UPSC CSE Prelims 2026: UPSC Civil Services Exam on 25th May, you can become IAS, IPS by cracking it, great tips for preparation in last 5 days..

UPSC CSE 2026 Last 5 Days Preparation Tips: Every year, around 5 lakh candidates appear for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination (UPSC CSE 2026), one of the most prestigious and toughest examinations in India. These candidates dream of cracking this exam and serving in the elite services of the country - IAS, IPS, IFS, and many more. However, the road to becoming IAS, IPS, and IFS is not so easy. For this, one has to pass three major stages of the examination - Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, and Interview. Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, and Interview. The preliminary stage is the first stage of the UPSC Civil Services Examination. More than 5 lakh candidates participate in this stage, but only 12 to 13 thousand qualify to appear for the main examination, i.e., Phase 2 of the UPSC Civil Services Examination.

This year, the preliminary examination for UPSC Civil Services 2025 will be held on 25 May 2025. In this stage, students will be tested on two papers. First, GS Paper 1 and GS Paper 2. Anil Nagar, CEO of StudyIQ and Adda247, says that to crack this exam, it is important to understand the cut-off trend and prioritize the attempts. Anil Nagar says that in recent years, the cut-off of the UPSC preliminary examination has seen a decrease in general. Getting around 90-100 marks in this exam can make you successful. So, remove the pressure of knowing everything. Remember, you have to cross the cut-off, not get 200 marks.

UPSC CSE 2025 Last 5 Days Preparation Tips to Crack Preliminary Exam

Read the questions carefully.

Under the pressure of the exam, students often make mistakes by misreading the questions, such as missing words like "not" or misunderstanding the intent of the question. Read each question carefully twice and then mark the answer.

Solve the paper in stages or topic-wise
UPSC papers come in sets. If the initial questions in your set are difficult, it may shake your confidence. A better strategy is to solve questions from your strongest subjects first. For example, if you are confident in Indian Polity, then solve those questions first. This boosts confidence and creates a positive atmosphere. After this, solve the difficult questions in the next stages.

CSAT Strategy
Try to solve as many questions as possible. Many students plan to focus only on Maths or only on Reading Comprehension, but it is better to look at both. Identify the easy questions in each section and solve them first. Avoid complex questions that take time. In Reading Comprehension, focus on what the question is asking (inference, reasoning, assumption, or conclusion), as each has a different answer. Anil Nagar of Study IQ suggests that candidates answer the passage assuming it to be true; this increases accuracy.

Timetable for the last few days

Make a timetable that you can revise for almost the entire syllabus. It should include practice and revision for both papers (GS and CSAT). Revise factual topics like history, data points, a day before the preliminary exam.

Important Guidelines for UPSC Exam (UPSC CSE 2026 Important Guidelines)

On May 25, it will be hot in many parts of India, so stay hydrated.

UPSC has recently started being strict about entry timing, so reach the exam center on time.

Keep the admit card and identity card ready the night before and keep it in a safe place.

Carry food and enough water with you, as there is a gap of three hours between GS Paper 1 and CSAT, while at some places, there may be a problem of food and water.

Revision Strategy
To pass the UPSC Civil Services Exam, it is important for the candidate to constantly revise the topics he has read and memorized. But there is a strategy for this too.

Polity

Revise from standard books, notes, and the original copy of the Constitution. In this, focus on basic political philosophy, fundamental rights, directive principles (DPSPs), central and state executive, Parliament and state legislature, constitutional and non-constitutional bodies, schedules, and amendments. Its weightage is 15–17%.

Ancient & Medieval History

Revise from standard books and notes. In this, focus on Buddhism and Jainism, Maurya and Gupta dynasty, important texts, Bhakti and Sufi movements, Vijayanagar dynasty, Sultanate, and Mughals. Do not ignore this topic. Its weightage is 5–7%.

Modern History
Revise from standard books and notes. Focus areas- Beginning of British rule, Socio-religious reform movements, Constitutional developments of the British period, Revolt of 1857, Rise of nationalism, Gandhi era, Independence and Partition, Education in colonial period, Press, and Social movements (Agriculture, Peasant, Tribal, and Women's movements). Weightage: 4–8%.

Art & Culture
Revise from standard books and notes. Focus on literature, architecture, religious philosophy, Indian scholars, and miscellaneous facts. Also pay attention to current affairs questions like recently declared world heritage sites, personalities in news, etc. Weightage: 4–5%.

Geography
Revise from standard books, good atlas, and notes. Physical geography questions can be solved from NCERT. In geography, focus on mapping of all continents and India (mountains, rivers, deserts, etc.), distribution of rivers and minerals, and ores. Weightage: 7–8%.

Economy

Two types of questions: (i) Conceptual, (ii) Current Affairs. Weightage: 15–20%.

Environment

The weightage of this section has increased in recent years. Most of the questions are current affairs and most of the candidates find it difficult. Focus on environmental laws of India, common pollutants, policies related to environment, important flora and fauna of India, their socio-biological behaviour and geographical location, global environmental development. Weightage: 15–20%.

Science & Tech

Candidates often ignore this, but it is an important section. Its weightage has increased in recent years. In this, focus on development of new technologies in space, biology and biotechnology, communication and computing, materials, alternative energy etc. Revise with good contemporary science and technology updates. Its weightage: 10–15%.

International Developments

The focus areas in this are news, space, important developments in international and multilateral organisations, policies of developed countries etc. The questions in this are mostly contemporary, which can be prepared from any good contemporary resource. Its weightage is: 4–8%.

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