UPSC Exam Tips: How to Improve your IQ

A lot of people think that Intelligence Quotient or IQ is about abstract intelligence.  It is true that one does not need to have a superior IQ to clear the UPSC Civil Services Exam, yet when it comes to identifying how good a person’s analytical skills are, IQ is used to measure it. In addition, IQ is also a measure of a person’s ability to recognize patterns as it is an important aspect of analytical thinking. The UPSC expects candidates to have strong analytical skills and the questions asked are a mix of straight-forward ones from the static portions and indirect questions requiring an unconventional approach. So, improving your IQ can help you in the UPSC civil services exam by enhancing your analytical skills.

Methods to Improve IQ

There are many tried and tested methods to improve IQ, here are some of the most well-known ones.

Cultivate a reading habit

To improve your intelligence quotient, you must be a student in every possible way. Of course, preparing for the UPSC IAS exam requires you to study a lot of books and newspapers. Read a lot of opinions and editorials. It will help you in clearing the IAS exam not just by giving you material for the exam but also by expanding your horizons.

Solving puzzles

In your break time between your IAS preparation, indulge in brain games like puzzles, crosswords and Sudoku. You can even play some online games if you like. Contrary to opinion, they don’t dumb you out, in fact scientific studies prove that such games improve hand-eye-coordination. Just make sure to pick the right games. This way, you will have utilised your break time wisely.

Play outdoor games

Another sure-shot way to improve your IQ is by playing outdoor games. Go out and play some cricket or football or table tennis. Getting a good cardio workout is also important to keep your body and brains fit and accurate. But do now exert yourself too much as you may find yourself too tired to even study further.

Start meditating

Meditation has a number of benefits and improving your IQ is one of them. Scientific research has found that meditating for as little as 20 minutes a day not only boosts your mood and lowers your stress levels, but also improves efficiency when it comes to your analytical skills. 

Learn a new language

The one unique fact about us Indians, is that at least half the population will know more than one language. Thus it will be easier for us to learn. The additional benefit of this activity is that it will help improve our IQ as understanding a new set of complex rules (such as grammar different from your mother tongue) allows us to make full use of the language centers of our brains to expand which will also help in other tasks such as negotiation, reading, and problem-solving.

Eat properly and get enough sleep

You can improve your IQ by watching what you eat and when you sleep. These are basic things but they go a long way in helping you succeed in the IAS exam. Eat only natural and healthy food. Sleep a minimum of 7 hours a day no matter how much of the UPSC syllabus you have completed because if you don’t get adequate sleep, you tend to forget what you have learnt.

Play a musical instrument

Now, we are not telling you to be a professional musician and an IAS officer at the same time (although the combinations isn’t that bad), merely learning to play them can be beneficial. It can be anything from a guitar to a sitara. Studies have shown that those who can play an instrument have more working memory than the ones who dont.

Given the important role memory plays in intelligence, it may benefit your IQ to finally pick up that musical instrument you’ve always wanted to learn.

Practice your skills

Education has a bigger role than genetics in determining your IQ. And this IQ is not static. By practicing on your skills, you can improve IQ levels. Practice for the exam by attempting the UPSC Mock Test series.

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