A Step-by-Step Guide to Prepare GK and Current Affairs for UPSC Prelims and Mains Exams

General Knowledge and Current Affairs can be termed as the ‘heart of the UPSC or Civil Services Examination’. UPSC exams, GK, and Current Affair (or CA) go hand-in-hand. It is not possible to think of the UPSC paper without GK or CA, at the same time one cannot crack the CSE without acing the GK or CA sections.

The reason why the UPSC emphasizes so much on the GK or CA section is that it is of utmost significance for a civil servant to be aware of recent happenings in the domestic and international domains. A civil servant, who is often the district administrator or a high-level official of other government departments depending upon the cadre chosen, has to deal with the everyday life involving these events regularly. It, therefore, becomes a necessity to study GK and CA to be a good civil servant. 

GK and CA can be studied simultaneously for Prelims and Mains. However, the perspective it is studied from is different for both the exams. For instance, for Prelims, a candidate has to study facts and figures exactly and not concentrate on the descriptive aspects. On the other hand, descriptive knowledge is mandatory for the Mains exam. 

A vast amount of free as well as paid reference materials are available nowadays to study for the UPSC exams. But the main struggle for any aspirant is to develop one’s strategy depending upon one’s strengths and needs and prepare accordingly. 

Here are some tips to go ahead with the preparation for GK and CA – 

Identify the core areas to prepare including but not limited to polity, sports, science, and technology, etc.

Analyze the previous year question papers for both Prelims and Mains exams. Have an idea about the kind of questions asked which will also give you an idea of what kind of facts to study.

Once you’re done with the identification and analysis, the next step in the go is to shortlist the best reference material available. This will include research, peer discussions, etc. You can get the best reference material for preparation from our website too.

Classify the sources available in terms of different subjects to study. 

Fit them all into your timetable. For GK and CA, it is a good idea to study them regularly as this makes it easier to memorize facts including dates, places, names of people associated, etc.

Note-making is inevitable for GK and CA as a candidate studies them from many different sources. Compiling all the information related to a particular topic at one place and then developing interconnectivity between them for better comprehension is a must.

The Hindu, The Indian Express, Economic & Political Weekly, Outlook India, Pratiyogita Nirdeshika are a must-read for the aspirants. 

Take mock tests/online quizzes regularly.

 You can also watch online videos on news channels and digital media platforms for a better grasp of ongoing stories. 

Last but not least, participate in peer discussion to learn about various perspectives related to a particular topic.

We hope you’re good to go now. All the best for your preparation!!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel ‘CareerDisha’ for the latest updates. Don’t forget to like and share it.