Optimal Time Consumption for Vision IAS Monthly Magazine

The ideal time to cover the Vision IAS monthly magazine can vary based on your reading speed, comprehension level, and how deeply you wish to engage with the content. However, here are some general guidelines to help you make the most of your study time.

Reading Time

Allocate about 1-2 hours for a thorough reading of the magazine. This duration allows you to absorb the key concepts and current affairs, ensuring that you have a comprehensive understanding of the material.

Note-taking

Dedicate an additional 1 hour for making notes or highlighting important points. This is crucial for revision later. Taking detailed notes can help you retain information better and make studying more efficient.

Revision

Plan for 30 minutes to 1 hour to review your notes after a few days. This helps reinforce what you’ve learned and ensures that the information sticks in your memory.

Based on these guidelines, the total time for a comprehensive engagement with each monthly issue would be around 3-4 hours.

Exam Preparation for UPSC

If you're preparing for exams like the UPSC, you might want to spread this out over a few days to avoid cramming and ensure better retention of the material. Alternately, you could allocate:

2 days, with 3 sittings per day of 2 hours each, totaling 12 hours in total. 3 days, with 2 sittings per day of 2 hours each, totaling 12 hours.

If you have been reading a newspaper religiously throughout the month, you may not need to spend more than 12-13 hours on the magazine.

Selective Reading

Vision magazine for current affairs is not to be read page-to-page. Instead, it is important to selectively read the magazine. For example, in the December 2019 issue, the Citizenship Amendment Act is covered over three pages. Out of these, you may only need to read 1 page for Prelims facts. The most effective way to use this magazine is to skim it after regularly reading a daily newspaper.

A topper, who is currently an IPS officer, mentioned that just reading 1/3rd or 1/4th of the entire magazine for preparation is sufficient.

Time to Take

Considering the topper's suggestion, referring to 30–45 pages is wise enough. If each page takes 4–5 minutes, you can finish this magazine with 3–4 hours only for prelims facts, excluding the mains content.

For February preparation, focusing only on prelims is wise.

One day is often sufficient to dedicate to reading the magazine, especially if you are following a daily newspaper regularly. If you find new topics in the magazine, you can easily add them to your existing knowledge.

Conclusion

Effective use of your time can greatly enhance your preparation for the UPSC. Whether you opt for a concentrated 1-day reading or spread out the time over several days, the key is to ensure deep understanding and retention of the material.

Good luck with your preparation.