In our country, the obsession for conventional degrees like MBBS, CA, LLB, and MBA has drastically changed over the years (of course, for the better). One thing that has remained unfazed for over a century now is the great desire to crack the coveted civil services or IAS examination and the engineering entrance exams. UPSC and JEE are two of the most coveted exams. UPSC can easily be considered to be an exam which checkmates JEE and takes the title for the most challenging examination in the country and probably even the world at large.
UPSC and JEE: A Comparison of the Different Facets
Started by the British in the early 19th century, the Indian Administrative Services as it is now known is considered to be one of the best professions in India. It’s mainly due to the nature of respect and power that officers command in society apart from all other benefits they enjoy.
Here’s a low down on why we think that even though UPSC and JEE are tough, JEE may not be as challenging as UPSC.
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Syllabus matters
In the case of UPSC examinations, aspirants have to prepare for volumes and volumes of syllabus starting from 6th standard CBSE books to graduate level research papers to current affairs. There is no fixed quantification or objective allocation of subject matter unlike in JEE where the examination board has more or less stuck with a fixed set of concepts and topics. There maybe some vagueness in the JEE syllabus too but with the variety of books and presence of coaching, students end up getting all the practice they need. In the IAS preparation, the sheer volume of the syllabus makes it very difficult for students to prepare with complete confidence.
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Age restriction
Most students preparing for JEE are those from junior colleges or high schools. They are at an age where almost everyone around them is studying, maybe at different levels depending on course but are in the process of education nevertheless. When it comes to UPSC, the aspirants are older and in their early to mid-twenties, an age when most people have started working, earning and leading a stable life. When a student starts to prepare for IAS, s/he is highly likely to take the year off for the same. It takes away a year of earnings, which sometimes becomes a burden for parents as well. All these factors play a huge psychological role, which an IAS aspirant has to subconsciously deal with. Also, the risk involved is much greater in such a situation.
Thinking of pursuing IAS? Here’s all you need to know about it.
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Vacancies are limited
As we know, the MHRD has been on a spree to increase the number of IITs as well as other colleges in the country. This means that the number of seats to compete for has increased while also a lesser number of people showing interest towards the examination each year has made it a tad easier for JEE aspirants. On the flipside, the IAS selects a few hundred students each year, which makes it extremely difficult for aspirants to qualify. Thus, many students take multiple attempts to clear the examination, spending more than a few years of their life in the process. Even other services like the IRS, IPS and the foreign services that the students apply for have a limited intake. With such a constraint, it is more than clear that the competition is best described as cut-throat.
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The interview is not everyone’s cup of tea
UPSC and JEE are different in terms of the exam patterns too. The JEE is a one-day examination whose result depends on how well a person performs in six hours in an objective examination. The UPSC exam includes not just objective but also lengthy subjective papers with essays to be written by candidates. There is also a final interview to test the person’s caliber, knowledge and confidence among other factors. It makes the entire examination process, which also looks at a candidate’s all-round ability, a comprehensive one. Thus we believe that not everyone who clears JEE requires such a thorough preparation such as the level that IAS aspirants strive to achieve.
In conclusion, we would like to say that clearing the UPSC is a draconian task. However, having said that, preparing and clearing any competitive examination is a great achievement in itself and requires immense dedication. We would certainly like to extend our wishes to all those who have spent time and effort in studying for these exams.
Cheers and Good Luck.
