How to Prepare for IAS While Doing Engineering

Off late, a trend observed in the UPSC civil services exam results has been the increasing number of engineers clearing the exam. This also includes students from the top engineering colleges in the country like the IITs. While there is a vast difference between an engineering course and the General Studies subjects, one has to learn as part of the UPSC syllabus. One can no longer pinpoint the CSAT as the cause for this since this paper was made a qualifying one in 2015. Perhaps it has something to do with the call of an illustrious career in the civil services, or with better employment prospects in case the IAS dream comes to nought. Whatever be the reason, engineering students make a huge chunk of the aspirants’ crowd. This article will answer the question “How to prepare for IAS during B.tech?” or “How to prepare for IAS during engineering?”. You will also read about tips to juggle your engineering course and the IAS preparation successfully.

How to prepare for IAS while doing engineering?

FIRST THINGS FIRST

If you have decided that your career is in the civil services even as you pursue your engineering, start now! Collect all the data you can grab your hands on about the UPSC exam. Go through the UPSC syllabus thoroughly and ask yourself if you are up to it. If the answer is ‘Yes’, download the UPSC syllabus and internalise it. After this, you should familiarise yourself with the UPSC IAS exam pattern and format. Then, you should start reading the daily newspaper judiciously and make it a habit.

UPSC STUDY MATERIAL

Even as you pursue your engineering, you should start your IAS preparation. It is going to be hectic and exhausting at time, but the struggle will be worthwhile in the end when your IAS dream materialises. Start with basic books like the NCERTs. Then, as you progress, you should upgrade to higher textbooks. Also, you must decide on your optional subject and start its preparation too. It would be a good idea to take up engineering itself since you are already studying it for your graduation. However, this is an entirely personal decision. You could also take up other subjects that have a strong GS overlap.

Point to note: The UPSC offers three engineering subjects as optional: Electrical, Civil and Mechanical

Check the optional syllabi before fixing on an optional subject.

MAKE A SCHEDULE

Since you would be juggling your engineering course as well with your IAS preparation, it should be well-understood that time would be a scarce commodity here. You have to make a time table for your daily routine and stick with it. Chart out specific times for both studies keeping in mind your semester exams and projects. Also, remember to read the newspaper daily. You should even start reading a good magazine (Yojana, Kurukshetra) to aid your current affairs segment.

You can always rely on BYJU’S Free IAS Prep to help you with your current affairs section. We bring you the crux of the daily news regularly every day in our Comprehensive News Analysis section (CNA). You can also refer to our ‘Gist of Yojana’ and ‘Best of PIB’ for a ready-reckoner of the Yojana magazine and PIB sections.

GOOD HABITS FOR CLEARING THE IAS EXAM

#1: Read the daily newspaper
#2: Timely revision
#3: Practice answer writing
#4: Take mock tests

If you are starting your IAS preparation while you are pursuing your engineering, you could not be in a better position, notwithstanding the hard work! If you clear the UPSC exam after your engineering course itself, you can be one of the youngest to clear this challenging exam and also get a head start in your career. There have been toppers in the past who cleared the IAS exam by preparing for it while they were engaged in their engineering courses. Last year’s rank 2 holder Anmol Sher Singh Bedi and rank 4 holder Saumya Pandey had all started their preparation while they were in engineering colleges. You can repeat their feat too with the right approach and focused determination.

Visit BYJU’S Website for strategy and articles on free IAS prep and all the latest on UPSC IAS exam.

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