Pub Ad sources

paper 1-

Mohit Bhattacharya- new horizons
Sharma Sadana
Prasad and Prasad- adm thinkers
IGNOU notes

paper 2-

Arora Goyal
S R Maheshwari
IIPA journals
D D basu (Indian Polity)
Internet

Supplementary books- Avasthi and Avasthi
Fadia & Fadia

GS Resources

History- NCERTs, Bipin Chandra and Spectrum Modern India

Polity- D D basu- constitution, bare act- p m bakshi, our parliament- subhash kashyap

Geog- Physical and Human geog- NCERTs and Goh Cheng leong- Physical Geography, one Atlas

Economics- Dutt Sundaram, PD-economics, Penguin dictionary, newspaper, NCERT macroeconomics

GMA- last ten years questions
Stats- NCERT
Current affairs- Hindu, TOI, yojana, frontline, kurukshetra, any current affairs magazine.
S&T- Spectrum and M&M

If you have time, you can supplement this with any good notes.

Thanks.
Shubhra.

Psychology Tips

For Psychology, Mr. Mukul Pathak is the only one. I believe almost every student of Psychology in CS preparation avails of his guidance in one form or another. I have immensely benefited from being his student and he is more than just a teacher. He has been a mentor and friend too. I am not suggesting that every student should join his classes. But this is one of the ways I can thank him for his invaluable support and guidance.

Sources:

NCERT 11th & 12th

Baron

Ciccarelli

Mr. Mukul Pathak's class notes.

1.Focus on conceptual understanding.

2.All chapters of paper 1 are extremely important and interlinked. So do not leave any unit.

3.Practice answer writing in the prescribed time limit and try to get them evaluated by someone competent.

4.Make synoptical notes for every topic for easy reference. That helps in the final revision.

5.For paper 2, you need to use some daily life examples and put them in your answer.

Also try to add some theoretical aspects of paper 1.

Thanks.

Some tips for preparation

1) First choose your 1st optional

2) Now buy syllabus of GS and your optional. Go through it comprehensively.

3) Buy previous 10 years question papers of prelims and mains for your optional and GS.

Make sure that these question papers are divided question wise.

4) Now go through the questions to understand the pattern of the paper. After you have seen what the exam expects out of you,  start studying the basic books.

5) When you are studying basic books for GS and optional, do not go about making notes and cramming stuff. This first reading is meant to acquaint you with concepts. So  focus on conceptual understanding no matter  how factual the subject is.

6) Always try to understand the central aspect of any topic and not the peripheral aspects. Peripheral aspects will naturally follow.

7) Do not just start preparing for prelims exclusively. The idea is that you should first prepare holistically for prelims and mains together and towards the last 3 4 months you can focus exclusively on prelims. 

8) Always keep sight of the question paper pattern. Do some problem solving for both prelims and mains.

9)Take regular breaks. Noone can keep working non stop.  :-)

10) Keep a chart to track your progress. I did that and that helps.

hope this helps.

Shubhra

My Marksheet

CIVIL SERVICES (MAIN) EXAMINATION : 2008
Marks Query:-

QUALIFIED IN WRITTENRoll No. : 159306 
Name : SHUBHRA SAXENA 

Civil Services(Main) Examination 2008
Subject		Maximum Marks	Marks Obtained
Essay(Paper III)		200	140
General Studies (Paper-IV)		300	174
General Studies(Paper-V)		300	154
Optional I,Psychology	Paper-VI	300	194
	Paper-VII	300	156
Optional II, Public Administration	Paper-VIII	300	154
	Paper-IX	300	189
Penalty Marks			0
Written Total		2000	1161
Interview Marks		300	210
Final Total		2300	1371

Remarks : Recommended.

CANDIDATURE PROVISIONAL. 

If you desire an authenticated copy of your Marks Sheet, please write to : 'The Secretary, Union Public Service Commission, Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi - 110069.' enclosing a self addressed sufficiently stamped envelope at the earliest. 

Query Completed. 
Disclaimer : The contents of this site is informatory in nature.

Pub Ad coaching institutes

In Pub Ad coaching institutes, I had a very bad experience. So even though I went to a couple of them, I didn't derive any value from them and eventually left them for self study.

Please do not be misled by the newspaper and magazine advertisements that are publishing my photograph and make and evaluation of the classes yourself before joining them. Personally, I don't think that there is good guidance available for Pub Ad in Delhi.

Choosing coaching institute

Again a very difficult process.

In fact, I have been a victim of this process.

These days, you all must be looking at Hindu page for ads. You must be finding my name and many other selected candidates' names and photographs being published. My sincere advice to you all is: Please do not go by these ads and select a certain coaching institute. I am sure you must be aware that in the course of studies, many students enrol in diff classes but often do not attend any classes there. But when the results come out, these coaching institutes look up their databases to find any selected candidates and try to claim credit for their success.

Now what's the purpose of this? To befool students coming from all over the country. Please don't go by these ads.  In the next post I will talk about how to select a coaching institute and which ones are good and which ones are farce. Just hold on.

Best,

Shubhra

Choosing optionals

This is perhaps the most important step in your preparation. How do you go about selecting the right optional? I have heard many aspirants say that they have selected a certain optional because it is scoring. This is perhaps the biggest myth surrounding this exam.

When you think that an optional is scoring you are probably you are looking at the high scores some of the aspirants have got in that optional. You must ask yourself if the optional would be scoring for YOU. 

For this you need to see the syllabus, your interest in the subject, your aptitude, available  guidance, availability of course material and then decide if this optional will work for you. 

Often a wrong choice can waste 4 or 5 years of your life without any outcome.

Rest Later.

Shubhra

Introduction

Hello Everyone,

My name is Shubhra Saxena ( UPSC AIR-1).
This blog has been created to help my fellow Civil Service aspirants..
I welcome queries and doubts from you. Please feel free to make maximum use of this forum.

Thanks.
Shubhra