If you are preparing for UPSC civil services examination then you know how difficult it is to keep focused and continue to prepare for the exam, all the while knowing that the success rate of candidates applying for the exam is .1%-.3%. The competition level in TSPSC Group 1 exam too is nothing short of this, there being no recruitments in Group 1 cader for the past decade, recently announced TSPSC Group 1 examination might be the most competitive exam in the history of Telugu states- Andhra Pradesh and Telangana combined.
TSPSC Group 1 Notification in 2022 is the first notification released for the recruitment of DSP and Deputy Collector posts since the formation of the new state of Telangana
An interesting fact about education in Telangana: A report by the Times of India states that of the 68 lakh population who are above 15 years of age only 14 lakh are graduates in the state of Telangana ( only 22% of the population have finished 3-year degree courses). on the other hand, Telangana has the highest number of colleges in India.
Expected number of applications and competition level for TSPSC Group 1 Prelims exam in 2022
Based on the UPSC Prelims 2021 examination data, a total of 46,953 candidates appeared for the civil services examination in 2021 from the state of Telangana. This number can give us a rough baseline to project and arrive at the possible number of applications for the TSPSC Group 1 Examination.
The reason for this is simple, UPSC and Group 1 exams are very similar. Through UPSC you get to become IAS or IPS, the next best alternative for aspirants is to become Deputy Collector or DSP through the state services examination. The fact is only 40 candidates were successful in UPSC 2021 from the Telugu-speaking states of Telangana and AP. We can fairly assume that the rest who didn’t clear would apply for the Group 1 exam in 2022. All they need to do is prepare a few additional papers and a syllabus, they can easily attempt Group 1 prelims paper with an added advantage. Why would they miss this opportunity?
So there we have it, we can reasonably assume that at least 20,000 to 40,000 people who have attempted UPSC Prelims 2021 and 2020 would apply for TSPSC Group 1 exam in 2022. The upper age limit of the eligible candidates is extended to compensate for the lack of notifications in the last ten years. We can only speculate how many UPSC aspirants from the last ten years are making plans to make a comeback through the TSPC Groups examination.
If we consider UPSC aspirants as top-down competition in the TSPSC Group 1 examination, SSC aspirants are the bottom-up competition. This bunch would be itching to take a stab at the highest bureaucratic entry at the state level. Get ready to face competition from at least 60,000 – 100,000 who have been preparing for UPSC and SSC CGL kind of exams from Telangana in the last ten years. These numbers are a modest estimate, it could be higher.
Why focusing on Telangana State History, Telangana Culture, Arts and Heritage, Telangana State policies, etc. can give you a competitive advantage?
Don’t get demotivated by the competition from many of these veterans, instead focus on the fact that most of them never read or prepared for Group 1 syllabus which contains Telangana State History, Telangana Culture, Arts and Heritage, Telangana State policies, etc. This creates a level playing field for everyone, by focusing more on these topics candidates can gain the competitive advantage. Even the questions asked from other parts of the syllabus is trivial and more facts based in nature. With a proper preparation strategy that covers all the topics from selected books and regular mock tests should get you ready for this exam’s competition. Check out the recommended book list here
Histroy of Telangana is relatively a very defined syllabus, there isn’t much to read beyond a book or two. However, based on the feedback of candidates who wrote the Group 2 examination under the current TRS regime, most of the questions from Telangana History and state formation were very topical and some questions like who among the following was arrested during the Tankbund agitation, etc. were asked. Candidates are adviced to keep this in mind while preparing and make notes from interesting events anf topics that you read on newspapers.
If you are preparing first time for a competitve examination, is the time between TSPSC Group 1 notification and Group 1 Prelims dates enough to prepare and successfully clear the exam?
It is adviced to start the preparation right away. But if you are working/ employed and trying to plan a schedule and leaves accordingly, then YES, the time between notification and the exam should be enough. Only if you can dedicate atleast 8 hours in a day and religiously finish all the topics from syllabus in strategic way with daily current affairs and mock tests. Free TSPSC Group 1 Mock Tests
Check out related posts on this topic
Should you join in a coaching center for TSPSC Group 1 exam?
We have tried to cover this topic for telugu speaking audience in detail in one of our previous posts. It might be a bad decision to join in a coaching center as you might run the risk of wasting time by attending classes that cover basic concepts. Long term coaching that is scheduled over a period of 1 year is good, but with limited time available self-preparation through online resources and mock tests is the best strategy. If there are coaching centers that offer Test series package, please join the test series. Test series can be immensly useful before the exams and also helps you with better facts retention. Read the previous article about this here
