Take a student named Ravi. He bought twelve books and read them for six months. Then he compared his notes with the official topic list and found that almost a third of his reading would never be asked. Many UPPSC aspirants make the same mistake. They start reading before they know what to read. A few hours spent on the topic list can save you months.

Start With The Official List

The syllabus is the list of topics from which questions might be asked. Download the UPPSC syllabus from the commission's website and print it out. Check the year of publication, as new subjects may be added and old ones deleted. Put the page on your table and read it before beginning any book. Place the page on your desk and read it before starting a book each morning.

Break It Into Small Parts

In case there are too many topics in the list, it will be intimidating; reduce them. Break down your papers into units and units into topics. 8 units x 5 topics/unit = 40 small goals. It is easier to cover one topic per day rather than one whole paper.

Then mark every topic with one label:

• Strong: you can explain it to a friend without notes.
• Average: you know the main points but forget details.
• Weak: you have not read it, or you cannot recall it.
• Skip What Is Not Needed

Books often cover far more than the UPPSC exam asks. A history book may take up 40 pages explaining the events of a specific time period. Follow a basic guideline: if it's not on the list, allow 5 minutes at most. Once you have mastered the fundamentals, you can spend time covering the other topics.

Match Past Papers With The List

Take the last five years of question papers. Write the topic of each question next to it. After an hour or two, you will realize that there are certain topics that come every year, while some rarely ever come. This small exercise will make your UPPSC exam preparation more effective because you will be spending time on those topics that fetch you marks.

Plan Your Time Backward

Let us assume that there are 8 months left till the exam date and that your list contains 120 topics. You will complete your first reading in 5 months, which means that you need to read 24 topics in one month, which is approximately equal to 6 per week. Leave 1 month as a buffer period for missed days and work only on revisions during 2 remaining months.

Check Your Progress Every Week

Every Sunday, count the subjects that you have already done for the week. In case you planned six but managed to complete four, add two more for the following week instead of being frustrated. Do this every month by reading through your entire list. You'll come across a subject that you did several weeks ago but now cannot remember anything about.

Conclusion

Having the list of topics helps with more organized study sessions. This way, you know what to study, what not to study, areas where you need improvement, and how much time should be spent on different sections. For the coming week, make a list, divide it into different small topics, and grade each topic accordingly. Plan backward from your exam date. Small, steady steps on the right topics add up.