https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Know Why this UPSC Mentor Says Aspirants Should Not Make Notes From NCERTs

What is the right way to read the NCERTs for UPSC preparation? Should one just read the books from the beginning to the end, or is it also important to make one’s own notes from them? An IITian who cleared CSE twice and who is now an UPSC mentor gives his suggestions on what he thinks is the correct way forward.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Ask any UPSC aspirant and he or she will tell you that NCRETs (the books brought out by the National Council of Educational Research and Training for school students) are considered to be the ‘Bible’ of UPSC Civil Services Examination. They are considered as the basic reading books to build the base for this prestigious exam. These books cover all topics of UPSC and give us a crystal clear conceptual clarity. Aspirants remain no longer beginners once they go through these books thoroughly. In essence, these books build the basic concept for every subject. They are like an operating system, without which you can’t run your other softwares.

But what is the correct way to read these NCERTs? Do we just have to open the book and start reading it from the beginning to the end? Or, do we also have to make notes from these books on our own? Answers may vary as aspirants follow different strategies, some their own while some follow the strategy of toppers. In a long thread on social media platform Twitter, an IITian who cleared this prestigious exam twice, Abhijeet Yadav, tries to clear the air and suggest the way to read NCERTs. He shares his thoughts on why UPSC aspirants should not make notes from NCERTs. For conveying his thoughts and opinions in an effective way, he took help of a swimming strategy.

He said in a tweet: “I’ll be using a swimming analogy to explain this. Why? Because it’s summer and swimming is fun.”

LEARNING TO SWIM

In his first tweet, he wrote about UPSC preparation and compares it to learning swimming.

He tweeted: “Starting UPSC prep is like learning to swim. When you begin, you’re uncomfortable with the water (syllabus). You don’t know what skills you need. You struggle to breathe in the water (study for 8 hrs), forget about thriving in the water (enjoying preparations).”

DIVING INTO THE DEEP END

In his second tweet of the thread, he talked about the concept behind every subject and suggested that without building a base, we should not move towards the main or lengthy books. “If you’re impatient and dive in to the deep end (reference books like Laxmikanth for Polity), then you’re in for a shock. You aren’t able to breathe properly yet, let alone be relaxed enough to float (understand concepts).”

SHALLOW END OF THE POOL

In his third tweet, he wrote: “NCERTs are the shallow end of the pool. The 4ft depth lets you maintain a sense of control. Slowly move from 4ft to 5ft and 6ft (class 8-10, 11, 12). When you can breathe and float, you will find it easier to handle the deep end (Laxmikanth).”

NOTES FROM NCERTs

In his next tweet, he talks about making notes. He strongly suggested that there is no need to make notes from NCERTs books. He said, “Don’t make notes from NCERTs. Now that you’re comfortable in the deep end, you don’t need to make notes about how to float anymore. Floating (understanding concepts) has become part of your skillset. The base on which you will build more skills.”

Credit: Social Media

INTERMEDIATE SKILLS

In his next tweet, Abhijeet said, “Time for the next set of skills: Kicking (discipline): keeps you breathing. Hand strokes (solving previous year question papers-PYQs): course correction. And then it’s all about practice (read + test + revise). This is the point where you should start taking notes.”

ADVANCED SKILLS

In his next tweet, he moves on from intermediate skills to advanced skills. “It is best to take NOTES here. As you will need to practice these often if you want to succeed.”

He also highlights the importance of “Dolphin Kick (reviewing tests), Backstroke (syllabus topic analysis), and Diving (answer writing)”.

SUMMARISING

In the last tweet of the thread, he sums up by saying: “Don’t make notes from NCERTs because once you’ve built a subject base, those skills will be part of you. You will be covering them again and again. Make notes from reference books. This will help you practice the advanced material and gain more from less.”

ABOUT ABHIJEET YADAV 

Abhijeet Yadav spent five years of his life on the UPSC journey. He made 6 attempts, which covered 4 Mains, 2 interviews, 2 selections, and got AIR 653 in CSE 2017 and R-List in CSE 2018. He is now an UPSC mentor and the founder of UPSCprep.com.

An alumnus of IIT Delhi, he also has a YouTube channel with over 115,000 subscribers, where he helps aspirants to prepare better for the UPSC CSE exam.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Bihar Cabiner meeting expressways
Bihar's Infrastructure Leap: 12 Districts to Benefit as New Greenfield Expressway Cuts Raxaul-Haldia Travel to Under 10 Hours
Bhupendra Patel CM Gujarat Cooperative
Gujarat Charts Grand Plan for International Cooperative Year 2025 under CM Patel’s Leadership - Details Inside
ministry of information and broadcasting MIB
MIB Issues Transfer & Posting Orders for 31 IIS Officers Across Media Units, Effective Immediately - Check Details Here
Bihar Government-resized-IM
Cane to Cash: Bihar Govt Rolls Out Rs49 Crore Scheme to Boost Sugarcane Farming and Farmer Incomes
bureaucracy news
Anil Kumar Singhal Repatriated to Andhra Pradesh Cadre; FSIB Chairperson & Members Get One-Year Extension
Bhupendra Patel CM Gujarat
Gujarat Secretariat Leads the Way in Reducing Plastic Usage with 'Sakhi Neer' Glass Bottling Initiative
temple
Ghela Somnath Mahadev Temple to Shine with Rs10 Cr Redevelopment Plan, Echoing ‘Vikas Bhi, Virasat Bhi’ Vision
PESB
PESB Selects Nripendra Nath as New Director (Technical) for CMPDIL - Know More About Him
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Inderjit Singh Air India
Is Air India Carrying The Burden of Split Before Privatisation?
Ex IRS C Rajendiran
Ex-IRS Officer C. Rajendiran Illuminates Thirukkural’s Timeless Wisdom in Exclusive Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-25 at 5.07
Why Has the DGCA Fined Air India Rs 5 Crore Since Privatisation?
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IPS Deepak Meghani
Deepak Meghani, IPS: A Journey of Focus, Failure, and Quiet Discipline
A passionate writer, he has authored several books in Gujarati, ranging from exam strategy guides to...
Sanish Kumar Singh
“If you want it badly enough, you’ll find a way,” Sanish Kumar Singh AIR 8, UPSC IFS 2024 
The real interview, he says, was much more humane. “The board was conversational. The chairman opened...
Raju Wagh
When the Battlefield Became a Study Room and a Dream Took Flight
Amid IED blasts and anti-Maoist operations in Bastar, CRPF Commando Raju Wagh taught village kids, studied...
Social Media
Shailaja Chandra
“Nanis & Dadis Have a Brain”: Former IAS Officer Shailaja Chandra Weighs in on 1970s vs 2025 Life Debate - “This Generation Has It Better”
Responding to Viral Post on Middle-Class Struggles, Ex-Bureaucrat Offers Candid Reflection on Then and...
Tigress Arrowhead
The End of an Era: A Queen Falls - Ranthambore’s Iconic Tigress Arrowhead (T-84) Passes Away at 14, Hours After Daughter’s Relocation
Ranthambore mourns the loss of one of its fiercest and most beloved tigers, Arrowhead, the granddaughter...
Screenshot 2025-06-13 194001
Wild Elephant Disrupts Riverside Picnic, Sparks Debate on Human Encroachment; IFS Parveen Kumar Shares the Video - Watch Here!
Mr. Kaswan used the viral video, which has garnered over 1.5 lakh views, to highlight the risks of human...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
IAS Abhinav Gopal IAS Deepak Karwa
Two IAS Officers Make History by Completing English Channel Swim
Bihar Cabiner meeting expressways
Bihar's Infrastructure Leap: 12 Districts to Benefit as New Greenfield Expressway Cuts Raxaul-Haldia Travel to Under 10 Hours
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Inderjit Singh Air India
Ex IRS C Rajendiran
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-25 at 5.07
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT