Current affairs is an integral part of the UPSC civil services exam. Candidates often get disheartened by the sheer amount of material to be covered for the exam. Not only do they have to finish the huge UPSC syllabus, but they also have to deal with the current affairs material that keeps burgeoning every day. In order to fare well in the civil services exam, candidates do need to remember a lot of facts pertaining to current affairs. In this article, a few tips are presented to help candidates remember current affairs for UPSC exam.
How to learn Current Affairs?
The aspirants can follow the below-mentioned steps to read the current affairs and become confident in preparing for the current affairs section.Â
UPSC News Analysis
The newspaper is not only a great source of current affairs, it is also an important tool in helping candidates remember what they read. This is because in the newspaper, events are published in a series of articles over a period of time, say, weeks or at least days. When articles on the same topic are read many times over a period of time, the facts and static information pertaining to it (which will be repeated in the articles) will start sticking to the memory. This way, candidates can remember what they read without having to cram stuff.
The best method to keep track of current affairs material in the newspapers is to follow BYJU’S Comprehensive News Analysis (CNA) and The Hindu Video News Analysis every day.
Current Affairs Quiz
Another interesting technique to remember current affairs is to take quizzes on it. Candidates can assess their learning by taking quizzes and also improve their retention of things read. By taking the same quiz multiple times, the information will definitely be stored in the memory for a longer time. Take BYJU’S weekly quizzes and gain confidence in the current affairs section.
Make Notes
Making notes will help candidates not only in revision but also in retaining facts for the IAS exam. As and when candidates read a topic, they should jot down the important points and facts on paper. This is subjective to the person, but some experts believe that handwritten notes are better for retention than electronic or printed material. This is because the learner has an emotional connection to the notes since he/she has invested time and effort in them. But for this to work, the notes must be made neatly and in a structured fashion. They should not look like half-hearted ramblings.
Note making of current affairs is an easy way to learn current affairs and also retain them. The aspirants can also read from various sources and make notes of them and keep revising from the notes.
Solve Questions
After reading a paragraph or a certain section from the book, candidates should write down questions from it on a piece of paper. The answers to those questions must be obtainable from the book itself. Candidates should answer the questions immediately after reading the topic. Ideally, they would be able to answer all the questions as the information would be fresh in their mind. When this exercise is repeated a day or two after the initial reading, candidates might not be able to answer all the questions. In this case, they should read the paragraph or section again and get the answers. During subsequent readings, candidates should try answering the questions. If they can answer, well and good, else, they should read the material again and top up their memory. This is a good technique of revision as well.
Current affairs for UPSC PDF: Download BYJU’S Monthly Magazine
Be positive and stay fit
Finally, the key to a good memory is having faith in one’s memory skills and being positive about it. For this, it is also necessary for candidates to take care of their health by eating right and exercising well. A healthy body is a prerequisite for a sharp mind.
Refer to the UPSC 2023 Calendar.
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