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Understanding the Competition in Civil Services Examination

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“Civil Services Examination is one of the most competitive examination, the Success probability is very less” this is a preconceived notion of all the Civil Services aspirants. Lakhs of people compete in this Examination and only few hundreds are listed in the final selection list. This seems to be a demotivating factor for all the aspirants who take this examination. It becomes imperative that an aspiring candidate should break this mental block before starting the preparation.

In the year 2008 the total number of candidates applied for Civil Services examination is 3,18,843 out of which only 791 were selected in the final selection list. The Probability of success comparing the number of people who applied for the examination and number of people who were finally selected is 0.2%, i.e., one among 500 people clears the examination. Success probability is less than 1%. This numerical factor creates a psychological block in the students mind. This is the general view of the masses.

In reality this interpretation is completely wrong. On the face value, statistics shows a picture. Once a deep investigation is done on the data we can find that the same statistics also has a different face. Lets take the same data available for the year 2008

Total number of people applied for the examination is 3,18,843 but the number of people who walked into the examination hall and appeared for the examination is only 1,67,035 people. The remaining people were absent for the Preliminary examination. Out of the 1,67,035 people who appeared for the examination the realtime serious candidates who prepare for this examination with at most enthusiasm and interest is only 1/4th of them, which is 40,000 people. The remaining people attend the examination without much seriousness. The reason for a lethargic approach of those people are, they attend the exam due to their parents insistence or without proper preparation expecting luck will favour them. The real competitors is 40,000, this number was arrived on the basis of calculating various factors such as number of books sold by the top publishers and number of coaching centers in India to train people etc.,

Now if we relook the probability of success between the 40,000 candidates and the final selected list of 791. We can find that the probability is close to 2%. Previously we not even had 1% of success ratio, Now we have close to 2% of success ratio.

Further to this we should not compare the success ratio between the 40,000 candidates and the final selection list. The comparison should be between the 40,000 serious candidates and the number of people to be selected for the Main examination. The number of people selected for the main examination is approximately is 13 times of the vacancy announced which is 10,283. Hence out of the 40,000 candidates, 10,283 candidates clear the preliminary examination i.e., 1 in 4 serious candidates clear the Prelims. Hence the success ratio in clearing the Preliminary examination is 25% for a serious candidate. Your competition is not with the 3,18,843 candidates who applied for the examination. Your job is to make yourself to be one among the 10,283 people who clear the preliminary exam out of the 40,000 serious candidates.

Out of the 10,283 candidates who appear for the Main examination 1582 people are selected for the personality test. Again the success probability in the Mains arena is 15% approx to make yourself stand for the personality test.

In the Personality test one among the two candidates is selected in the personality test in which the success ratio is 50%.

Good understanding of the examination, Structured plan for preparation, Proper Guidance, Disciplined approach, Perseverance are the factors which pushes you step by step to the final selection list.

“In a dense forest two men were walking, suddenly a hungry tiger comes in front of them. On seeing the tiger both of them decided to run for saving their lives. One person opened his bag and took his brand new Nike shoes and weared it. On seeing this, the other person laughed at him and asked whether his Nike shoes will make him run faster than the tiger. The first person wearing the Nike shoes replied ‘this Nike shoes will not make me run faster than the tiger but this shoes will make me run faster than you’.

This is the kind of competition existing between the most aspiring candidates in Civil services examination. Moral of the story is not to be selfish, but to understand the intensity of the competition which exist between the serious candidates (40,000 aspiring candidates mentioned above). Here the Tiger is the Union Public Service Commission, never try to overcome the expectation of UPSC, this is not possible in real sense. This will put you in a frustrating situation. But overcoming your competitors is much easier. All you have to do is to equip yourself with the skill set required to clear the examination.

This year the number of vacancy is very high compared to the previous years. The total number of vacancy is 965 for the year 2010. The success ratio for Civil Services aspirants is very high this year. I wish all of the people who read this New Letter to be successful in the Civil Service Examination 2010 and also achieve their ambitions comfortably creating a better world. All the best.

K.Purushothaman

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