UPSC Civil Services

Rahul's cousin Deepak dedicates years to preparing for the UPSC civil services exam, hoping to become an IAS officer.

Meanings in Deepak, Mentor, Study group

Key words and phrases

UPSCthe Union Public Service Commission, which conducts India's top civil services examHe is preparing for the UPSC exam.

prelimsthe first, preliminary stage of the UPSC examHe cleared his prelims on the first attempt.

mainsthe second, written stage of the UPSC examThe mains exam consists of several papers.

interview stagethe final personal interview round of the examHe is preparing for the interview stage now.

IAS officeran officer of the Indian Administrative ServiceHis dream is to become an IAS officer.

current affairsrecent events happening in the worldHe reads the newspaper daily for current affairs.

optional subjecta subject chosen by the candidate for the mains examHe chose Geography as his optional subject.

attemptone try at taking the examThis was his third attempt at the exam.

perseverancecontinued effort despite difficultyCracking UPSC requires great perseverance.

administrative servicea branch of government focused on managing public administrationHe wants to join the administrative service.

syllabusthe topics and subjects prescribed for the examHe downloaded the UPSC syllabus from the official website.

answer writingthe skill of structuring written responses for the mains examHe practices answer writing every evening.

essay papera mains exam paper requiring long-form written essaysThe essay paper carries 250 marks.

cut-off marksthe minimum marks required to qualify for the next stageThe cut-off marks vary every year.

merit listthe final ranked list of selected candidatesHis name appeared in the merit list.

civil servanta person employed in public administration by the governmentHe aspires to be an honest civil servant.

bureaucracythe system of government administered by officialsHe wants to bring reform to the bureaucracy.

postingthe location or role assigned to an officer after selectionHe received his first posting in a rural district.

probationary periodthe initial training period before a full appointmentNew officers undergo a two-year probationary period.

mock testa practice exam that simulates the real test conditionsHe takes a mock test every weekend.

Useful sentences

Ask How many attempts have you given for UPSC?
Answer This is my second attempt.
Ask Have you cleared your prelims this year?
Answer Yes, and now I'm preparing for the mains.
Ask What optional subject have you chosen?
Answer I chose Public Administration.
Ask How do you stay updated on current affairs?
Answer I read the newspaper and watch the news daily.
Ask What made you want to become an IAS officer?
Answer I want to bring real change to people's lives.
Ask Have you finished the entire syllabus?
Answer Almost, I'm now focusing on answer writing practice.
Ask How much weightage does the essay paper carry?
Answer It carries 250 marks out of the total.
Ask Do you take mock tests regularly?
Answer Yes, every weekend to track my progress.
Ask What kind of posting do you hope to get?
Answer I'd like to serve in a rural district first.
Ask How competitive is the merit list this year?
Answer Very competitive, the cut-off marks have gone up.

Dialogue

MentorDeepak, how is your preparation for the mains going?

DeepakIt's intense, but I'm covering my optional subject thoroughly.

MentorGood. Don't forget to revise current affairs daily too.

DeepakI won't. This is my second attempt, so I want to give it my all.

MentorThat's the right approach. Perseverance is key in this journey.

DeepakThank you for your guidance. I really appreciate it.

MentorHave you completed the syllabus for your optional subject?

DeepakAlmost. I'm also practicing answer writing daily now.

MentorExcellent. Try taking a mock test every weekend as well.

DeepakI will. I really hope my name appears in the merit list this time.

Common mistakes

Saying "I am giving UPSC" instead of "I am preparing for UPSC" or "I am attempting the UPSC exam."
Saying "I passed prelims exam" instead of "I cleared the prelims" (use "clear," the standard term for competitive exams).
Saying "He is IAS" instead of "He is an IAS officer" (don't drop the article "an" and the word "officer").
Saying "I am doing syllabus" instead of "I am covering the syllabus" or "I am going through the syllabus."
Saying "He got posting in Delhi" instead of "He got a posting in Delhi" (don't drop the article "a" before "posting").
Saying "My cut-off marks are 90" instead of "The cut-off marks are 90" (the cut-off is a fixed threshold, not personal to the candidate).

Quick quiz

1. What is the first, preliminary stage of the UPSC exam called?

2. Complete: "Cracking UPSC requires great ___."

3. What do you call recent events happening in the world?

4. What do you call the topics and subjects prescribed for an exam?

5. What is the minimum marks required to qualify for the next stage called?

6. What is the training period before a full appointment called?

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