Meant for aspiring Civil Servants, this is perhaps the first text providing a comprehensive, in-depth strategy for all those who aspire to be at topmost positions in administering the nation.
Written by highly-placed Civil Servants and including first-hand experiences and advice from toppers in this exam, this book gives an overview not only for the examinations, but also for cultivating the correct attitude for the exams and the services. Additionally, it will enable all users to cut through the clutter and emerge successful from among more than five lakh students who appear for this exam every year by enabling the right kind of preparation. As the title suggests, it tells you what to prepare, from when to start the preparation and how to go about it.

Salient Features

1. Detailed plan for undergraduates, those planning to take their first attempt and those already in the examination process
2. Starts right from guidance for filling in the application form (including advice on choice of subjects) to life as a probationary officer undergoing training for the job
3. Comprehensive guidance for preparation for Civil Services Prelims, Mains and Interview
4. For the prelims, detailed analyses of which subjects are more important from the exam point of view and which topics within those subjects to prepare more
5. Covers the entire syllabus of Paper II of CSAT
6. For the Mains, advice on which optional to choose and what should be the criterion for deciding on the optional
7. Detailed coverage of G.S. Mains – Paper IV (Ethics)
8. During the interview what to say, what not to say, how to make your point; sample interviews
9. Guidance on how to how to make the optimum use of newspapers, websites, government reports and television without wasting time on them
10.Tips from Civil Services exams toppers on every aspect of exam preparation

Section 1: Aiming for CSE 1–58
1. The Civil Services Examination: An Introduction 3–13
2. Target CSE: Preparation by the Undergraduates 14–22
3. Taking the Plunge: Beginning the Preparation for the CSE 23–37
4. Preparing for the Optional Subject 38–53
5. Preparing for General Studies of Main Examination and Essay 54–58

Section 2: The Preliminary Examination 59–224
7. Preparation for Paper I of General Studies: Prelims 72–95
8. CSAT: An Introduction 96–224

Section 3: The Main Examination 225–458
9. Main Examination: The Big Battle 227–237
10. Profile, Prospects and Preference of Services 238–255
11. Tips from the Toppers 256–304
12. Preparing for the Essay 305–322
13. General Studies—Paper I 323–332
14. General Studies Paper II 333–345
15. General Studies Paper III 346–365
16. Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude 366–412
17. Optional: Key to Success in CSE 413–458

Section 4: The Personality Test 459–534
18. The Personality Test: The Final Frontier 461–534
Section Summary 497
Section Summary 502

Section 5: CSE and Beyond 535–550
19. Failure is not Final: Try Again 537–543
20. Success is Sweet: An Epilogue 544–550