You will come across many people who aspire to become IAS officers but fail to get on the journey due to various reasons. One of the most dominant reasons people cannot start preparation for the UPSC is their job. Do you consider it possible for working professionals to be able to crack the UPSC? Why not! Of course, people working or who have a 9 to 5 job can certainly start studying for the UPSC online coaching.
Timetable for working professionals
As an IAS aspirant or working professional, you can find out the best coaching for UPSC. But in no institute will you get a study timetable. So, we have put up a general schedule for the working professionals.
Time |
Duration |
Before going to work |
Devote two hours for general studies paper |
While you are at work |
Read the newspaper, and go through the current affairs for at least 45 minutes during the break time. |
After work |
Fix two hours for the optional subject that you have chosen |
Revision |
Allot 20-30 minutes for going through the portions that you have studied throughout the day |
Besides the points and timetable mentioned above, working professionals need to keep some other points in mind. They are as follows:
- On the weekends, the routine should be completely different. You have to understand that since you do not get ample time to study on the weekdays, you have to utilize the weekends to the fullest. During the first half of the day, you need to revise whatever you have studied for the whole week. Then, in the afternoon, practice answer writing and sit for mock tests. The more you test your knowledge, the more you will understand how much more you will have to work hard.
- Two to three months before the Prelims exam, pay attention to the general studies paper. Since the CSAT paper consists of multiple-choice questions, you can expect the questions to change now and then. So, it is essential for all UPSC candidates to thoroughly practice the MCQs, whether they are working or not.
- After the Prelims are over, you can start studying for the UPSC Mains if you consider yourself confident enough of getting a high score. In the UPSC Mains, explanatory answers come. So, the way you studied for the UPSC Prelims will not work in the case of the Mains. An in-depth study is required for the UPSC Mains.
Then, you can sit for the IAS Mains Test series that various UPSC coaching centers conduct for adequate practice. I recommend to compulsorily join essay test series. It has been observed that most aspirants ignore it, but you should know that good practice of essay writing you can score more than sixty percent in this paper. This is nearly impossible in other mains papers except optional.
- After the Mains, you can resume your work schedule. But do not forget to keep up with the current affairs as it will help you prepare better for the interview.
- Before the Prelims, surely take a leave from your office. You will surely do well in the UPSC Prelims exam if you get two complete days to revise the portion. Use these two days entirely to concentrate well on the subjects. Do not miss out on anything. Since UPSC is an extensive examination, no selective study can help you here.
- Since you are a working professional, the weekends will be entirely yours. So, all you can do is divide the weekends into shifts. Each shift should have two hours. During these shifts, you can allot one section of the UPSC portion in each shift. So, for example, you can start with the NCERTs in one shift and then move on to the current affairs in another shift.
Conclusion
Therefore, your work schedule should not stop you from reliving your dream and prevent you from preparing for your dream job. On the contrary, if followed, the program provided above is sure to make you taste glory.