How to read the newspaper for cracking a Competitive Exam? PART 1 OF 3

Apart from the standard textbooks, newspapers have become an essential part of every competitive exam’s preparation and especially when one needs to prepare for current affairs, GK and interview. 

But it is not as easy it may sound at first, as newspaper reading is a lot different than reading a novel or a textbook and quite often many aspirants come across difficult questions like, how to read, how much time to read, what to read, how beneficial is note-making, does one need to remember each name and data in every article, etc. 

Therefore, this article will answer each of the above questions in detail.

For simplicity, let us divide the process of reading a newspaper into three steps: 

1. Before reading. [“Laying the foundation”]
2. While reading. [“Execution with efficiency and optimum utilization”]
3. After reading. [“Reality check and improvement”]

1. BEFORE READING:

Choose one reliable newspaper (maximum two), as reading a newspaper efficiently can take a considerable amount of time (1.5 to 3 hours). Moreover, it is always advisable to read quality and reputed newspapers only, as the articles published are written by reputed experts and are relatively authoritative. 

For central level examinations, like UPSC, newspapers like - The Hindu, Indian Express are considered to be the best.

Here are some of the common and most important features of a reliable newspaper:

• Comprehensiveness. [Avoid local/state newspapers, unless you are appearing for state competitive exams]
• Standard English. [Highly beneficial during mains examination, as it helps you improve English writing skills and vocabulary]
• Unbiased. [Not politically influenced and provides multiple-sided view]
• Regular. [Daily edition newspapers are preferable, but do not ignore special editions related to the syllabus]
• Authoritative content. [Written by experts]

Choose an appropriate newspaper source. If hard copies are easily available on a regular basis and without any disruption, then always go for hardcopies as they are easy to read and mark. If not, go for e-papers as they are eco-friendly and easily accessible through the internet. 

Read and understand your syllabus thoroughly [MOST IMPORTANT], as this will help you to avoid the irrelevant parts (from the respective examination’s perspective) of a newspaper and save a lot of time. But in general, one can avoid news articles relating to pure politics, Bollywood, stock market predictions, fashion trends, etc. One can also go through the previous five years question paper to get a better idea on the type of questions being asked.

For example, if you are preparing for judicial services, then you need to be well versed with the judicial services exam syllabus of that particular state and read the newspapers in accordance with the same. But while attempting multiple state judicial exams, it is rather advisable to formulate a common strategy, in order to save time and improve efficiency.

Know the weightage that a particular exam gives to the current affairs section/paper, as this will help you to allot appropriate time for it. Suppose, the total marks is 100 and current affairs have been allotted 20 marks, then you need to give in a good amount of time (ideally 20% of your total daily preparation time), but if current affairs have been allotted only 5 marks, then allotting 20% of your total preparation time will be highly inappropriate and unnecessary. While allotting time, do keep in mind that newspaper reading is also helpful for personal interviews.