How to prepare for GK (SSC & Other competitive examination)


While going for any competitive exam, before you start preparing  have a through look on exam structure and syllabus. For Example: For IAS exam, you have to be a master in  General Studies. For Constables Mathematics is not of that much importance as compared to GK, although the person who is good in Mathematics will be able to get merit if he has good hold on GK, but you cannot expect 50 out of 50 in GK as this field is unlimited.

Our prime concern is to crack SSC CGL, so my articles will be mostly devoted towards SSC CGL. With the passage of time, i will write more articles for other exams also.

Keep one thing in mind, you are not preparing for IAS exam and GK is just only of 50 marks out of 600 marks and requires a knowledge of  History, Polity, Geography, Science, Current Events and Economics.

Once again From SSC CGL point of view, don´t give so much time to GK. Use smart approach and devote your quality time to Mathematics and English.


For SSC:
If you take a look at previous SSC papers, you will find that most of questions have been asked from Static+ Science 

Static: Static means simple questions based on History, Polity, Geography from NCERT text books.
Science :  Science questions from NCERT text books. Up to 10th
Current Events:  person in news, books published bla bla bla

While preparing for GK(SSC) keep one thing in mind, you will give most of time preparing for STATIC + SCIENCE part. New comers waste most of time in memorizing facts and other irrelevant data that come in magazines.

Most of static questions are from Indian Polity & Indian History not from World History,  basic question are asked in Economics which are based on current events , some questions in economics are definition based  and these question should not be attempted because they are not beneficial from cost of time point of view.


How to Prepare for History

For SSC,  History mean Indian History, hardly a question is being asked from world history, so it is recommended to read Indian History only.

What to prepare from History: Major preparation should be done from Medieval India to freedom of India. Some time one or two questions clash with Polity, about constitution of India but i will account them in History.

While studying don´t overload your mind by memorizing dates. In SSC question are asked frommajor events and major persons. As every person has limited amount of memorizing capacity, you will have to forgot something for something new. So use your memory smartly.

Try to understand and co-relate the events in Indian History and try to make relationship with your life. Its  your duty to create memory link up with the events.

Like you know your father´s birthday and some event has happened on this day in History, you may link it with your father´s birthday. :)


How to Prepare for Economy:

It's good to prepare Economy from book named Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh (Click to Buy ), to read eBook click here  it will help you to grasp concepts of Economy and how things works and inter-related. . This book also contains important data like Economic Survey of India; Remember you are here to crack SSC not to do PhD on Economy, this book is more than enough to prepare for Economics section. You are not recommended to read micro and macro economics from XI and XII th class and if you have time, you can go for it.


Beside STATIC part, there will be one or two questions from current events in Economics. I will publish them time to time.


For Geography:
SSC most of time asks questions from Indian Geography. So don´t prepare for world Geography. Because it will not be beneficial to you from SSC exam point of view.

For IAS exams, it is mandatory to prepare for World History and World Geography, but from SSC point of view, don´t go for it.

Use NCERT books for proper concept building and finally use LUCENT GK for quick revision of facts.

What to read: 
Many information is factual in Nature but many concepts are scientific, like Monsoon, Rocks, soil type etc. Try to understand them. One or two questions always come from these concepts. Understand them with proper concentration and try to make relationship with outer space with soil, rocks, coal etc.

Note down major current events from Newspapers or some other magazine of good publication but keep in mind to note down major events only.

Don´t mess with irrelevant data.


For Polity
For Indian Polity I recommend to read from Indian Polity by Laxmikanth. This book is written in a great manner. The language is easy to understand. Hindi version of this book is also available.

Try to read chapter by chapter basis and try to relate with local government, central government, how do they work etc.

In that way you will be able to understand better and to secure marks It is necessary to haveinterest toward Indian Political System even though it is corrupted and need many reformations.

So like it or not, you will have to show some interest to understand anything.


Science:
 I mean to prepare for general science up to matric level from NCERT TEXT BOOKS and to understand it properly. Finally use lucent for quick revision of facts.

Tip: Now a days, many B.Tech students are also appearing for SSC exams, a tip for them, not to be overconfident that you are from Science and you can do it easily. B.Tech have specific specialization and you will not be able to attempt SSC questions properly and if somebody have issue over my tip then they can judge themselves by picking up previous SSC question papers.


Current Events:
What to read from Newspapers: Read Indian Express or THE HINDU

Major Events, For example:
Sports:  IN IPL who won, which team was against them, RED CAP holder etc.

Major events like Wimblendon Singles champion, doubles champion, chances increases if there is some major twist in results. Like Andy Mary (England )defeated Nowark Djovik No.1 tennis player. 


National Events like : Government Policy, Plans, Bills, Big Mega fests,  ISRO launch, SARC, G8 summit etc.


Strictly NO CRIME REPORTS, it hardly have importance in competition exams.

Major technological events, but not mobile launch by SAMSUNG, Car Launch by AUDI etc.

Two-three questions are now being asked from Computers, so prepare for them also. So far they are easy in nature but may be typical as competition increases.


With the matter of quality time devoted to the studies, your mind  will automatically start to sort out the necessary from unnecessary. If you have some time try to read editorial pages, it will help you to make decisions if a  typical question is being asked in interview and it will increase your vocabulary also.


For other Competitive Exams
For other competitive exams like Bank PO, clerk, LIC etc strategy will be same but  major changes in GK are not to prepare for History and Geography. Majority of questions will be asked from Economics & current events based on Economics and Computers Knowledge is necessary for Bank Exams. So prepare for them accordingly.

For example : For SBI PO exam, there is separate section for computers and Mangement Principles and in Numercial Aptitude (For Banks): Question are not asked from trigonometry and Geometry. So prepare accordingly after through studies of last year papers and syllabus.


Now this concludes strategy for SSC GK & other competitive exams in my next article i will guide you to prepare for English Tier I & Tier II.

Take care of yourself and have a  nice day!!

How to prepare for Current Affairs with reference to Banking and UPSC exam

You are aware that Current Affairs forms a major part of preparation for competitive exam such as UPSC IAS,SSC,MBA and Bank PO exams. It is the main reason why thousands of people visit GsCurrentAffairs every day.
We had already discussed the about how to prepare for  IAS Current affairs.
Despite Current Affairs being important for all exams there are some differences in the way preparation is done. The preparation varies according to the organisation that conducts the exam viz.UPSC,SSC,Banks etc. The preparation also varies as per level of exam.
For example the type of question asked in UPSC is different from the type of question asked in SSC or MBA exams. Similarly the type of question asked in clerical exam is different from those asked on Bank PO exam even though the both the exams are conducted by the same bank.
The difference can be in terms of depth of the question or the level of analysis required to answer the question.
How difference of depth is made in questions. Let us the take the example of Bio-Sphere Reserves in India

Beginner level

1. In which state the Simlipal Bio-sphere reserve is located?
A. West Bengal B.Arunachal Pradesh C.Gujarat D.Orissa
Ans: D. Orissa
This is a simple straight forward question mostly asked in Bank clerical exam and exams with Class XII or graduate level exams. Such questions may also come in other entrance exams and MBA exams.

Intermediate Level

2. Which of the following is a Biosphere Reserve in India?
  • A. Nanda Devi
  • B. Gulf of Cambay
  • C.Chandipur Lake
  • D.Mt. Everest
Ans: A.Nanda Devi

To answer this question you need to know the you need to have a fair idea of the Biosphere reserves in India. With a recall rate of about 50% you may be able to guess this question.
Such Questions are asked in Bank PO and sometimes in UPSC also.


Advanced Level

3. Which of the following is a Not a Biosphere Reserve in India?
A. Pachmarhi
B.Gulf of Mannar
C.Gulf of Cambay
D.Sundarbans
Ans: C.Gulf of Cambay
This is the a more complex question to answer for a topic like this.You need to remember almost all Biosphere reserves in India. Here you need to get all the three correct answers to finally decide the right negative answer.
This is more frequently used in UPSC exams. Bank exam candidates need not worry much about this level.

The Expert level

This is the ultimate type where the candidate has to match data given.
4. Match the following:
A. Pachmarhi                   1. Meghalaya
B.Nandadevi                     2.Tamilnadu
C.Nokrek                           3.Uttrakhand
D.Nilgiris                           4.Madhya Pradesh
E.Cambay
A. 4,3,1,2      B. 1,2,3,4       C. 3,2,4,1     D.  3,4,2,1
Ans ;  A. 4,3,1,2
Here you need to remember not only the Biosphere names but also their locations. To add to complexity a fifth Data set “E” is also given. This type of question is favourite for the UPSC people to ask. It takes more time to answer the question even if you know the information.
There are methods about how you have to prepare for such questions. But that is an article for another day.
Now decide at which level you are and which level you need to achieve to clear the exam. Let me know in the comments.

How To Prepare For Prelims (CSAT)

The Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) includes two objective type question papers of two hundred marks and two hours time duration for each paper. One is on General Studies and the other is General Aptitude Paper( which has now replaced the optional subject that was there earlier). With the Civil Service exam having very limited seats it's a very difficult exam to crack. Many students appear multiple times to clear it.
Changes in formats of question papers always tend to create a lot of mental discomfort in students. Many students are fearful of subjects like mathematics. This fear may be baseless considering the changes lay greater emphasis on the "aptitude" which mainly involves reasoning skills and not just mathematics.
The civil services examination is basically a test to choose suitable administrators. It tests the candidate right from the stage when one starts the preparation. One common misconception about the prelims is that it is a test of facts and figures. That was never so and specially now. A candidate should have the right frame of mind and the will power to succeed in the exam. A proper action plan is needed for the preparation itself since he /she will be tested for some essential qualities like power of retention, clarity of concepts, ability to identify the correct alternatives with efficiency and accuracy. All this requires a quick decision making power.
With the new pattern, more stress is on language skills and analysis and decision making capacities, so work on these on a consistent basis as these are skills that are developed over years and not just in a few months. It would be advised to start focusing on your problem solving and language skills as soon as you decide to take these exams.

Paper 1 is on General Studies

This includes areas like
  1. Indian National Movement, Indian Polity, Basic Economic Understanding, Geography
  2. While the dynamic part includes current affairs, GK and has no proper definition and syllabus making quite vast.
Paper 2 includes mathematics, reasoning, analytical ability, and interpersonal skills. Unlike paper 1 which has a static part, paper 2 is dynamic in many sense.
Unlike paper 1 where quantity of questions is a major determinant for the static section, paper 2 cannot be tamed without solving dynamic questions, that requires on the spot mental ability.
Since the preliminary exam in particular is a test of endurance, candidate must prepare on the physical as well as mental level. The main constraint is the time one gets to answer the questions. On an average one gets around 40 seconds for each question.
One sure way of dealing with this stress is to take a few deep breaths. Meditation and Yoga also help in dealing with stress to a great extent.
The prelims exam since is a multiple choice question test, it needs a different preparation and a proper strategy. The first thing a candidate needs to bear in mind is that the examination is designed to evaluate certain qualities like a sharp memory and basic retention power. There are ways to increase one's memory like preparing charts. One gets confused when faced with mind boggling facts and figures. Important facts and figures can be simplified and represented on charts and they can arranged in the form of tables or graphs. Another thing to remember is to make short and brief notes on each topic so that the entire syllabus can be revised a few days before the exam.
It is better to use diagrams and link words which make it easier to understand difficult concepts. One more technique to help in retaining information is the use of abbreviations. Since the syllabus involves exhaustive information abbreviations help you to remember it better. It is a good method to remember dates, facts and figures in a picture format and to break up complex names and places into smaller and simpler words. The last and the most important technique is to do regular revision. This helps in retaining the maximum information. A separate time slot should be given to doing not only regular but multiple revisions like daily, weekly, monthly etc.
Many candidates make a mistake of overloading themselves with lots of information and end up remembering nothing. One should be able to differentiate between relevant and irrelevant information. Since the preliminary exam is an elimination round the candidate should also learn to focus only on the information needed and filter out the rest. It helps to discuss with friends and teachers but the most reliable way is to solve past years question papers. One should also keep abreast with current events and information related to them.
An important thing to remember is that for this exam it is not just enough to remember information but to understand the concepts as well. Instead of memorizing facts and figures, conceptual clarity in needed. The questions asked are of 10+2 level. Therefore emphasis has to be on conceptual clarity. Any concept has to be understood with its origin, merits and de-merits, then it needs to be analyzed with other relevant topics and lastly it has to be correlated with the events that have taken place during the year.
The preliminary exam requires candidates who have the acumen and the ability to choose the right option from four given options. This needs a proper method of elimination. It is a good idea to go through previous years and model question papers and solve as many of them as possible. Taking a mock test of a certain number of G.S. questions and mathematics and general ability questions would be a good practice work and help to pick out the most appropriate option.
Each prelims paper is for two hours but a lot of time is wasted in signing attendance sheets etc, therefore there is a lot of need for effective Time Management is needed for the actual exam. It is not enough to know the right answer but it has to be marked correctly on the answer sheet. Speed and Accuracy are important, so solving model question papers on a regular basis would be a great help.
A good presence of mind is needed to eliminate the least appropriate options and arrive at the right one. However beware of negative marking so it is better to mark only sure shot answers than making guesses.
Throughout the preparation for the prelims exam, it is important to remember that any topic or concept should not be studied in isolation. It is better to understand and establish a correlation between related concepts from other subjects and current events and happenings.
Even with all this preparation, it is necessary to have a positive attitude and a great amount of will power to succeed to achieve your goal that of getting through the civil services examination with flying colors!

My Blog List