Hello dear friends,

I know that many of you are dreaming of becoming an IAS officer after completing your 12th. And you should definitely dream about it, because you are capable of achieving it. These days, almost every student who has just passed 12th or is in the first year of college wonders how to start preparing for the IAS exam. What should be the right strategy? When and how to begin?

To be honest, your college life will play an important role in your preparation. If you have just passed 12th, you cannot directly apply for the UPSC IAS exam because it requires a graduation degree. This often creates confusion in students' minds about whether they should focus on graduation first or start preparing for IAS along with it.

If you have already taken admission in the first year of college and seriously want to become an IAS officer, then this is the best time to begin your journey. A 3-year graduation course gives you three full years to build a strong foundation. If your course is of four years, then even better — you have an extra year to prepare more deeply.

Even if your first-year exams are due in 2026, you still have enough time to prepare for the UPSC IAS exam. Below we have explained some important steps to help you begin your preparation after 12th in the right direction and make the most of your college years.

Step-1: Understand the IAS Syllabus and Previous Year Questions (1 Month)

The very first task is that you have to understand the IAS Exam syllabus very carefully, and along with the syllabus, the first thing you have to do is look at the Previous Year Questions.

Now whether those are your Prelims papers or Mains exam papers — even if you understand them or not — at least you will understand this much that if you are going to prepare for the UPSC Civil Services Exam, then you can at least do this much of exploration or research by yourself.

From this, you will understand broadly how many questions are asked from History, how many from Geography, or what trend has been going on. Because sometimes you must have seen that in some paper, a lot of questions have been asked from Art and Culture. In some year, Environment had a lot of questions. In some year, Current Affairs was heavily asked.

So slowly you will begin to understand and get clarity on how UPSC asks questions, and at what level or standard you have to prepare.

Because most people first say, "Read NCERTs" — but before that, you have to understand the syllabus and the question papers.

Before reading any book, you must first focus on the syllabus and previous year questions, because once you start reading the syllabus or any book—suppose in the 2025 Pre Exam, a question from the NCERT by R.S. Sharma was asked, which you had already seen in a previous year’s question paper—then when you read that NCERT book or chapter, you will understand that you have seen this question in the question paper before. This way, you will also enjoy reading the chapter or book more, as such questions will become clear to you. Along with that, paste your syllabus and exam pattern on the walls of your room.

Also Read >> How to Prepare for UPSC IAS Exam 2025

Step-2: Start Studying Core NCERT (6–9 Months)

Then you must study NCERTs or any other important books for at least 6 to 9 months, focusing more on those subjects from which the maximum number of questions are asked—such as History, Geography, Polity, and Economy. You should study all NCERT books from Class 6 to 12 through video lectures or coaching, as that will be more beneficial for you. You need to watch the videos, make notes, and also keep the books with you. You must dedicate at least 4 to 5 hours daily to these important UPSC subjects. And whenever you study any chapter from these subjects, you should also think about what types of questions can be asked from them.

STEP 3: Maintain a Disciplined Daily Routine for Effective IAS Preparation

If you want to prepare for a major recruitment like becoming an IAS officer right after 12th, it is very important to keep this in mind: you are not preparing for any small job, so studying daily is absolutely necessary. You must not skip even a single day. Maintaining discipline is essential. Track your study streak by counting the days—Day 1, Day 2—and see how long you can maintain it.

It's not true that such a study routine is impossible to follow along with college or after 12th. It is very much possible to prepare alongside college; the key is to avoid distractions and keep yourself motivated. Always try to stay fresh and focused.

STEP 4: Build Understanding of Current Affairs (30–60 Minutes Daily)

You must keep in mind that in the UPSC Civil Services Exam, a significant number of questions are asked from current affairs. Since you still have 3–4 years for preparation, include 30 to 60 minutes daily for reading the newspaper in your routine. Every morning, read newspapers like Hindustan Times, The Indian Express, and also focus on your state and district-level news. Alternatively, you can watch news summaries on YouTube or TV channels like Rajya Sabha TV and others.

By the time you become eligible to appear for the exam, this habit will make your foundation very strong. You should prepare daily notes from newspapers and news updates, especially focusing on government schemes and current events. That’s why paying attention to news and current affairs is very important.

STEP 5: Start Answer Writing Practice from 2nd Year Onwards

For your information, once you clear the UPSC IAS Prelims Exam, you will have to pass the Mains Exam, where answers must be written in descriptive format. For this, you should write at least one answer daily. In the beginning, start by writing answers to short questions, and later move on to writing in a detailed manner.

First, study a topic, then frame your own questions, and then write their answers by yourself. In three years, you can write approximately 900 answers if you practice daily. This can be extremely beneficial for you, and if you continue this consistently, nothing can stop you from clearing the Mains Exam.

STEP 6: Move Towards Standard Books (From Mid of 2nd Year)

We had told you that in 6–9 months you will be able to cover NCERTs. After that, you will have to start reading those standard books available in the market for UPSC IAS preparation.

By then, you will almost become a 2nd-year college student. After that, you have to read books like Laxmikanth (Polity), GC Leong (Geography), Ramesh Singh (Economy) or Sanjeev Verma (Economy), Spectrum (Modern History).

Along with reading these books, you will also have to give a lot of focus on revision. That’s why, whatever chapter you are reading, revise it properly before reading it again.

Also Read >> How to Become an IAS Officer

STEP 7: Identify Your Optional Subject (During 2nd to 3rd Year)

If you prepare well during these two years, then in the final year (3rd year), you will need to focus heavily on your optional subject, because this is where you can score well. For the UPSC IAS exam, you have to choose one optional subject for the Mains, which consists of two papers—Paper VI and VII. These may include subjects like Hindi, English, Urdu, Sanskrit, Tamil, or any other language of your choice.

That’s why, starting from 11th, 12th, and graduation, the subject you choose should be studied carefully and in depth during the final year. You also need to focus on the optional subject from the 2nd year onwards. In one full year, you can complete the entire syllabus of the optional subject.

And remember, before you begin optional subject preparation, your GS (General Studies) basics should already be well prepared.

Other Key Insights for IAS Success

•You must keep in mind that you should not spend your college life only in fun and enjoyment, because with focused study during college, you can score much better in the UPSC Civil Services exam—as your time is limited.

•Avoid wasting time on social media, unnecessary discussions, and long outings. These distractions should be kept at a distance.

•UPSC preparation can be considered a marathon, not a sprint—you cannot achieve success quickly. Stability, patience, and self-motivation are extremely important.

•Discipline, Dedication, and Devotion – these three pillars are the foundation of your success.

Conclusion

If you are starting UPSC IAS preparation after 12th, and you follow the steps mentioned above, then by the time you appear for the exam after 3 or 4 years, your preparation will be far better than that of many others—you won't even have imagined it.

So, quietly follow these steps and prepare with full focus; there is no need to tell anyone about your plan. You just need to work sincerely and with true dedication towards your goal.

How to Start IAS Preparation After 12th: A Complete Beginner’s Guide

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