Education
Top Tips to Crack the UPSC Exam
The UPSC interview is one of the most competitive jobs in the world. But for many candidates, it’s also one of the most daunting. The application process takes months and months of research, source-refining, and strategic planning.
And even among top applicants, there are usually bound to be some gaps in skills—such as those related to administration or communication—that a candidate might be best equipped to fill.
UPSC Exam – A Brief Overview
Every country has a governing structure that directs and monitors the daily operations of the system. Administrative officers and public servants are common names for these people. India has a respectable number of civil servants who work for the benefit of the country.
Depending on the circumstances, those seeking employment in the public sector must pass tests administered by the state or federal governments. In this case, the UPSC exams come in handy. It is the exam with the highest level of competition for civil service jobs in India.
Top-Notch Tips To Crack The UPSC Exam
Thankfully, there are a number of tips that can help you crack the tough exam. Here are some of the most beneficial tips that can help you with the best UPSC preparation. Let’s take a look at them!
Cover the Whole Syllabus
One of the most effective ways to crack the exam is to start the whole scenario in your head. This will make the experience much more interesting and challenging—and, hopefully, earn you a spot in the top 10%. The best way to start is by covering the whole syllabus in detail.
This will help you develop a good knowledge of almost every term and concept within the syllabus. Be careful, though. If you start thinking about the exam in a different way, you might find that the questions aren’t as clear-cut as you’d like them to be. And the exam itself might become more challenging!
Attempt Mock Test
One of the best ways to crack the exam is to try to do the actual test. This will help you get a sense of the exam itself and also provide insight into what questions may come up in the actual test. You can do this as early as possible in the year so that you can get the most out of the test. It’s also a great way to practice language awareness and understand the structure of sentences. Put this in your bag, and if you’re successful, head to the next step!
Do Proper Revision
One of the best ways to crack the exam is to do proper revision. This will help you to clarify your understanding, testifies to your capacity for increased vocabulary and many other important skills, and is a good indicator of when you’ll be successful at the test.
The more you understand the concepts and language, the easier it will be to pick up the vocabulary and phrases as they come up during the test. Regularly review your answers, but only do so if you’re completely clueless about the words and phrases you’ve just WRITTEN! The more confused you are, the easier it will be to get some of your words right as you go.
Make Proper Notes
If you’re going to the complete lengths of an entire field like the UPSC, you’re going to want to make a significant amount of note of what you’ve encountered. This will help you to remember the context of words and phrases and will also help you to recognize the difference between modifiers and sub-dominant clauses.
Avoid Exploring New Portions or Topics Before One Month
One of the most effective ways to crack the exam is to put the ins and outs of the topic in your head. This will help you to visualize the entire topic, make decisions with respect to your understanding of the concepts, and help you to plan out the walkthrough for when you get to the actual Steps 1-3.
If you’re just getting started, try to complete the challenging part one at a time. This will help you to keep your mind healthy and your brain young. It’ll also help you to stay focused!
CSAT Should Be Taken Very Seriously
If you’re going to the full length of the test, you’re going to want to be at its core. You can’t just sit and observe while the rest of the team is doing the test.
You’re going to have to step into the flow of the test, discuss your understanding with your classmates, and process the information as it comes to you. You’re going to want to take turns in the group chat, answer questions briefly, and take notes as you go.
Taking notes will help you to stay focused and to come away with a better understanding of the concepts and questions as they come up.
Current Affairs Are the Most Amorphous Part of Prelims
Many candidates find it hard to take the first step in online coaching for UPSC civil services. They’re not quite sure where to start, what questions to ask, and even what questions are necessary to fully understand the questions being asked.
This is where current affairs come into the picture. The less obvious things that come up in the current affairs portion of the questionnaire will help you see things in a new light. You’re not just trying to understand the questions; you’re trying to learn and interpret them!
Conclusion
The best way to crack the UPSC is to study the topic, read the question and answer manual, and try out different exercises. When you’ve got that down, you can tackle the actual test and see if you can Personalize it to fit your particular needs.
FAQ
How to Prepare For UPSC Exams?
To crack UPSC exam with high scores, you need a solid plaor a strategy n and a focused mind set. There is no doubt that the competition will be worthwhile. Thus, it is essential to have a thorough comprehension of each idea. The majority of candidates think it’s impossible to pass the UPSC exam without coaching. No longer! Unacademy has created a comprehensive UPSC preparation plan for beginners that will let you to master the syllabus on your own.
Is It Possible to Clear UPSC Exam in 1st Attempt?
To pass this exam, students typically need more than two tries. However, each year a number of applicants pass the UPSC exam on their first try. Some of them even succeed in passing the test with excellent grades.
How Many Years Are Sufficiant For IAS preparation?
IAS preparation can be completed in a year. If one prepares well with the appropriate guidance and UPSC test approach, one does not need to enrol in coaching for the IAS exam. For the first six months of IAS preparation, students must bear in mind the UPSC curriculum and properly study the pertinent material; after that, they should concentrate on revision, taking mock exams, and answering question papers from previous years.
Do IAS officers get paid during training?
According to the 7th CPC’s strict guidelines Special Pay Advance, IAS officers get paid while they are in training. At LBSNAA, an IAS officer is entitled to a stipend of Rs 45000 per month, of which Rs 38500 is the in-hand portion. There is a deduction of Rs 10,000 for food, housing, and transportation.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has suspended the proposed review of registration fees for the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).
The Federal Ministry of Education made the announcement on Monday in a statement signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs Boriowo Folasade.
The ministry announced that the letter conveying the proposed fee adjustment, dated June 18, 2026, has been withdrawn to allow for a comprehensive review and broader consultations with all relevant stakeholders before a final decision is taken.
The Minister of Education, Mr Tunji Alausa, directed that the proposal be placed on hold, with the Ministry acknowledging the concerns and constructive feedback received from the public since the planned increase became known.
The Ministry said the proposed fee review was driven by rising operational costs that have accumulated over several years without a corresponding adjustment to examination registration fees.
It said the current fees have remained largely unchanged for several years despite significant increases in costs covering logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, quality assurance and other services required to maintain the integrity of public examinations.
“The proposed review was informed by the prevailing economic realities and the rising cost of conducting credible national examinations,” the statement said.
“The current examination registration fees have remained largely unchanged for several years despite significant increases in operational costs,” the Ministry added.
The ministry said the proposed fee hike will no longer take effect as earlier planned, while acknowledging that the concerns raised by Nigerians warranted a pause in the process.
“The proposed review of examination registration fees will not take effect, as earlier communicated, pending the conclusion of the consultation process,” the statement confirmed, adding that the June 18 letter conveying the proposed adjustment has been formally withdrawn.
“This decision underscores the Ministry’s determination to ensure that policies affecting millions of Nigerian students and their families are carefully considered, socially responsive and reflect the collective interest of the nation,” it said.
The Ministry outlined a fresh stakeholder engagement process that must be concluded before any decision on examination fees is made, signalling that the review has been delayed rather than permanently shelved.
The Ministry said it will engage extensively with examination bodies, state ministries of education, school proprietors and administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour and other education stakeholders as part of the renewed consultation process.
It said the goal of the consultation is to ensure that any future decision is “fair, sustainable, transparent and responsive to prevailing realities while safeguarding access to education,” framing the suspension as a course correction rather than an outright reversal of policy intent.
“The Ministry acknowledges the concerns and constructive feedback received from the public and appreciates the keen interest shown by Nigerians in matters relating to access to quality education,” the statement read.
The Ministry assured Nigerians it would keep the public fully informed throughout the consultation process, saying the welfare of students and equitable access to quality education “remain at the heart of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the education sector.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The examination fees of Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) have been increased by the federal government by about 82 per cent to N50,000 from N27,500.
A circular signed by the Director of Senior Secondary Education in the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Adeniji Ibrahim, disclosed that the new fees would become effective in 2027.
In the notice, it was disclosed that the government approved the upward review of the fees following a request by WAEC.
It was further disclosed that the decision to jack up the fees was reached after a March 31, 2026, meeting between the Minister of Education and examination bodies, where the need to review examination fees was discussed.
“You may recall that at a meeting of examination bodies held with the Minister of Education on March 31, 2026, where the need for upward review of examination fees was discussed, the Minister directed that WAEC and NECO should adopt a uniform fee for the conduct of WAEC and NECO SSCE,” the statement read.
“Consequently, I am directed to convey the Minister of Education’s approval of the sum of N50,000 only, as the new examination fee per candidate, with effect from NECO SSCE (Internal), 2027,” it added.
**Modibbo Adama University Emerges Grand Prize Winner, Secures N50m
A leading integrated independent exploration and production company with full-cycle upstream delivery capability, FIRST Exploration & Petroleum Development Company (FIRST E&P), has reaffirmed its commitment to developing Nigeria’s next generation of engineers.
This commitment was highlighted during the grand finale of the maiden edition of the Nigerian Engineering Olympiad (NEO), held on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The event recognised outstanding student innovators whose engineering solutions addressed real-world challenges, marking the culmination of months of regional qualifiers, prototype development, mentorship and boot camp sessions that equipped students from universities and polytechnics across Nigeria with practical skills in engineering, innovation and entrepreneurship.
The Olympiad attracted 984 participants across 375 teams from more than 80 tertiary institutions representing all six geopolitical zones of the country.
Delivering the sponsor’s address, the General Manager, Engineering and Capital Projects, FIRST E&P, John Alamu, emphasised that the competition reflects the company’s commitment to equipping students with the practical knowledge and innovative mindset required to excel in engineering and strengthen Nigeria’s future workforce.
Alamu, noting that initiatives such as the Engineering Olympiad provide a structured platform for young talent to transform innovative ideas into practical solutions that contribute to the country’s technological and industrial advancement, stated that, “FIRST E&P believes that developing STEM capacity is an investment in this country’s ability to solve its own problems. The Nigerian Engineering Olympiad has taken young engineers and taught them to think beyond the drawing board, and FIRST E&P is proud to have been a funding partner for this initiative. I commend NCDMB for championing the Olympiad and Enactus Nigeria for successfully delivering a platform that is helping shape the next generation of Nigerian engineers and innovators.”
In his address, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, represented by the Acting Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Silas Ajimijaye, expressed appreciation to FIRST E&P for their unwavering support in successfully delivering the Olympiad.
Ajimijaye added that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s Nigeria First Policy, which aims to build indigenous engineering capacity and equip young Nigerians with the knowledge and skills needed to drive industrial competitiveness, technological advancement, and sustainable national development.
The competition concluded in the awarding of prizes, with Team Mavericks of the Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Adamawa State, winning the grand prize of N50 million and a Centre of Excellence building for its Faculty of Engineering.
The team’s winning innovation, Ubuntu Sapphire, is a community-powered rapid alert system that uses affordable devices to instantly notify neighbouring households and emergency responders during emergencies, offering a practical solution aimed at strengthening community security and emergency response infrastructure.
Speaking after receiving the award, Team Lead, Dr David Patrick, expressed gratitude to the organisers and sponsors for providing a platform that fostered innovation and practical learning.
The University of Ibadan emerged as the first runner-up, receiving N30 million and N75 million worth of engineering equipment for its Faculty of Engineering. The University of Nigeria, Nsukka, secured third place and was awarded N20 million and N50 million worth of engineering equipment. The University of Jos finished fourth, receiving N10 million.
