Beginner's Guide to Crack UPSC EPFO in First Try

Posted 5 June 25, 1:06 pm

Wanting to clear the UPSC EPFO exam in the first try is ambitious, but not impossible. Yes, the exam is tough and competitive, but you can do it. Yes, this exam is highly unpredictable and irregular, but there is a major chance of the notification dropping this year, and you can do it.

I am here to tell you that you can do it, not by giving you false hope, but by sharing everything you need to know about this exam, along with the UPSC EPFO syllabus, how much preparation time you need, and how you should prepare for this particular exam.

Let’s get started.

UPSC EPFO Exam Structure & Syllabus: Let’s Get a Complete Understanding

Before starting your UPSC EPFO preparation, it’s super important to know what the exam looks like and what topics you need to cover.

UPSC EPFO Exam Pattern

The UPSC EPFO exam has two stages:

Recruitment Test (RT), where MCQ-based, objective-type questions are asked, for a total of 300 marks for 100 questions in total, which has to be completed in 2 hors, and every wrong answer will cost you 0.25 marks.
Interview, in which only those who clear the written test will be asked to join. Final selection is based on merit in RT + Interview performance

Your main focus should be to score high in the written exam to qualify for the interview round.

UPSC EPFO Syllabus

The UPSC EPFO syllabus is broad but manageable if you plan well. Here are the main topics you need to study:

General English
General Science
The last year of Current Affairs
Indian Freedom Struggle & Cultural Heritage
Governance and Constitution of India
Indian Economy
Industrial Relations & Labour Laws
General Accounting Principle
Social Security
Computer Applications
Quantitative Aptitude
General Mental Ability
Statistical Concepts
Demographic Trends & Globalization
Auditing Principles
Insurance Fundamentals

Build a 6-Month Study Plan

You will have to build a timetable or a study plan. It should be for 6 months.

6-Month Plan (Ideal for Beginners):

Month 1–2: Understand basics – start with Polity and Labour Laws
Month 3–4: Add Accounting, Freedom Struggle, Current Affairs, and Quant
Month 5: Start solving topic-wise MCQs, begin revision
Month 6: Attempt full-length mock tests, revise short notes, polish weak areas

Resource List for Beginners

You don’t need 10 books per subject. Stick to 1 to 2 solid resources:

UPSC EPFO Books and Resources as per Subjects
Subject	Resources
General English	Objective General English by SP Bakshi
General Science	NCERT Science Books from Classes 6 to 10
The last year of Current Affairs	Read newspapers and magazines
Indian Freedom Struggle & Cultural Heritage	Modern Indian History (11th to 12th classes) from NCERT and Indian Art & Culture by Nitin Singhania
Governance and Constitution of India	Political Science (9th to 12th classes) NCERT, and Indian Polity by M Laxmikanth
Indian Economy	Indian Economy (9th to 11th classes) NCERT, and Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
Industrial Relations & Labour Laws	Industrial Relations and Labour Laws by Piyali Ghosh and from the website of the Ministry of Labour and Employment
General Accounting Principles	Introduction to Accountancy by S. Chand
Computer Applications	Computer Awareness by Arihant
Quantitative Aptitude	Quantitative Aptitude by Dr. R.S. Aggarwal
General Mental Ability	A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning by Dr. R.S. Aggarwal
Statistical Concepts	Statistics for Economics (11th class) from the NCERT
Demographic Trends & Globalization	Indian Geography (11th to 12th classes) from the NCERT, and Indian Geography by Ramesh Singh
Auditing Principles	Introduction to Accountancy by S. Chand
Insurance Fundamentals	JAIIB book for Paper 1 – Principles and Practices of Banking by Macmillan

Mock Tests: From various online platforms that provide free access.
Previous Year Papers: Download from UPSC official website or from any authentic online platform.

Daily Routine and Time Management

Your schedule should depend on whether you’re a working professional or a full-time aspirant. Here’s a simple structure:

For Working Professionals:

Morning (7–9 AM): Static subject (Polity, History)
Lunch break (30 mins): Read Current Affairs
Evening (7–9 PM): Practice MCQs
Night (15 mins): Revise short notes

For Full-Time Aspirants:

Study in 3-hour blocks with breaks in between
Example:
- Block 1: 9–12 (Theory + Notes)
- Block 2: 2–5 (MCQs + Concept clarity)
- Block 3: 6–8 (Revision + Current Affairs)

Focus on Concept + Practice + Revision

Reading is only step one. Real retention comes from solving and revising.

For every 2 hours of study, do 30 mins of practice
Begin revision from Week 2 – don’t wait till the end
Keep short notes – 1 A4 sheet per topic
Use Sunday as weekly revision day – review what you studied the whole week
Analyze mock tests carefully — mistakes teach you more than correct answers

Smart Preparation for Interview

If you score well in the written test, the interview stage becomes crucial.

Start preparing once you feel confident about the written round. Focus on:

EPFO’s mission, role, and latest reforms
Basic knowledge of social security and labour schemes (like ESIC, NPS, PM-SYM)
Personality-based questions:
- Why do you want to join EPFO?
- What do you understand by “social justice”?
- How can you contribute to EPFO?

Practice mock interviews if possible. Speak clearly, dress smartly, and stay calm.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don’t run after too many resources, focus on finishing 1 book well
Don’t ignore previous year question papers, they show real exam trends
Avoid depending solely on coaching; most of the UPSC EPFO can be done through self-study
Don’t skip current affairs, especially labour laws, social security, and budget-related news
Lack of revision is a big red flag; revise weekly