INTERVIEW FOR CSE 2019 All ForumIAS members selected for CSE 2019 Personality Test must submit their details and DAF and register below to receive further instructions and guidance from ForumIAS. Click here to register now
INTERVIEW 2020 CHANNEL ForumIAS Channel for Interview Preparation is now Active! Please join the channel by clicking here
Hello friends! I am requesting anyone who had gone through crackIAS notes to kindly review and give feedback on the quality of the materials considering the changed syllabus and the present trend of questions asked in GS main exam...Thank You...
I took them for GS 2 and 3. They're nothing but a concise form of the 2nd ARC and other govt reports. However, if you're finding it difficult to cover up all the topics for a particular paper, then they are fine. You can use them as base notes. I found Vision's notes better for paper 3 though. I think both offer some topics for free download, so you can have a look.
Well , I bought the notes too and one of the main reasons being self preparation . Here is my take on them :
First for their claim of coverage of a range of books : Guys ( and gals ) , spectrum has almost all topics that are covered in bipan chandra's book, or sumit sarkar's book or from plassey to partition or any other book on Freedom struggle . So can it claim to be a " notes " of these books ? See , the point is u may collect all the facts from a book but there is an underlying current that only an author of the stature of bipan chandra ( RIP , Sir ) can deliver . You HAVE to read the book !
Second , as for their claim that so many questions come from their notes , I find it ludicrous that civil services aspirants who aspire to run this country eventually , cant see through this farce .
As for their material , the four basic booklets about the syllabus are alright . Not too good not too bad . One has to study from standard books though . They can only help u revise and more importantly check that you have not missed any topic or point . Also they cover only 80-85 % of the topics . Not all .
After that they give current affairs " notes " which is a misnomer . They are NO notes .They are "copy pastes". In one booklet they have collectd SELECTED articles of economic and political weekly , yojana and kurukshetra of past one year verbatim ( AS IT IS GIVEN IN THE MAGAZINES ) and reproduced it . It also has HD report and World development report which has been edited and printed . Moreover , the collection of these articles is not different for the optionals or even GS papers . They give the same booklet for all optional and GS papers . This was a big let down . I am sure we can sort the articles out by ourselves from the original magazines . Aim here was to get a summary , not reproductions of what we already have !!
Then they give a booklet on news , which is alright ( and again common for all optionals and GS papers !! ) . But better booklets from vajiram , wizard etc float the markets before exam .
Final word :
Notwithstanding their claims of coverage of range of books and many questions coming directly from their notes , as for their current affairs booklets , they make no difference to your efforts as outlined above . For core , yeah , they can be a good source for revision and cross checking ( not studying ) , but then notes of Vajiram ,etc ( Class notes is what i am talking about ) are floating the markets for much cheaper prices . And their quality is much better than crack IAS for sure . So why would you want to shell out 20000/- odd rupees for a job that can be accomplished in under 2000/- at book shops ?
PS : I am writing and posting this article in all threads about crackias.com , reason being i want to share my experience about the notes so that aspirants know exactly the quality of these from someone who has used them and not from someone who has advertised or peddled them . This is especially because i was duped by a big brand coaching for GS ( with most beautiful and most frequent advertisements in HINDU ; rings a bell ?? ) with their marketing strategy . The quality of coaching was not even 10% of the quality of their advertisement !!! I see crackias.com doing the same ... making a big deal of something very ordinary with impeccable advertising campaign . But with platforms like forumias etc , its not going to be as easy duping the student community as time passes .
A few more points about CrackIAS.com :
> Their are such dark watermarks in their current affairs booklets that it is practically impossible to read them . However , the core booklets have a brown watermark and they are pretty readable .
>Their customer service after buying the material is pathetic . They try to dodge you a lot with ur queries .
>Many pages are missing in the core booklets and to ask them for it , is almost like moving a mountain , considering their pathetic customer service .
>Their best work : The synposis they provide for optional papers is well made and helpful for recalling the outlines of many topics . They send it by email though and does not have any watermark . If u can , then get it from ur friends who have taken the course or ask someone on the forumIAS for a soft copy .
> One last recommendation : For PT , there is a book by Rakesh Dwivedi called paper 1 in 60 days published by TMH . I found it good for revision for PT and its more or less like notes and at under 300/- its a fraction of the CrackIAS PT material and more or less of the same quality . Pretty good for revision only , please remember that . There are many pages of data given though just like CrackIAS , which u must skip based on ur understanding of UPSC prelims exam analysing the past papers , especially the recent ones .
Take a look at CrackIAS.com I have heard from my friends. Best notes for mains & prelims. They are also providing Test series for mains & prelims. Hope this will help you.
First of all before you start preparation for IAS Exam, you should know the Civli Service Exam Syllabus first. When you are talking about CrackIAS Notes, their Red Books are very Good for UPSC GS PRELIMS. Red Books are the compilation of all the necessary material for preparations of Civil Service Exam, They will provide you Gist of All NCERTs Old & New 6th-12th and 70+ major authors like Laxmikanth, DD Basu, Nitin Singhania.
CrackIAS's Current Affairs covered News of last 1.5 Years from 14+ major sources like PIB, The Hindu, Live Mint, HT, TOI, RBI, ET, Indian Express, PRS Blog, Government Sites and more.
My review is only for those students who are seriously preparing for IAS exam. If you are from those who purchase books but don't give proper time for study then don't waste your money.
Only go for IAS Study Material if you can do at least 4 hours study in a day.
We are a secret self-moderated community for Civil Services preparation. Feel free to join, start a discussion, answer a question or just to say Thank you.Just dont spread the word ;)Sign in or join with Facebook or Google
ForumIAS is India’s leading Online website for UPSC IAS Exam Online Preparation and guidance. At ForumIAS, we have a dream. Our dream is to make its members achieve their IAS dream. Today thousands of aspirants have joined the elite services such as IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS and other central and state services with the right inputs provided by ForumIAS. Take a look at our IAS Toppers
Free IAS Online Preparation Initiatives by ForumIAS
Current affairs is the most important part of UPSC IAS exam. ForumIAS provides a detailed analysis of important news articles through its 9PM brief. In current affairs reading Editorials Online needs an in-depth focus and hence we provide a separate analysis of daily editorials which is not found in any other website. Click the following link to access these free preparation initiatives in Portal . ForumIAS also provides compilations and Free downloads for UPSC IAS preparation
Knowing is never enough for IAS exam. An IAS aspirant must be engaged in answer writing practice to do well in UPSC IAS Mains Exam. ForumIAS has launched a Mains Marathon initiative for IAS mains Online answer writing. Click here to access UPSC Mains Marathon initiative . For Daily Must Read Newspaper articles, Visit Must Read Newspaper page here. Must Read Newspaper is an Initiative by Team ForumIAS to provide Current Affairs links to the Must Read Articles of The Day from Newspaper.
UPSC Syllabus
The most important part of UPSC IAS exam is its syllabus and there is a need to take an in-depth look at it. Click here to view the UPSC IAS Prelims syllabus. Visit UPSC IAS syllabus page here
UPSC IAS Study Material
ForumIAS is the repository of many toppers’ Online study materials for GS Mains and Optional subjects. The most unique thing about it is that they are handwritten by toppers themselves. Click here for UPSC sample notes
Interview Preparation for IAS
Interview is the last and crucial stage for becoming an IAS officer. How to prepare for it? We provide a solution. ForumIAS is the only online website where quality IAS interview preparations happen. Online Current affairs from an interview perspective are extensively discussed and specific preparation based on candidate’s profile and hobbies can be done. Please visit this link for UPSC Interview Preparation
At ForumIAS we have an exclusive Online page to read the UPSC Interview Transcripts
Indian Forest Service (IFoS)
IFoS is one of the most sought after All India Service. ForumIAS provides the right approach to excel in this exam through their toppers who have shared their success mantras and their study materials in an elaborate manner.
About Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
IAS is considered as one of the best jobs on earth. IAS officers hold the most important positions in Central and State Governments and in Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). They also represent India in international organizations. They take the most important decisions in the administration of Government policies and development programs.
About Indian Police Service (IPS)
IPS officers occupy higher positions in the State Police Departments, Central Armed Police Forces and Intelligence Agencies. Their most important responsibilities are maintenance of Law and Order and internal security.
About Indian Foreign Service (IFS)
IFS officers serve as diplomats in international missions and embassies of India around the world and in prominent international organizations like United Nations (UN), World Bank, and IMF. They work to promote India’s interests from a bilateral and a global perspective.
The Study portal is a single point of online IAS preparation through its several initiatives like the Must Read News Articles, the 9 PM Brief, the Mains Marathon. If you are preparing for IAS exam online, ForumIAS is the place to go. ForumIAS is proud of ForumIAS Alumni in UPSC Service who have secured top Ranks in past 5 years.
Visit Us At
ForumIAS - Offline Guidance Centre
ForumIAS Academy, 1st Floor, IAPL House, 19, Pusa Road, Opposite Metro Pillar 95-96, Karol Bagh, New Delhi-110005,
View Google Map Location
Comments
I bought the notes too and one of the main reasons being self preparation . Here is my take on them :
First for their claim of coverage of a range of books : Guys ( and gals ) , spectrum has almost all topics that are covered in bipan chandra's book, or sumit sarkar's book or from plassey to partition or any other book on Freedom struggle . So can it claim to be a " notes " of these books ? See , the point is u may collect all the facts from a book but there is an underlying current that only an author of the stature of bipan chandra ( RIP , Sir ) can deliver . You HAVE to read the book !
Second , as for their claim that so many questions come from their notes , I find it ludicrous that civil services aspirants who aspire to run this country eventually , cant see through this farce .
As for their material , the four basic booklets about the syllabus are alright . Not too good not too bad . One has to study from standard books though . They can only help u revise and more importantly check that you have not missed any topic or point . Also they cover only 80-85 % of the topics . Not all .
After that they give current affairs " notes " which is a misnomer . They are NO notes .They are "copy pastes". In one booklet they have collectd SELECTED articles of economic and political weekly , yojana and kurukshetra of past one year verbatim ( AS IT IS GIVEN IN THE MAGAZINES ) and reproduced it . It also has HD report and World development report which has been edited and printed . Moreover , the collection of these articles is not different for the optionals or even GS papers . They give the same booklet for all optional and GS papers . This was a big let down . I am sure we can sort the articles out by ourselves from the original magazines . Aim here was to get a summary , not reproductions of what we already have !!
Then they give a booklet on news , which is alright ( and again common for all optionals and GS papers !! ) . But better booklets from vajiram , wizard etc float the markets before exam .
Final word :
Notwithstanding their claims of coverage of range of books and many questions coming directly from their notes , as for their current affairs booklets , they make no difference to your efforts as outlined above . For core , yeah , they can be a good source for revision and cross checking ( not studying ) , but then notes of Vajiram ,etc ( Class notes is what i am talking about ) are floating the markets for much cheaper prices . And their quality is much better than crack IAS for sure . So why would you want to shell out 20000/- odd rupees for a job that can be accomplished in under 2000/- at book shops ?
PS : I am writing and posting this article in all threads about crackias.com , reason being i want to share my experience about the notes so that aspirants know exactly the quality of these from someone who has used them and not from someone who has advertised or peddled them . This is especially because i was duped by a big brand coaching for GS ( with most beautiful and most frequent advertisements in HINDU ; rings a bell ?? ) with their marketing strategy . The quality of coaching was not even 10% of the quality of their advertisement !!! I see crackias.com doing the same ... making a big deal of something very ordinary with impeccable advertising campaign . But with platforms like forumias etc , its not going to be as easy duping the student community as time passes .
A few more points about CrackIAS.com :
> Their are such dark watermarks in their current affairs booklets that it is practically impossible to read them . However , the core booklets have a brown watermark and they are pretty readable .
>Their customer service after buying the material is pathetic . They try to dodge you a lot with ur queries .
>Many pages are missing in the core booklets and to ask them for it , is almost like moving a mountain , considering their pathetic customer service .
>Their best work : The synposis they provide for optional papers is well made and helpful for recalling the outlines of many topics . They send it by email though and does not have any watermark . If u can , then get it from ur friends who have taken the course or ask someone on the forumIAS for a soft copy .
> One last recommendation : For PT , there is a book by Rakesh Dwivedi called paper 1 in 60 days published by TMH . I found it good for revision for PT and its more or less like notes and at under 300/- its a fraction of the CrackIAS PT material and more or less of the same quality . Pretty good for revision only , please remember that . There are many pages of data given though just like CrackIAS , which u must skip based on ur understanding of UPSC prelims exam analysing the past papers , especially the recent ones .
First of all before you start preparation for IAS Exam, you should know the Civli Service Exam Syllabus first. When you are talking about CrackIAS Notes, their Red Books are very Good for UPSC GS PRELIMS. Red Books are the compilation of all the necessary material for preparations of Civil Service Exam, They will provide you Gist of All NCERTs Old & New 6th-12th and 70+ major authors like Laxmikanth, DD Basu, Nitin Singhania.
CrackIAS's Current Affairs covered News of last 1.5 Years from 14+ major sources like PIB, The Hindu, Live Mint, HT, TOI, RBI, ET, Indian Express, PRS Blog, Government Sites and more.
My review is only for those students who are seriously preparing for IAS exam. If you are from those who purchase books but don't give proper time for study then don't waste your money.
Only go for IAS Study Material if you can do at least 4 hours study in a day.