UPSC EPFO Exam | Strategy & Booklist To Crack EPFO Exam | By Shivam Dwivedi, Rank 35 EPFO Exam 2020

Summary

Shivam Dwivedi, who secured All India Rank 35 in the UPSC exam and was selected as Enforcement Officer, shares valuable insights for aspirants. He emphasizes the importance of sticking to the UPSC syllabus, focusing on subjects like Indian Polity, Economy, and Social Security. Shivam advises regular practice through mock tests and interview preparations, including mock interviews with friends. He also highlights the significance of current affairs, labor laws, and accounting basics. With his journey as a guiding example, Shivam encourages aspirants to stay focused, practice consistently, and develop a clear understanding of their subjects and goals.

Takeaways

• 😀 Focus on the UPSC syllabus: Adhere to the official syllabus to guide your preparation effectively.
• 😀 Importance of Indian Polity and Economy: Study NCERT books from Class 11 and 12 for a strong foundation in these areas.
• 😀 Use newspapers for current affairs: Regular reading of The Hindu and The Indian Express is essential for staying updated.
• 😀 Social Security and Development: Focus on government schemes like Atal Pension Yojana, MNREGA, and Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
• 😀 Labor laws and Industrial Relations: Pay close attention to the four new labor codes introduced by the Government of India.
• 😀 General Accounting Principles: Study basic accounting principles from NCERT for simple and easy questions in exams.
• 😀 Mental Ability and Quantitative Aptitude: Practice questions from CSAT exams and focus on solving previous year's papers.
• 😀 Focus on mock tests: Take mock exams to simulate real exam conditions and improve time management and strategy.
• 😀 Interview preparation: Prepare by practicing answers about your background, current events, and future goals.
• 😀 Consistent revision of current affairs: Read monthly magazines and keep track of current events from the past 8 months to stay prepared for exam questions.

Q & A

What is Shivam Dwivedi's educational background?

Shivam Dwivedi completed his high school and intermediate from Saraswati Vidya Mandir Inter College, Jharkhand, Kadipur, in Sultanpur. He graduated from Delhi University and later completed his LLB from the Law Faculty of Delhi University, finishing in 2020.

How did Shivam Dwivedi prepare for the UPSC exam?

Shivam Dwivedi adhered to the UPSC syllabus, studied from NCERT books, especially for subjects like Indian Polity and Economy. He also made use of newspapers like The Hindu and The Indian Express for current affairs, and focused on mock tests to improve his exam-taking skills.

What resources did Shivam Dwivedi recommend for studying Indian Polity and Economy?

Shivam recommended studying the Indian Polity section from the NCERT class 11th book and the Indian Economy section from the class 11th NCERT's 'Indian Economic Development' and class 12th's 'Micro Economics.' He also suggested reading newspapers and current affairs magazines.

How did Shivam Dwivedi prepare for the General Studies section of the UPSC exam?

For General Studies, Shivam focused on subjects such as Indian Freedom Struggle, Social Security and Development, and Labor Laws. He used books like 'Spectrum' for the Freedom Struggle and referred to government websites for labor laws and industrial relations.

What was Shivam Dwivedi's approach to studying General Accounting Principles?

Shivam Dwivedi studied General Accounting Principles using NCERT books for classes 11th and 12th. He focused on key provisions at the end of chapters and made summaries, as he emphasized that basic questions from this area could be quite easy.

How did Shivam Dwivedi approach the Quantitative Aptitude and Mental Ability section?

Shivam, with a background in Mathematics, found no difficulty in this section. However, he recommended solving CSAT or UPSC's previous year quantitative aptitude and mental ability questions for practice. He also suggested referring to books like R.S. Aggarwal if needed.

What did Shivam Dwivedi emphasize about current affairs preparation?

Shivam stressed the importance of reading daily newspapers like The Hindu and The Indian Express. He also suggested reading monthly magazines for the last 8 months or one year before the exam to ensure thorough preparation for current affairs-related questions.

What role did mock tests play in Shivam Dwivedi's preparation?

Mock tests were crucial in Shivam’s preparation, as they helped him get familiar with the exam's time management and question-solving strategies. He emphasized that mock tests help reduce exam pressure and improve performance.

How did Shivam Dwivedi prepare for the UPSC interview?

For the interview, Shivam focused on developing crisp answers based on his background, education, and current events. He practiced mock interviews with friends, recorded himself to analyze his body language, and prepared detailed notes about his graduation and career goals.

What study materials did Shivam Dwivedi recommend for the Computer Applications and Science section?

Shivam recommended using the Lucent book for computer applications and focusing on practical application questions, rather than delving into specific technologies. For Science, he suggested using NCERT books from class 9th and practicing from Lucent’s science question papers.