Art and Culture Preparation Strategy for UPSC Prelims

As everyone is aware UPSC Syllabus is vast and a year would not be sufficient to cover the entire syllabus and moreover with current affairs being the part of the syllabus which can be classified as dynamic because the syllabus of current affairs is not defined and aspirants have to create their own syllabus and notes for this section which makes candidates think the syllabus is difficult more than vast.

As per the UPSC 2023 calendar, the IAS Prelims and main exams are scheduled to take place on May 28, 2023 and September 15, 2023 respectively.

Hence, here we bring some easy tips and effective strategies to cover the art and culture section of the UPSC Prelims Exam.

Essential requirements for UPSC Preparation

1. Newspapers for current affairs
2. NCERT old textbook of Ancient History
   Spectrum book for Indian culture
   Nitin Singhania notes
3. UPSC Previous Year Questions Paper (prelims and mains)
4. Mock tests 

Before starting with the strategy tips, candidates should know that they have to answer 97% questions on Art and Culture and leave the rest 3% questions if you have no clue but if you are 100% sure about the answers for the remaining 3% questions then go for it. If you answer that 97% Questions then chances are there you would qualify the prelims.

UPSC Art and Culture Preparation Strategy

Strategy 1

Analyse UPSC previous years civil services prelims exam questions papers (at least refer 10 years back question papers) and make a note of the topics on which questions have been asked in the prelims exam.

Strategy  2

Once you are done with the analysis of UPSC Previous years question papers, then jump to the NCERT Books, make a timetable like how many chapters you want to finish in a day or week, as time management plays a crucial role in your preparation.

While reading the NCERT books highlight the topics on which questions were asked in the previous years, here it is advised to cover the syllabus in both prelims and mains perspective and try to write short notes on the topic which would be helpful for you as answering writing practice for mains and also develop tactics to make probable questions for prelims and mains both. 

Likewise, also refer spectrum and Nitin Singhania notes and do the same. One can see that UPSC focusses on mostly a handful of topics such as architecture, temple styles, Jainism and Buddhism etc in which aspirants should be thorough.

If one sees the UPSC previous years question papers one can observe mostly questions are repeated but in a twisted form.

Strategy 3

Use techniques while making short notes, like include figures, maps for cities and states famous for their dance forms and cultures as it will be easy to revise as well. 

Strategy 4

Lastly, don’t forget the ultimate mantra i.e. to revise, revise and recall.

Now revise and revise and revise these marked sources or the notes that you have made and UPSC previous papers as they are most repeated in a twisted for

The 97% per cent questions on art and culture would be certainly asked from the above-mentioned sources only, and always remember that you need to clear the prelims and need not top it as the prelims marks will not be counted for the final result, hence save your stamina for the UPSC Civil Services Exam.

You can find more articles through the links given in the table below. For more topics of similar nature, visit the UPSC Syllabus page:

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