The important factor of succeeding on an exam is the knowledge of the content, structure of the exam and the process. This is one of the exams that are carried by the Union Public Service commission. There have been a few changes made in the initial screening exam.

Structure of the IAS entrance exam

Three steps of process are followed in this exam. The first will be the screening exam also called the CSAT. This test is a screening test as to reach the subsequent phase of the Mains. Nearly 200,000 candidates appear for the preliminary exam and only fewer than 20,000 succeed for the Main Exam. Only those students who pass the mains will be asked to attend the interview. The preliminary exam will encompass two tests. Each one paper will have time period of two hours. One of them is the General studies exam which contains 150 objective type questions. The other test is will test the aptitude level of the candidate. The Main exam will include nine tests. After clear this exam, they will be asked to be present at a personal interview.

Syllabus of the IAS entrance exam

The General studies cover six topics. They include:

• Constitution of India
• Current Affairs
• Economics
• Geography
• History
• Science

Students should know about the basic concepts of algebra, Data analysis and Geometry. Reading comprehension is also another important topic. Another imperative factor is that the candidate should improve their analytical skills and English vocabulary. For the Mains they need to choose from 23 subjects. It should be from the area they studied during Graduation. Interview test will have both the technical as well as non technical questions.

Reference Books for IAS entrance exam

• Central administration in India by A. Avasthi
• Civil Services in India: Indian administration - S.R. Maheswari, State
• General Science NCERT text books Class VIII to X
• General Studies Manual by Tata McGraw Hill
• Geography NCERT text books Class XI and XII
• India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra
• Local Government in India - S.R. Maheshwari
• Manorama Year Book
• Our Constitution by Subhash Kashyap
• Oxford Student Atlas
• Personal Administration  by O. Glennstal
• Principles of management - Terry and Franklin
• Public administration in theory and practice by M.P. Sharma &  B.L Sadan
• RS Agarwal Quantitative Aptitude and MBA
• Spectrum’s Indian Economy

Study Plan for the IAS entrance exam

The candidates must keep in touch with magazines, newspapers, news journals and any other new source.  They should spend some hours on this to know about economic, political, international affairs and other current events. As a lot of study materials are available in the net, the candidates can study online or they can join in the private Institute if they desire.  The candidates need to prepare hard in order to get into next phase. For optional subjects, the candidate should select the subject in which he or she has more knowledge and greater interest.

Remembering the facts is most important. They should develop a good understanding of the facts and their implications in the context of India and the world. There are many guide books that are obtainable in the market. They can get those books and start preparing. The strategy for success includes early and continuous preparation.