The preparation for Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) requires dedication, hard work and consistency. There is no shortcut to excel in UPSC IAS Examination. Every year, a large number of students appear in the Civil Services Exam (CSE) to join Indian bureaucracy as IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, etc. However, only a handful of candidates make it to the final list of qualified candidates.
Writing is one of the major aspects of any exam preparation in India. Candidates preparing for the UPSC Civil Services often misunderstand the importance of writing during the preparations for Prelims. Students feel that writing is an important part of Mains preparation, but instead who have been consistently practicing writing have a much higher success rate in UPSC CSE Prelims and Mains. One essential part of UPSC preparation is taking good notes. Here are some tips on how to make notes for UPSC exam preparations.
Important Topics
Do not write everything you read. Note-making should be focused on important parts. In this process, first, identify the important topics that are asked more often in the UPSC IAS exam. The syllabus and previous year’s question papers are good references for this exercise.
Keep it Short
Notes should be short, concise, and easy to understand. The objective of note-making is to highlight the main ideas and key points. This will help you to remember the information quickly and efficiently during the revision period.
Diagrams and Flowcharts
Try to break down complex information simply and concisely through flowcharts and diagrams. This exercise is effective to remember the names of kings, rulers, kingdoms, and more.
Organise
Note-making is a systematic process that includes headings, subheadings, and bullet points. This will help you remember the concept for a long time.
Use Highlighters
Everyone has their own way of note preparation. Using different colours and highlighters can make your notes visually more appealing. Also, you can use these colours to indicate different events.
Use of Technology
With the advancement of technology, candidates can utilise various applications and tools that can help them organise their notes. Using OneNote or Evernote, you can take note of anything and edit it later on with the help of different inbuilt features.
Revision
One of the most important aspects of note-making is revision. If you don’t revise your notes at regular intervals, there is no pointing making these notes. Always revise your notes and update them, if you find any new facts or figures related to them.
Remember, note-making is an art that will come naturally to you with practice. In the initial phase, you might find it unnecessary wastage of time but when preparing for UPSC CSE, which has a vast syllabus, these notes will help you save a great deal of time during the revision period.
Writing is one of the major aspects of any exam preparation in India. Candidates preparing for the UPSC Civil Services often misunderstand the importance of writing during the preparations for Prelims. Students feel that writing is an important part of Mains preparation, but instead who have been consistently practicing writing have a much higher success rate in UPSC CSE Prelims and Mains. One essential part of UPSC preparation is taking good notes. Here are some tips on how to make notes for UPSC exam preparations.
Important Topics
Do not write everything you read. Note-making should be focused on important parts. In this process, first, identify the important topics that are asked more often in the UPSC IAS exam. The syllabus and previous year’s question papers are good references for this exercise.
Keep it Short
Notes should be short, concise, and easy to understand. The objective of note-making is to highlight the main ideas and key points. This will help you to remember the information quickly and efficiently during the revision period.
Diagrams and Flowcharts
Try to break down complex information simply and concisely through flowcharts and diagrams. This exercise is effective to remember the names of kings, rulers, kingdoms, and more.
Organise
Note-making is a systematic process that includes headings, subheadings, and bullet points. This will help you remember the concept for a long time.
Use Highlighters
Everyone has their own way of note preparation. Using different colours and highlighters can make your notes visually more appealing. Also, you can use these colours to indicate different events.
Use of Technology
With the advancement of technology, candidates can utilise various applications and tools that can help them organise their notes. Using OneNote or Evernote, you can take note of anything and edit it later on with the help of different inbuilt features.
Revision
One of the most important aspects of note-making is revision. If you don’t revise your notes at regular intervals, there is no pointing making these notes. Always revise your notes and update them, if you find any new facts or figures related to them.
Remember, note-making is an art that will come naturally to you with practice. In the initial phase, you might find it unnecessary wastage of time but when preparing for UPSC CSE, which has a vast syllabus, these notes will help you save a great deal of time during the revision period.
