1) They say IAS exam is the mother of all other examinations. Is it?
No. This is just another exam. The mother of all exams is Life. You can manage to fail in IAS entrance exam, but definitely not in Life. So, take IAS preparation as a stage in Life, not as your Life.
2) They say IAS mains exam is not for faint-hearted. Is it so?
If you feel you are faint-hearted, then you should begin preparing for IAS soon – it will make you stone-hearted.
3) One topper in an interview said that he studied 20 hours every day for one entire year. Is this possible?
May be she experienced insomnia. Even now she will be functioning 20 hours a day as an administrator. To get the fact straight, good sleep is very crucial to prepare well on the IAS syllabus. It keeps you in good health and mental peace. Don’t study beyond 14 hours except if you suffering from insomnia.
4) My English is very weak. They say I am out of their league for IAS training. Am I?
No. You are still very much in the race. Now that you have discovered the problem – your English being weak. Work on it. All you require to learn is right basic English. Besides, you can study for the IAS exam syllabus and give the interview in your mother-tongue. Buy a grammar book – understand it, pay attention to English news on TV as well as radio, try to write some content in English, infact every day. Need must push you to learn. Push yourself ahead and win the race.
5) Thousands of aspirants give UPSC IAS exam yet only few pass IAS. I am scared.
Although thousands of aspirants apply and fulfill IAS exam procedure, the real competition is only between only 1000-2000 staid aspirants. Those who take up IAS coaching, study systematically and constantly, get into civil service. If you work hard like them, you will be one in the midst of them. Don’t keep doubts prior to your beginning. You must step into the race and work hard to conquer it.
6) Some say there is corruption involved in recruiting IAS officers. Is this even true?
This accusation is completely false. The whole exam is non-transparent that you ought to trust it blindly. There might be a gap in the way examination is held, or there even may be downsides in how an officer is appointed, but there can never be corruption implicated in the employment of UPSC officers.
7) I am facing challenge while making IAS study material. There are so many IAS books to refer and I want my notes to be informative. What to do?
Note this. When you explore too many IAS preparation books to make that best notes, you end up both giving up your precious time and remain unhappy. Time management and attaining key details during the preparation is the most significant aspect of IAS exam. Read either one or two books for a subject. Re-read the same book even if some IAS coaching classes in Thane or a publication house makes public new notes.
8) Some say IAS exam is like a huge ocean and questions are asked from external sources, even from extra-territorial syllabus. Is it?
No. UPSC stringently adheres to the syllabus. Though from time to time it seems like questions are placed from outside the syllabus, they are in reality in some ways connected to it. For instance, if there is a difficulty like this, ‘Prospect on Mars’, one must not get confused why UPSC is asking questions from external source and begin answering like, ‘If nuclear war happens and the earth is ruined, the prospect on mars are vast for the humans……’ You can also take help of IAS Coaching Center to get idea on all types of questions that could be asked in general.