Current Affairs is crucial for cracking UPSC Civil Services Exam. Although it doesn’t appear directly in the syllabus, ‘Issues of National and International Importance’ is a vital part of Current Affairs.
When it comes to the main exam, you will also have descriptive-type questions on recent events. So, you must go through and improve your knowledge on current affairs to stand a chance to clear the UPSC CSC exam. Refer to the resources that you can find on websites like
Why are current affairs important for UPSC?
About 15 to 20 questions in the preliminary exam would be from current affairs. Such questions may appear from any topic or subject, including politics, science and technology, media and entertainment, etc.
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As per the analyses of various UPSC prelims and mains question papers of previous years, the current affairs questions spanned the last eight to nine years. From this, you can infer that it would help if you sifted through at least eight years of current affairs using different resources.
Some tips for preparation
To crack the Current Affairs section, you should refer not only to books and online resources but also newspapers and magazines that let you know about the latest happenings in the world. Likewise, here are a few other tips that can help you prepare for Current Affairs and allow you to crack the UPSC CSC exam.
Be thorough with the syllabus
The first thing you must do when preparing for Current Affairs is to know the syllabus in and out. Be sure to go through and become well-acquainted with the syllabus before you begin your preparation.
Know what resources to use
These days, you have multiple resources you can use to update your knowledge on current affairs. However, you should know which of them helps prepare for exams such as the UPSC. Most questions asked in the UPSC come from standard books and other such reference materials. However, you may also have questions about a topic discussed in different newspapers and magazines.
These questions may not be direct, meaning, those who prepare the question papers don’t pick up topics from newspapers or magazines as it is, and frame questions related to them.
Allocate sufficient time
UPSC is a highly competitive exam, and you will need to allocate enough time for each section. However, as a beginner, you may need to allow more time for Current Affairs. In addition to preparing for different topics, you will also need to go through various newspapers and magazines every day, for which you may need to spend enough time.
Make notes
You should note the information you think may be crucial for the exam. For this, you have several online tools that you can use, including Evernote, Google Docs, and more. So, don’t spend too much time making notes. Instead, copy and paste the information you find on the Internet into these applications, unless you refer to magazines, newspapers, or other such materials.
Revise
Once you make notes on the topics for the exam, you must revise. That is, you must regularly go through them, especially before the exams.
Solve question papers of previous years
In addition to making notes, you must also solve question papers of previous years. Doing so allows you to become acquainted with the kind of questions to expect. Moreover, solving such question papers will also help you get the required practice, which will ultimately go a long way in enabling you to crack the UPSC exam in no time.
Make sure you follow the points outlined here when preparing for important exams such as the UPSC. This way, you can ace not only the current affairs section but also the entire examination. You can also refer to websites like BYJU’S Exam Prep, where you get access to several study materials that should help you prepare for the UPSC exam.
