What Are The Eligibility Criteria To Appear For IAS Exams?

Don’t Track Your Future With Your Marks

Marks rule neither your future nor do they decide the innate skill one possesses. But sadly, our students are burdened with arduous responsibilities of securing high marks to establish their abilities. While the task is doable for many, unfortunately, some students might not be able to secure marks even if they have the skills. We witness multitudes of parents along with the students waiting anxiously for their tenth or twelfth board results, establishing the marks’ colossal influence on the parent’s perspectives as well. Students who are unable to perform well in the exams are tagged as unsuitable for most of the jobs and are often subjected to extreme mental pressure. The best IAS academy in Chennai intends to give a few insights about the IAS profession, which is a profession that least depends upon the scores you achieve for the tenth or twelfth boards.

Luckily, appearing for IAS exams does not require students to secure high marks in their tenth and twelfth board exams. Students require only a pass percentage in both their board exams to appear for the IAS prelims. However, the syllabus of the exam often requires the candidates to study portions from sixth to twelfth, making it imperative for the students to prepare well for their boards with meticulous planning. Here is a detailed look at the eligibility criteria for the candidates to appear for IAS exams.

The candidates should possess a minimum one of the educational qualifications mentioned below:

• Degree from a central, state, or deemed university
• Degree from an open university
• Degree obtained through distance or correspondence courses
• Or, an equivalent qualification to any of the above mentioned as recognized by the Indian government.

SSE and HSE (10th & 12th)

Your low marks in your boards should never bother your preparations for IAS exams, as dedicated hard work and perseverance is sure to help you crack this exam. The prelims and mains syllabi are a compilation of vast information, and clearing IAS exams is enough to justify your intelligence and knowledge. Hence, do not worry if you encounter questions regarding your low marks at interviews; because, the mains scores will speak volumes of your skills.

Know about IAS exams

The ranks in civil services examinations or the IAS exams, as it is prominently known, are calculated by the marks obtained in both prelims and Mains of the examination. The Prelims stage has two examinations, namely, CSAT( aptitude test) and GS (General Studies). Following are the scoring patterns that determine the ranks in the civil service examination.

• Both prelims and mains have a total mark of 200 each. A recent update in the exam process, however, mentions that CSAT is not counted for qualifying for Mains and 33% in the prelims is enough to clear exams.
• Interviews have a total weightage of 275 marks.
• Both the marks obtained in the Mains and interview is calculated as the final mark, and the final rank list is prepared based on it.

Hence, those who have any worries about not securing good marks in the board exams should discard their apprehensions and prepare with dedication for civil services.

Does board exam scores affect your IAS dreams? Not Necessarily!

There are many who believe that without a high percentage in the board exams, you cannot even dream about IAS. But, is it so? Our top IAS officers say it is definitely not so! IAS officer Awanish Kumar of 2009 batch recently wrote in a Facebook post detailing his civil services experiences, after being extremely saddened by the news of numerous suicidal deaths of teens owing to poor exam results. He appeals to the students and parents to not to get disheartened and hopeless of poor results and be wide open to umpteen opportunities available. Officer says that despite his low-profile performances in the boards (44.5% and 65% in tenth and twelfth, respectively), he was able to secure good ranks in the civil service examination. Throughout his strong message, he insists that students should shed their myths about scoring high in their boards and must pursue their goals with undeterred perseverance. He also strongly advocates that no examination can gauge a person’s worth, and students should not spend time getting depressed and feeling hopeless about the future.

Nitin Sangwan, another IAS officer, tweeted his Class XII mark sheet picture. He had scored only one mark more than the pass mark, and he tweeted this, “Don’t bog down kids with the burden of marks. Life is much more than board results. Let results be an opportunity for introspection and not for criticism.” The experiences mentioned above shared by the top bureaucrats in the country, indeed instil enormous confidence amongst the children. The experiences are great examples of how one must not be intimidated by the low scores, but instead, should be prepared to crack these toughest examinations with meticulous studies. Thorough preparation can also instil adequate confidence when you finally attend the interviews. Here are a few tips shared by the professionals that are worth following:

• Follow the NCERT books from the grades six till twelfth as these study materials form an excellent foundation for IAS preparations.
• The students who are contemplating on beckoning their preparations after twelfth can choose the graduation subject that can also aid for their IAS preparations.
• Subjects like political science, history, and sociology are essential subjects that cover a vast part of UPSC syllabus. Hence, those who are confused about which subject to choose for their graduation, pick up from these subjects.

Thus combining IAS preparations and the graduation subjects is an excellent way of spending your time effectively. Also, ensure that you invest efforts in honing your communication skills and if possible, engage yourself in hobbies that can prepare you for the interviews in the final phase of UPSC exams.

Conclusion

Remember, UPSC exams are never dependent upon your marks or academic performances of schools or colleges, but are purely the test of your perseverance, meticulousness and hard work. Parents must also realize that children should not be groomed for success and must be prepared to handle any challenging situations. So, set aside your mark worries and prepare for a bright civil service future with dedicated preparations with the help of an IAS academy in Chennai.