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UPSC Prelims General Studies
Strategic roadmap to clear UPSC CSE Prelims
Conducted By
UPSC
Papers
GS Paper 1 (200 marks) + CSAT (Qualifying)
Questions
100 MCQs in 2 hours
Negative
1/3rd per wrong answer
Preparation Roadmap
Follow these steps to prepare systematically
1
Month 1-3
NCERT Foundation (Class 6-12)
Read NCERTs for History, Geography, Polity, Economics, Science. This is non-negotiable and takes 2-3 months.
2
Month 3-6
Standard Reference Books
Laxmikanth (Polity), Spectrum (Modern History), Shankar IAS (Environment), Ramesh Singh (Economy).
3
Ongoing
Current Affairs (1 Year)
Read The Hindu daily. Follow monthly magazines — Yojana, Kurukshetra, Vision IAS monthly. Make notes.
4
Month 6-9
Previous Year Analysis
Solve 15 years of UPSC Prelims PYQs. Understand UPSC's style — elimination-based, conceptual, and tricky.
5
Month 9-12
Test Series & Revision
Join Vision IAS / Forum IAS test series. Take 30+ mocks. Revise current affairs notes and static portions cyclically.
Recommended Resources
- NCERT Class 6-12 (History, Geography, Polity, Science)
- Laxmikanth — Indian Polity
- Spectrum — Modern India
- Shankar IAS — Environment
- Vision IAS / Forum IAS Test Series
- The Hindu + PIB
Pro Tips
- UPSC asks conceptual questions — rote learning won't work
- Elimination technique is crucial for Prelims
- Environment + Current Affairs = 30-40 questions
- Don't attempt questions you're unsure about — negative marking is harsh
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