10 Popular Myths about UPSC Examinations

The Union Public Service Commission or simply the UPSC is a constitutional body which is envisaged by the duty of conducting examinations to officials towards the All India Services and other central services. The UPSC schedules and conducts different types of examinations every year and lakhs of applicants apply, prepare and appear for the above examinations. Since the applicants of the examinations are too high and the elimination rate of the examination will be too high. Only a fraction of percentage of the applicants often gets selected to the concerned posts and thus it makes the UPSC examination as one of the highly toughest examinations in India. As the rate of the applicants are also high the myths regarding the examination which they profess is also very high. Most of the myths are surrounded with UPSC civil service examinations. Now through this blog let us look into the 10 popular myths regarding the UPSC examinations.

1. UPSC Examinations are for Extraordinarily Brilliant Ones.

This is not only one of the popular myths but also one of the hardest beliefs of all aspirants.  Most of the aspirants who prepare for the UPSC examination often ask the toppers this question. Sir I am not the topper of school topper of my college nor I have outstanding marks in my academics will I be able to crack one of the highest examinations in India? The concern is genuine but they are strictly adhered to the belief that the UPSC examinations are said for the extraordinarily brilliant ones. There were extraordinarily brilliant people at the toppers list like Raju Narayana Swami who secured first rank for every examination that he had appeared in. At the same time there were candidates at the toppers list who had secured only pass marks in the SSLC examination. The previous IAS officer Alphonse Kannamthanam is an example. He has secured only pass marks in the SSLC examination but has secured 8th rank in the All India Civil Service examination. It is not about how brilliant you are, it is not about how extraordinarily you are, it’s all about how passionate you are and how hardworking you are.

2. Delhi is the Baptism Basket of UPSC

This is one of the highly popular myths about UPSC. Most of the aspirants believe that they need to go to Delhi for cracking UPSC examination. There are aspirants who opt to live in the same rooms which the previous toppers had lived in. I may say those candidates are not worth appearing for UPSC examination and also for holding a post under UPSC. In the present scenario, it is undoubtedly correct that Delhi has grown as a hub for civil service coaching and mentoring. But that doesn’t make it mandatory to go to Delhi for cracking the UPSC examination. There are many aspirants who fled away from Delhi due to the increased density of UPSC aspirants and the pressure they put on you. There are other aspirants who have fled away from Delhi to join some other institutes in other areas due to the increased pollution rate of Delhi.

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Delhi cannot be said as the baptism basket of UPSC examinations. Even though Delhi has grown as a hub for UPSC examinations there are other places which can offer quality coaching at cheaper rates than that of Delhi if you feel coaching is necessary. And that’s another myth around it.

3. In order to crack UPSC, coaching is mandatory

The applicants will go through a deep research regarding the faculty and success rate of the coaching institute before they make admission into it. Most of the applicants believe that coaching is mandatory for cracking examinations. It is undoubtedly clear that the coaching can give you a base information and idea of the examination. If you already have it there is no need to join further coaching. Because the spoon feeding doesn’t make you a good competitor. At the end what matters is the self-preparation of yours and the understanding of the subjects. There are many toppers who don’t even have the class room coaching experience and don’t even profess it. Artika Shukla IAS who has secured 4 the rank in the UPSC civil service examination hasn’t got a classroom coaching experience and she did it all alone studying for herself by herself. So, it’s very much possible and stands as just a myth.

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4. In order to get into UPSC examination you should have family lineage of UPSC toppers

This is one of those myths that has been crunched yearly but still believed by many of the students. The applicants who have got UPSC toppers as family members can have guidance from them in the home itself but that doesn’t even matter for their examination. Because they are competing with the lakhs of people in India and the only thing matters is your personal performance. There are many inspirational stories of UPSC toppers who are brought by uneducated family members and marginalised family members.

5. You have to know each and everything under the sky to crack UPSC examinations.

This is one of the predominantly popular myths regarding UPSC examination especially UPSC civil service examination. People normally believe a UPSC topper would know each and everything under the sky and demands each aspirant to know each and everything under the sky. There was such an incident that my friend who has been preparing for the UPSC examination was asked about a medical doubt regarding her relatives’ treatment. Who comes a UPSC aspirant to know as that of a doctor regarding health? If he knows so, he could have treated his illness by himself. This portrays the gravity of the myth in the mind of then people. Every UPSC exam will have a syllabus and questions will adhere only to these syllabi. But the preparators often describe UPSC as the unpredictable service commission since the questions and the pattern and emphasis on areas cannot be predicted. That’s true to an extent. But the questions will adhere only to the syllabus. By any chance if it doesn’t do so, the court will give the grievance. There are instances which happened so.

6. You have to read and byheart all the books and facts

This is another myth regarding the exam. One of the aspirants once told me, he had a collection of books which can possess an entire room, that too regarding the UPSC exams and to the sad point he hadn’t completed that. UPSC exam doesn’t want you to be a librarian for becoming an officer. Nobody can read all books nor remember all the books. It’s not about the books but about your understanding. Understand each and everything in detail that a layman could be able to understand it by hearing from you. Nobody can remember all the facts. UPSC doesn’t want you to remember all the facts and for that they have encyclopaedias and memory devices. Whether you will be able to analyse the events is important. In the 2014 batch the first rank holder of UPSC civil service examination was one called Mrs.Ira Singhal who has taken geography as optional. She had told me that she didn’t even know every place correctly in the geography exam. The facts don’t matter whether you are able to analyse matters.

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7. You have to prepare for a minimum 12+ hours a day.

This is another worst myth regarding the UPSC examination. Some toppers may say they had studied 15 hours some may say they had studied 10 hours and some may say they have studied 11 hours. This keeps on changing from toppers to toppers. On an average it is believed among the aspirants that for securing top ranks in UPSC you should study 12+ hours. This is completely foolish. The time you allot for your studies will depend upon your personal capacity, weak areas, the time you got for studies…etc. There is no particular time for studies. There is no particular required time for studies also. Study according to personal convenience and capabilities. At the end of the day how much time you study does not matter what all things you have studied matters. Always remember smart work will overrule the hard work.

8. For Scoring in UPSC Exam you should have taken Humanities subjects in degree level

This is another myth. Of course, UPSC will be asking about Indian democracy system of government Indian legal system schemes and governance. That doesn’t require you to study humanities subjects at the degree level. Any kind of UPSC examinations other than technical examination the minimum qualification is degree and that too any desired degree. Anybody who has an interest over these national subjects can go for UPSC examination. It doesn’t require you to study humanities as a degree subject. Statistically the greatest number of appearances for UPSC civil service examination are from IIT colleges and most number pass out are also from IITs. That doesn’t require you to have a degree from IIT. All matters are your interest and work for it.

9. CBSE School students have an edge over State Government School Students in UPSC exam

This is the other hippocratic myth regarding UPSC. People believe that CBSE school students have an edge over state government school students and they have got better training in English and they have followed NCERT textbooks from childhood and they only will be brilliant. Referring to NCERT is an important stage of preparation for UPSC but that doesn’t mean that they are the supreme. You have studied all the facts in your schools itself. If you remember it, it is more than enough. Most of the CBSE schools in the country are private whereas most of the state schools are government administered schools. In those schools we have better resources and qualified teachers. Where you are from does not matter where you are heading to will matter.

10. I’m an introvert and I can’t face interviews so that UPSC is not for me.

This is the most irritating ever myth in UPSC. If a person is introverted and fears of interviews people may say that he/she is not made for UPSC despite how talented he/she is. If a person is extrovert and smart to face people then people say he/she is made for UPSC despite how idiot he is. Interview is just a phase of UPSC examination. It is aimed at analysing your personality. Most of the examinations won’t give that much importance to the interview in determining whether you are in or out. The interview marks along with the written examination will determine the in or out factor of yours in the examination.so if you are feared of the interviews try to overcome it and give more weight to the written exam in order to balance the shortage.

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Conclusion

The name myth itself says that those beliefs no longer stay as truth since they have already been broken by someone else. Don’t go for any myths, believe in yourself, do your best and the success will follow you. Entri believes in you, believes the potential. Study with entri and gain impeccable success. Keep studying, keep winning.