The strategy for the preparation of the UPSC syllabus is the deciding element of whether the aspirant will clear the exam or not. The most crucial step while starting to prepare for the examination is to devise a plan or layout of a strategy that will help you cover the entire syllabus in time, give you plenty of time for revision, and make time for solving mock tests and previous year question papers along with daily preparation of current affairs. While devising a strategy for preparation one must thoroughly understand the syllabus of each paper separately, and understand the varied amount of effort that one needs to put in accordance with the subject requirements and one’s own command over the subject. When time is managed to keep all these points in mind, there are higher chances of better preparation and hence a better attempt.
Syllabus Preparation Strategy for UPSC Examination
Along with the preparation of the UPSC syllabus, comes the crucial decision of selecting the most suitable optional subject for yourself that would increase your chances of scoring more marks in the examination. Sociology is one such optional subject for the UPSC examination that is widely preferred by civil services aspirants. The UPSC sociology syllabus is relatively concise as compared to the other subjects. This increases the chances of getting one’s score up. On some other lines, the sociology syllabus overlaps with the general studies syllabus as well, contributing to one’s essay preparation too. One can get a very clear idea of the sociology paper by solving a bunch of previous year’s paper questions so as to be completely prepared for the examination.
UPSC Sociology Syllabus
The UPSC sociology syllabus revolves around the fundamentals of sociology, politics-society inter-relationship, religion-society inter-relationship, marriage and kinship, Indian society, the structure of Indian society, etc. The sociology optional is divided into paper one and paper two. Paper one includes fundamentals of sociology whereas paper two includes questions about Indian society. Both the papers carry 250 marks each. The preparation for sociology option Naal makes the candidate well versed with the societal norms and assess the policy decisions.
Blueprint Towards Sociology Optional Preparation
- Thorough understanding of the syllabus:
A complete understanding of the syllabus will make sure that no time is wasted over the topics that are not relevant to the syllabus and complete focus is on the topics that are important, and the ones that have frequently appeared in the previous examinations.
- Resource management:
One must gather the best resources while preparing for sociology optional. There are some great books available for paper one and paper two separately, which will help in a complete understanding of the topics. The important point while gathering resources is to limit them and not get overwhelmed with the options available. Gathering limited sources and focusing on preparing them is a much better approach to completing the syllabus rather than going for variable sources all at once.
- Complete yet concise notes:
While preparing, one must prepare the notes as they proved to be of utmost benefit while coming back for revision. Handwritten notes help us recall the topics much more efficiently and quickly.
- Proper revision:
Once the notes have been properly made and all the topics are precisely covered, it is easier for the candidate to revise after the completion of the entire syllabus. The formula of multiple revisions is a tried and tested one, across the years, by numerous candidates. It is very helpful in recollection of the syllabus and improving writing efficiency in the essay paper.
- Solving mock tests and previous year’s question papers:
Solving previous year’s question papers is a must while preparing for sociology optional as one is able to zero in on the topics that have appeared multiple times in the previous years. This provides a clear path of preparation for the aspirant. The previous year’s question papers alone do not serve the greater purpose as they need to be combined with regular mock test attempts in order to increase one’s efficiency and writing skills. You can also read some more tips to prepare for UPSC exams on the BYJUS exam prep website.
