It’s the verity that the graduation degree course is a significant milestone in a student’s life. It can help to prepare for the IAS examination in a variety of ways. Let’s dig deep to find out more.
A good degree at the graduation level can go a long way to prepare well for the IAS exams. According to many of the toppers, there exists a direct link between a graduation degree and the optional subjects that are while appearing in the main IAS exam. Even though it is not the stream per se, its approach can be vital in increasing the IAS chances of selection. None of the optional subjects is better, but the response provided by a candidate is all that makes the difference when it comes to the writing ability.
Since the value of acquiring a government job has increased than ever before, people are more inclined to try the IAS. IAS is popular than the others because of the power and respect to individuals who become officers.
It is a typical scene that aspirants start dreaming of becoming a part of the IAS right from the school days. It is followed by rigorous preparation for this most desired examination. In the last few years, the preference for the IAS exam has witnessed tremendous growth. It is evident from the IAS coaching centers’ data, which suggests that many undergraduate students are in favor of preparing for the IAS exam.
The Syllabus of IAS Prelims
The young aspirants usually do not have a sound idea of the optional subjects they are supposed to choose. They often come up with a typical query, which is the same for all other exams, and that is which stream is best to get through the IAS.
There is no concrete answer to this question. The primary criteria for eligibility for the IAS exam happen to be graduation or an equivalent degree in any stream. Also, there is a range of optional subjects related to a variety of streams. It makes the IAS examination a game of equal opportunity for the examinees who may belong to various backgrounds, whether technical or something else.
At this point, it would be better to have some idea about the pros and cons of taking up a particular subject in connection with its relevance to the IAS examination.
Humanities:
For a long time, humanities have been considered the vault of all the civil services examination. On examining the data provided by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in the annual reports, humanity is a subject that has a lot of potential for a high success rate as compared to the other subjects. However, the practical scenario has been just the opposite. In the last few years, the candidates’ average participation and the success rate of students who belong to the humanities stream have witnessed a down-turn. Despite such a scenario, examinees having humanities backgrounds continue to form a considerable portion of aspirants who seek to crack the IAS exam.
Engineering:
Based on the current situation, it can be observed that the mass’s mood has been engineering, especially when it comes to cracking the IAS examination. Upon analyzing the top IAS pass-outs in the last few years, it can be seen that those with an engineering background have dominated the IAS exam. However, it has been found that candidates with an engineering subject as optional do not have a high success rate as compared to those with technical subjects. In any case, engineering seems to be the stream of choice for those who want to crack the exam and desire to be among the top-ranking pass-outs for the various IAS positions.
Science:
A relatively small but still a respectable number of applicants having science as their graduation background take up the civil services examinations and successfully crack it as well. However, it has not been impressive enough to leave a respectable mark on the final tally in terms of numbers. However, the fact remains that there has been a growing preference for people with scientific thinking and technocrats in the administrative setup. As a result, there has been a slow and steady rise in candidates’ demand with a science background.
Medical Science:
Medical science happens to be another stream that has remained insignificant in terms of the IAS examination. That’s because after procuring a professional degree, it has been seen that people find it difficult to get along with bureaucracy. However, similar to the physical science field trend, the number of candidates who sit for the IAS exam and get through having a medical science background is gradually increasing.
CA / CS / CFA / B.Com / BBA / MBA:
These degrees happen to be professionally inclined, and so the number of candidates is negligible in number. However, in the last few years, it has been noticed that there has been a hike of applicants having an MBA or B.Com degree. By introducing CSAT that includes aspects like mathematics, reasoning, interpretation of data, and decision-making, applicants from these fields find themselves a good match for the IAS. In all probability, the percentage of participation of such applicants and their success rate is expected to grow considerably.
Final Notes
Irrespective of what the previous trend has revealed and the present trend suggests, passion and individual interest for the IAS examination make all the difference. Even if the so-called ideal stream is chosen, nothing substantial will happen unless and until an individual is intensely passionate about the exam. The stream chosen by a candidate must be inspiring enough to encourage to study more and work hard. After all, there is no alternate to passion and determination, especially when it is about the IAS.
