Indian Administrative Services are a dream of many. To become a bureaucrat, and perform the civil duties for the Indian citizens are one of the aspirations of lakhs of candidates who plan to sir for the IAS exam. Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts Civil Services Examination (CSE) every year. This examination recruits candidates for services like IAS, IPS, IRS, IFoS, IFS etc. Being one of the coveted examinations of India, it becomes imperative to know the difficulty posed by this exam.

A few facts about the IAS exam which you should know:

1. Syllabus of the exam - UPSC syllabus provides a detailed explanation of the subjects. It provides an aspirant with the alignment needed to prepare for the exam.
2. Exam Pattern - The CSE exam has three stages: Preliminary Examination, Mains Examination and the Personality Test. While the Preliminary stage is an objective style examination where  there are only two qualifying papers; Mains is a subjective stage having nine papers. Personality Test is the last stage where only a few thousands of aspirants reach after toiling throughout the year.
3. Marks Assigned to each paper - The preliminary examination has two papers where paper I called General Studies-I is 200 marks paper and has 100 questions; paper II Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) is again 200 marks with 80 questions. CSAT is qualifying in nature where a  candidate just has to get 33% of the total marks. Paper I and Paper II both have a negative marking of 1/3rd of the marks assigned to each question. Mains stage has following nine papers:
   1. Paper A - Indian Language Paper - 300 Marks
   2. Paper B - English - 300 Marks
   3. Paper I - Essay - 250 Marks
   4. Paper II - GS-I - 250 Marks
   5. Paper III - GS-II - 250 Marks
   6. Paper IV - GS-III - 250 Marks
   7. Paper V - GS-IV - 250 Marks
   8. Paper VI - Optional Paper I - 250 Marks
   1. Paper VII - Optional Paper II - 250 Marks

Personality Test has 275 marks allotted to it.

Is the IAS Exam difficult?

Well, the answer is yes. It is a difficult examination and it takes a lot of preparation to clear the examination. However, with the right strategies and guidance, it will not be difficult to crack the examination. You have to keep in mind the following things:

1. Covering UPSC syllabus is important and sticking to it is even more important.
2. Finding the right optional subject for the Mains also plays a decisive role in your success in the examination.
3. An analysed preparation technique is a must. Timely goals, revision are very important for the exam.
4. Avoiding ignorance and boredom that the long preparation is bound to invite is also a must.
5. Timely breaks in the routine so as to keep up the same vigour for the examination is equally important.
6. It's always better to learn from others’ mistakes; hence one should always refer to the detailed strategies given by the toppers and learn from them.

Confidence is a key to the examination. One has to be confident to face the examination with no fear of losing, to crack the examination easily.