What Was Your Strategy While Preparing for Current Affairs?

Introduction

When it comes to competitive exams—be it UPSC, APPSC, TSPSC, SSC, Banking, or State Government exams—Current Affairs plays a crucial role. It’s a section that can significantly influence your overall score. However, unlike static subjects, current affairs require a smart and consistent strategy. At HAREESH THE BEST ACADEMY, we believe that success in current affairs lies not just in reading the news but in understanding, analyzing, and retaining it.

Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the strategy that helped our students master current affairs, and how you too can implement it in your preparation journey.

1. Set Clear Goals and Sources

The first mistake many aspirants make is relying on too many sources. This leads to confusion and information overload. Instead, we always recommend a “minimum sources, maximum revision” strategy.

Recommended Sources:

• The Hindu or The Indian Express (one reliable national daily)
• PIB (Press Information Bureau) for government updates
• Monthly current affairs magazine – preferably from HAREESH THE BEST ACADEMY
• Yojana and Kurukshetra – for UPSC-level insights (optional for state-level exams)
• Standard current affairs compilation PDFs for monthly revision

Strategy Tip:

Stick to 2–3 sources max. Don’t waste time hopping between 10 YouTube channels or apps. Curated content is key.

2. Daily Current Affairs: 1 Hour a Day is Enough

Many students ask: “How many hours should I spend on current affairs daily?”

Our strategy? Just one hour a day—consistently.

How to use this hour effectively:

• 20 minutes: Read newspaper headlines and mark important news
• 20 minutes: Make brief handwritten or digital notes
• 20 minutes: Revise the previous day’s notes or watch a summary video from HAREESH THE BEST ACADEMY

This way, you don’t pile up content and stay updated daily instead of cramming weekly or monthly.

3. Make Smart Notes – Don’t Just Copy-Paste

While making notes, focus on keywords, facts, and analysis. Avoid rewriting entire articles.

Note-Making Style:

• Use headings and bullet points
• Highlight Schemes, Dates, Reports, Indices, Places in News
• Categorize your notes: Polity, Economy, Science & Tech, International, Environment

Example:

Mission Chandrayaan-3

• Launched: 14 July 2023
• Objective: Soft landing on Moon’s south pole
• Agency: ISRO
• Importance: India becomes 4th country to achieve this feat

Such notes are easy to revise and recall during exams.

4. Weekly and Monthly Revisions

Revision is more important than reading. No matter how much you read, if you don’t revise, you won’t remember.

Our 3-Level Revision Strategy:

1. Daily: Revise the previous day’s news
2. Weekly: Take out 1–2 hours every Sunday to go through the week’s news and attempt a quiz
3. Monthly: Use the HAREESH THE BEST ACADEMY Monthly Compilation PDF or magazine

Revision builds retention. Don’t skip this step.

5. Use Quizzes and Tests to Evaluate

What you cannot recall in 10 seconds is as good as forgotten in the exam hall.

At HAREESH THE BEST ACADEMY, we conduct daily quizzes, weekly current affairs tests, and monthly full-length tests. This helps students:

• Gauge their preparation level
• Identify weak areas
• Improve time management

Tip:

After reading current affairs for 7 days, take a quiz to test yourself. Quizzing improves active recall and boosts confidence.

6. Link Current Affairs with Static Syllabus

One key differentiator between average and top scorers is the ability to connect current events with static subjects.

Examples:

• News: Article 370 and its abrogation
  Link with: Indian Constitution, Federalism, J&K history
• News: Budget 2025 Highlights
  Link with: Economy syllabus – fiscal deficit, capital expenditure, schemes

At HAREESH THE BEST ACADEMY, we integrate such linkages in our daily and monthly sessions so that you get a 360-degree understanding.

7. Focus on State-Specific Current Affairs

If you’re preparing for APPSC or TSPSC, then Andhra Pradesh and Telangana-specific news becomes even more critical.

Our academy provides:

• Dedicated state-level current affairs notes
• Local scheme updates
• State budget breakdowns
• Important regional issues (like Polavaram Project, Kaleshwaram, etc.)

This gives our students an edge in state exams.

8. Don’t Skip Current Affairs in the Last Month

Many aspirants stop current affairs preparation one month before the exam to focus on static topics.

Big mistake.

Around 25–30% of the paper can be based on events from the last 30–45 days.

So even during final revision, keep 20–30 minutes daily for current affairs, especially for Prelims and Mains descriptive questions.

Final Thoughts: Stay Consistent, Stay Curious

This article in the rmconnection must have given you clear idea about Preparing for current affairs is not about memorizing headlines—it’s about understanding what happened, why it matters, and how it connects to the bigger picture.

At HAREESH THE BEST ACADEMY, we don’t just teach you what’s in the news. We teach you how to decode the news, connect it to your syllabus, and most importantly—retain it for the exam.

Stick to a routine, revise regularly, test your knowledge, and trust the process.

About HAREESH THE BEST ACADEMY

We are a trusted name in competitive exam coaching across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. With expert faculty, updated materials, structured strategies, and personalized mentorship, we’ve helped hundreds of aspirants clear Group 1, Group 2, SI, Constable, APPSC, and Banking exams.

Whether you’re just starting or stuck at a plateau, we’re here to help you climb.

📍 Join us today and start your journey toward success!