BPSC examination is modelled on the UPSC Civil Services Examination. It is conducted in three different tiers viz. Prelims, Mains and Interview. As per the latest notification, now the Prelims Exam will be organized for a total of 150 marks, with 1 mark awarded for each correct answer and 0.25 marks deducted for each wrong answer. Further in Mains Exam, there will be now 5 papers i.e., GS I, GS II, Essay, General Hindi, and Optional Paper. The optional paper will be objective in nature and its marks will not be included for the preparation of the merit list.

It is generally cited that a civil services examination is too tough to be cracked in the first attempt. But if planned precisely, it is not as difficult as it sounds. All one needs to have a correct strategy and stick to it without any compromise on it. Here are few tips and techniques that should be adopted in order to achieve this feat. However, these tips are neither exclusive nor exhaustive as everyone has his/her own potential and productivity.

Cover your syllabus

The syllabus should be scanned properly and memorized. You should cover the comprehensively. No topic should be left for granted, irrespective of the past trends. BPSC can tilt towards any portion from the massive syllabus and hence it's advisable to be on the safer side.

Set your priorities

Although the analysis of previous years’ prelims papers shows there is no fixed scheme of examination, but history, science, Bihar special and current affairs contribute roughly 120 questions out of 150 questions. Therefore, one must prioritize the preparation according to the weightage and toughness of the subjects and areas. For instance, starting your preparation with history would be beneficial and intriguing. For Mains, the distribution of subjects is more or less uniform.

Further, you should give a fixed amount of time to each subject judiciously and stick to the plan.

Have a good habit of Current affairs

Current affairs are one of the most important section due to the number of questions and its nature that encompasses all of the subject. A good grasp of current affairs would be beneficial to both Prelims and Mains examination.

Too much diversity in study materials will mess up your entire preparation and will bring anxiety and stress during the last leg of preparation. Therefore, it is important to confine the boundaries. One standard Newspaper, a gist of Economic Surveys (both India and Bihar), Budget, PIB, and Yojana should be enough.

Go through the Previous Year Questions

Previous year papers are like a radar of preparation which provides not just the pattern and level of questions but also the direction and orientation of your preparation. They are equally rewarding for both Prelims and Mains. Apart from enhancing your knowledge base, these papers help in forming your mental outlook.

Assess yourself periodically through Mock tests

After coverage of a substantial portion of the syllabus, you should attempt as many mock tests as reasonable, in exam type environment. For this, a standard Test Series would be a wise idea.

Post Test analysis is even more important. If you find a subject relatively weak, go through the standard books, over time your all subjects will become strong.

Last minute revision

No syllabus of UPSC can be covered with quality without making proper notes in a proper format so that it becomes easier for you to memorize and reproduce in the actual examination. Due to the enormity of the syllabus, it is highly recommended that you should periodically revise your notes. The notes should be as short as possible.

In last month of the preparation, do revise data and facts more frequently including those from Economic Geography, Budget and Economic Survey, etc. Further, practice more mock tests now and mark the weak areas that have been remained and then revise them properly.