How to Become an IAS Officer after 12th?

It is not necessary to complete graduation before beginning your preparation for the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) if you aspire to become an IAS officer right after completing 12th grade. The good news is that you can start your preparation for the exam soon after finishing 12th grade. This article will delve into the process of becoming an IAS officer after 12th and offer valuable tips on preparing for the UPSC exam after completing 12th grade. Whether you have recently finished 12th grade or have a keen interest in the UPSC examination, this article will provide you with invaluable insights.

How To Become an IAS Officer After 12th?

Every year, to select and recruit qualified candidates for the role of an IAS Officer, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the civil services examination. There are two most important criteria for applying for the IAS Exam – 

1. You need to have a Degree from a recognized college/university, and,
2. The minimum age should be 21 years.

So, if you aspire to become an IAS officer after completing 12th grade, here are the quick steps you can follow:

Step 1: Choose The Right Undergraduate Course

After completing 12th grade, you can choose any undergraduate course of your choice, but it is recommended to choose a course that aligns with the UPSC syllabus. Subjects such as history, public administration, economics, political science and sociology can be helpful in preparing for the exam.

Step 2: Complete Your Undergraduate Degree

You must complete your undergraduate degree from a recognized university. You can also pursue a postgraduate degree if you wish, but it is not mandatory.

Step 3: Start Preparing For The UPSC Exam

The next step is to start preparing for the UPSC exam. The UPSC exam is a three-stage process including the preliminary, mains, and interview. The exam tests candidates’ knowledge of current affairs, history, geography, politics, and aptitude. You can prepare for the exam by reading newspapers, and books, and joining coaching classes.

Step 4: Choose Optional Subject Wisely

 In the UPSC Mains exam, there are a total of 9 papers, and out of these, papers VI & VII are optional papers. To appear for these two optional papers, candidates can choose any one optional subject from a list of 48 optional subjects provided by UPSC. As the marks obtained in the mains exam are counted in the final merit, candidates need to choose their optional subject wisely.

Step 5: Apply For The UPSC Exam 

Once you feel confident about your preparation, you can apply for the UPSC exam. The application forms are available online on the UPSC website.

Step 6: Clear The UPSC Exam

The final step is to clear the UPSC exam. The exam is tough and requires a lot of hard work and dedication. But if you are determined and committed, you can clear the exam and become an IAS officer.

How To Start UPSC Preparation After 12th? – Important Steps

If you have set your eyes on the goal of becoming an IAS Officer after 12th, you will have more time to prepare for the civil services exam as your age would be anywhere between 18-20 years as compared with other candidates. The UPSC exam preparation requires proper direction and guidance in addition to hard work. Here are some tips to assist you to start preparation for UPSC after 12th.

Step 1: Prepare Your Mindset

• Before understanding how to prepare for UPSC after 12th, you should first prepare your mind-set for the UPSC preparation Journey.
• To succeed in the UPSC exam, you must be mentally strong and fit. You must set your goals high and manage your time accordingly.

Step 2: Understand the UPSC Eligibility & Exam Pattern

Candidates thinking to start their preparation for UPSC after 12th must clearly understand the eligibility and syllabus as declared by the UPSC.

UPSC Eligibility Criteria

• Candidate must be a citizen of India and must be a graduate of a government-recognized university or in the final year of graduation.
• The minimum age of a candidate should be 21 years, and the maximum of 32 years (Gen/EWS), 35 years (OBC), 37 years (SC/ST), and 42 years (PWD).

UPSC Exam Pattern

The UPSC exam is conducted in three stages – Prelims, Mains, and Interview stage. Let’s take an overview of these 3 stages below.

1. Prelims Exam Stage – The preliminary exam is an objective type of exam and consists of two papers known as GS Paper 1 & GS Paper 2 (CSAT).
2. Mains Exam Stage – Candidates who clear the prelims exam are eligible for the mains stage. The main exam is descriptive type and consists of a total of 9 papers, out of which 1 is a Compulsory Indian language paper, 1 English paper, 1 Essay paper, 4 GS Papers, and 2 optional papers. Candidates have the option to choose one optional subject from the list of 48 optional subjects.
3. Interview Stage – Candidates who clear the main exam are eligible for the final interview round.

Step 3: Get A Bachelor’s Degree

• The primary and foremost important requirement to be eligible for the UPSC exam is to have a bachelor’s degree from a govt recognized university.
• If you are aware of your IAS ambition, you must choose your field of expertise (degree) accordingly.
• UPSC Exam Syllabus comprise of subjects such as Economics, History, Geography, Polity and more. So, the candidate must make sure to choose a degree that overlaps these subjects.

Step 4: Develop A Habit of Reading Newspapers

• Along with the NCERT Books & NCERT course of Launchpad IAS, the newspapers also serve as important study material for UPSC current affairs. You can also join our YouTube channel for daily newspaper classes.
• As Current Affairs are important in UPSC IAS Exams, aspirants need to start reading the newspapers for UPSC on a daily basis and develop reading habits on a wide variety of general awareness topics, important national & international events, and more.

Step 5: Choose An Optional Subject For UPSC Mains

• You have the liberty to choose any one optional subject from the list of 48 optional subjects declared by the UPSC.
• Optional subjects could either hike up the results or could deteriorate them. So, the optional subject must be chosen wisely and the subjects chosen should be of one’s niche based on their interest.
• If you have a good command over the optional subject then it is comparatively easier to score well in these subjects which would ultimately elevate the entire UPSC score.

Step 6: Start Working on Improving Your Writing Skill

• Unlike selecting the answers in the prelims exam, you have to write descriptive answers in the mains exam.
• You need to practice answer structure and express your thoughts within a specific word limit in a given time of around 8 minutes for each question.
• This needs a lot of practice, so it is important to develop writing skills on a wide variety of topics.

Step 7: Prepare a strategy

• After the 12th, the candidates would have 3-4 years of time in hand. So, it’s mandatory to call for the best preparation strategy.
• Preparing a strategy and managing time is completely subjective and one should initially analyse the entire pace and nature of the examination and then start preparing accordingly.

Step 8: Choose A Guidance Platform

• UPSC IAS is quite grueling, and one needs guidance in order to target the arrow at the bull’s eye.
• To invest your time and efforts in the right direction, it’s of the essence to go for an advanced Guidance Platform such as Launchpad a leading IAS coaching platform.

Step 9: Stay Up To Date With UPSC notification

• Stay updated with all the UPSC official updates and be aware of the syllabus as well as the paper pattern.
• Begin your preparation for UPSC after 12th by initiating with the subjects that you find manageable.
• Learn everything about UPSC including physical requirements, medical eligibility, training, cadre allocations and more. 

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