjects would be difficult to tackle. The UPSC is not looking for a technocrat but someone with administrative skills,” says the Punjab cadre candidate from the 2007 batch. Some of the sought-after optional subjects include geography, history, international relations, political science and psychology.

Zero in on your subject after reading the syllabus, previous years’ question papers, recent trends related to the subject, availability of guidance and your own confidence level.

Once you have decided on your optional subject from the prescribed set provided by the UPSC, start talking to seniors and professors to gather all information on it. Spend a week on each topic, read the prescribed textbooks (NCERT textbooks, guides and reference books) and make comprehensive notes. Your basics should be strong and there should be clarity in your understanding of the subject.

Since the subject for optional is clearly earmarked, a candidate should aim to score at least 85 per cent marks in it. “Form a core group of three to four candidates with the same optional. This way everyone in the group can divide tasks and share notes,” says Thind. Since the examination carries negative marking, leave no scope for guesswork. “Do not waste time memorising lengthy answers as it’s a multiple choice paper,” says Sriram.

For GS, a candidate should focus on core areas such as current affairs, Indian history, geography, polity, economy and general sciences. Needless to say, it requires memorising dates and important events. “Information about awards, people and places in news, books and authors, news related to science, and speed arithmetic questions are of significance in the prelims,” says V.P. Gupta, faculty, Rao’s Study Circle, Delhi. Read political magazines and newspapers, watch debates on news channels and read up various general knowledge books. “Read the India Year Book, the Economic Survey and keep a tab on the official websites of important ministries such as home, defence and finance,” says Thind. Optional subjects have a greater certainty as the questions are syllabus-bound.

Once your prelims are over, start preparing for the mains, whether you clear the qualifying examination or not. “Even if you do not clear the prelims in the first attempt, your preparation for the mains would always help you in the second attempt, as long as you are serious about your goals,” says Sriram.

The marks scored in the prelims do not count in the final selection, but you still have to clear it and the mains in the same academic year. The final selection of the candidate is based on the marks scored in the mains and interview. So while preparing for the prelims, the focus should be on just about passing the examination, whereas in the mains it should be about securing a good score.

The mains, to be held on October 23 this year, will have two optional subjects (1,200 marks), GS (600 marks), and an essay (200 marks). There would also be two qualifying examinations of 300 marks each on the English language and an Indian language of your choice. Divide your time for each paper and start with the subject that seems the most difficult. Take coaching or guidance for subjects which you are not well versed in and make copious notes from different sources.

You should prepare for GS and the two optional subjects in the way you did for the prelims but in a more detailed and focused manner. Remember this is not a multiple-choice paper, so your understanding of the subject is crucial. Current affairs and India’s foreign policy should be at your fingertips. “Be clear about acts, rules and regulations, Supreme Court judgments, major political upheavals and international affairs,” says Thind.

The essay paper does not have any syllabus and the topic can be anything under the sun. This section gauges a candidate’s personality, views, thoughts, grasp of language, analysis and assessment of the subject.

Sriram advises would-be bureaucrats to regularly read newspapers and magazines such as Frontline for the mains. “The Manorama Year Book too is useful,” he adds. A functional knowledge of English and one Indian language along with grammar, usage and comprehension is important to clear the qualifying papers. “In the last one month before the mains, 60 per cent focus should be on GS and rest on the optional,” says Manish Kumar, sub divisional magistrate, Sasaram, Bihar. Kumar cleared the exam in his third attempt, securing fifth position.

While writing answers focus on a good introduction and conclusion. Do not make sweeping generalisations. Also, highlight important points. Your handwriting should be legible and answers brief. “Don’t be opinionated in your answers and make sure to tow the government’s line in matters of foreign policy and internal affairs,” says Thind. Present your answers with flowcharts, diagrams and pie charts to impress the examiner.

Ravindran suggests that the last two months of the preparation period should be devoted to revision. “Practise as many mock papers as possible and avoid touching upon new topics,” he says. Don’t try to expand your knowledge base in the run-up to the mains, for you may end up losing focus.

A candidate is allowed to appear for CSE only four times. Very few are able to clear it in the first attempt, so expect to clear it in the second or third attempt. However, don’t take the first prelims as a mock exercise because the entire approach to CSE demands seriousness and smart, hard work. Do not waste the attempts, learn from your mistakes. As Thind puts it, “A civil service aspirant should know what not to read rather than what to read.”