Most of us believe that in order to become an IAS officer, it's important to work hard. We believe that we need to study 10 hours or more, every day. But for desired results, all that a person needs to do is to walk the smart way which could mean reading selectively but reading well, reading many books selectively, mixing books and notes, making short notes, learning time management, taking mock tests and etc.

A large number of questions come from ecology, environment and art & culture. These areas should be prepared in detail from the best available sources.

Candidates should attend mock tests and solve previous year papers. This will increase the accuracy and speed significantly. It also helps in picking out the most appropriate option in the exam.

Candidates from non-MBA and non-Engineering background should devote good time in preparing for CSAT paper as it has more weightage and becomes a game-changer for clearing preliminary round. 

Candidates from MBA and Engineering background should not be careless about CSAT paper as the CSAT paper is quite different in approach and content from the MBA exams.