


✅ DO’s of Reading Magazines for Competitive Exams
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✅ DO’s |
Description |
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Be Exam-Oriented |
Read only the sections that align with your syllabus – Current Affairs, Economy, Environment, Polity, etc. |
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Choose the Right Magazine |
Use trusted and relevant ones like Pratiyogita Darpan, Yojana, Kurukshetra, Chronicle, CSR. |
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Make Notes |
Create short, topic-wise notes in your own words for quick revision later. |
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Highlight Key Points |
Use a highlighter to mark important schemes, stats, or definitions. |
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Read Regularly |
Set a weekly or bi-weekly schedule to avoid backlog. Stay consistent! |
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Use for Mains & Interview Prep |
Magazines are excellent for answer writing practice and giving real-life examples. |
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Practice MCQs or Mains Questions |
Some magazines include practice sets—don’t skip them! |
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Revise Often |
Revise monthly summaries or your notes regularly to retain facts. |
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Supplement with Daily News |
Use newspapers or current affairs apps alongside magazines for a full picture. |
❌ DON’Ts of Reading Magazines for Competitive Exams
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❌ DON'Ts |
Description |
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Don’t Read Cover to Cover |
Not everything is important. Skip entertainment, sports, or unrelated opinion pieces. |
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Don’t Ignore the Syllabus |
Reading random topics that don’t fit your exam will waste time. Stay syllabus-specific. |
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Don’t Pile Them Up |
Don’t let multiple months go unread. It’s overwhelming to catch up all at once. |
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Don’t Copy Notes Blindly |
Don’t write down whole paragraphs. Understand and summarize. |
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Don’t Depend Only on Magazines |
They’re great, but not a substitute for textbooks (NCERTs, standard books). |
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Don’t Skip Revision |
Reading once isn’t enough—revise to actually retain the information. |
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Don’t Get Distracted |
Avoid flipping through unimportant ads or unrelated articles. Stay focused. |
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Don’t Stress Over Every Detail |
Focus on understanding themes and trends, not memorizing everything. |
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Don’t read passively |
Just reading won’t help — engage with the content by making notes, asking questions, or summarizing. |
