There are three stages in the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) Combined Competitive Examination (CCE). Preliminary Examination is the first stage consisting of one paper of 150 marks. It is a screening test. Mains Examination is the second stage that comprises one qualifying paper and 3 merit ranking papers. Interview is the last stage that is allotted 150 marks. All these stages test candidates’ knowledge of the syllabus assigned by the commission; and one of the common subject-areas is current affairs. A candidate is required to be updated with the events of national and international importance. Hence, this article will focus on the preparation techniques for the current affairs asked in the CCE Exam.
The Combined Competitive Examination is an annual event. Currently, 64th and 65th CCE are taking place. The commission has also released the prelims date of 66th CCE prelims. Candidates preparing for this examination need to go through the BPSC Syllabus as it is designed in such a way that it incorporates almost all major subjects.
To those aspirants who are preparing for 66th BPSC CCE examination; they must know that prelims is on the 27th December 2020. Hence, it is important to focus on each section of the prelims syllabus. Here, we will focus on the current affairs section for both prelims and mains examinations.
Major Topics of BPSC Prelims
The commission releases the syllabus each year along with the official notification. The topics that are important for BPSC Prelims are:
- General Science
- Events of national and international importance
- History of Bihar and Indian History
- Geography
- Geography of Bihar
- Indian Polity and Economy
- Changes in the economy of Bihar post-independence
- Indian National Movement and the Role of Bihar
- General Mental Ability
How to Cover Current Affairs?
The topic mentioned in the syllabus is the ‘events of national and international importance.’ Hence, the news items that are often debated and heard in a span of one year ahead of the examination are usually the most concerning topics for the prelims examination. Let us first see which are the right sources of to cover the current affairs:
Newspaper – This is the best source of information for all the events of national and international importance. However, BPSC candidates have to note the following points while reading a daily newspaper:
- Read a regional newspaper along with a national daily. This way, state-specific current events also are covered which are very important for the state service examination.
- In a national daily, choose only one newspaper and stick to it. Switching to different newspapers along your preparation can confuse you and put you off track with a pattern.
- The most suggested newspaper is , ‘The Hindu,’ and aspirants can pick this one for their current affairs preparation.
- While reading the national newspaper, news items like political events, issues related to politics, sports or other personalities; or crimes are not important per se for the examination.
- One must only focus on the ‘national’, ‘economics’ and ‘editorials’ section of the newspaper.
- Current Affairs Magazine – Various institutes bring out their current affairs magazines month-wise. A BPSC candidate can choose any one such magazine and read and revise it on a monthly basis. The following points should be noted while reading a monthly current affairs magazine:
- Aspirants should not make comprehensive notes from these magazines as they are already designed for revision purpose.
- Candidates should use these magazines to fill the gaps in their current affairs preparations. Those topics that were not covered by them through the newspaper; should be given more importance.
- Revision of these magazines should be on priority.
- Daily News Analysis – While a candidate reads the newspaper daily, there are a few events that are new to him/her. In such instances, daily news analysis of reputed institutes come into play. Aspirants can take help of these initiatives and use it for their own understanding. These help in:
- Concept building
- Introduction to the background
- Follow-up of the old news
- Daily Quiz – This one of the important avenues to track your current affairs preparation. An aspirant can take half an hour of time daily to take such a quiz on current affairs. It helps in:
- One can track the progress of their knowledge in daily events.
- A better understanding of the types of topics covered in the current affairs.
- One gets an opportunity to analyse his/her strengths and weaknesses in different areas concerning current affairs.
- PIB – It is the agency authorized to disseminate information concerning Indian government, state governments and related-initiatives. Hence, the information given by PIB related to the topics that might be important from the exam’s perspective should be read by the aspirants. For example:
- Any government scheme information given by PIB must be covered.
- Any international agreements signed between India and other countries should be covered from here.
- Any updates related to national events and international events that seem important for exam; should be read.
- Yearly Compilations – These are the magazines that are usually released ahead of the prelims examination by multiple institutes. For the BPSC examination; various local institutes come up with a gist of polity, history, economics, geography, etc ahead of examination. These are also one of the best resources of revision. Hence, topics like general science, environment and economy can be easily revised from yearly compilations or gists.
Candidates should remember following points to cover the BPSC Syllabus:
- Revision is the key to crack the examination
- Previous Year Question papers come handy for evaluation of the demand of the questions.
- Self-written notes are more important than printed notes.
- Confidence is pivotal to take the examination.
As a quick reminder, 64th CBSA Exam BPSC CCE interview will take place from 13th December 2020 onward; while 65th BPSC CCE Mains will start from 25th November 2020 onwards. Candidates should keep the above-mentioned points and revise the entire syllabus well ahead of the time.
