My name is Hardik Chandel. I have done my graduation in electronics and communications engineering from NIT Kurukshetra (2015-19). I did not join the job I got via college placements and started preparing full time for UPSC from 2019. Currently I am serving as a DANICS probationer, 2023 batch. CSE 2023 was my 4th attempt and I have secured an All India Rank of 304, expecting to join Indian Revenue Services. In this blog I would be sharing my journey of 4 prelims, 4 mains, 3 interviews and 2 selections.
The Journey
I took coaching for GS from Vision IAS in the final year of my college, to familiarize myself with the syllabus. It also helped me develop a base upon which I would build my entire preparation. Since I did not pick up my optional (PSIR) until I started full time prep, I decided not to join a job , aiming to clear the exam in the first attempt itself. I could not plan my optional preparation very well due to which I wasn’t able to practice answer writing. This was reflected in my mains where I wasn’t able to write answers of about 80 marks (gs+optional). Though i just cleared the mains cutoff, i wasn’t able to make it to the final list by 9 marks despite scoring 187 in my interview.
In my second attempt I misinterpreted an essay (hand that rocks the cradle), scoring a shocking 88 which led to a failed mains. I was bitterly disappointed as I never thought that the journey would become so long. With the support of friends and family, I pushed through. In my third attempt I tried to write more tests, and cleared the mains. However , the interview was quite random and factual . scoring 173 in the interview, I missed the final cutoff by 8 marks. At this point I was convinced that this exam requires more than just hard work, finally appreciating the meaning of the phrase that all stars should be aligned in order for you to crack this exam. By god’s grace, I found my name in the reserve list of CSE 22, getting DANICS as a service.
In my 4th attempt, I tried to enroll in a new test series (ForumIAS). The interview went well this time and I got 193 marks, leading to a rank of 304.
How and When to Start the Preparation
Depends on how much risk you are willing to take, what is your family’s economic situation and what is the opportunity cost in case you do not clear the exam in the first attempt itself. Some people do graduation keeping in mind the target of clearing civil services. Many like me get the drive to prepare for it during graduation. You can start from the basic NCERT’s, then gradually move to Laxmikant and Spectrum. Coaching should be taken or not is entirely a personal choice, though in my opinion, it makes things a bit easier.
Timetable
I am a morning person so I started my day early. You should be willing to push yourself everyday, at least in the initial attempts. In the preparation journey, motivation and experience become a zero-sum game. Therefore after a point of time, you need to rely on discipline rather than motivation. I ensured at least 6 hours of quality study in my first year of full time prep, taking it a notch higher when the exam was near. What makes a difference is how much effort you are willing to put in on days when you do not feel like studying.
Booklist
Prelims (In addition to vision class notes and pt 365)
Polity – Laxmikant
Economy – Class Notes
Modern History – Spectrum
Medieval and Art and Culture – NCERT (11th and 12th)
Mains – I supplemented vision notes with data from Shunya ias, current affairs from mains 365.
Optional – Bought class notes of Shubhra Ranjan Ias from Market and subsequently took a crash course from the same coaching after two readings. Utkarsh Dwivedi sir’s online notes on his blog were of a great help as well.
Note Making or Not
I tried it but it took a lot of time. So I used markers of different shades and highlighted the core material. My focus was on multiple readings from the same source. Attempting mock tests and UPSC PYQs helps you to get an idea regarding what is important and what is not. Many people try digital notes as well but for me it was more of a distraction.
Role of PYQs
UPSC often gives more importance to certain sections like tribal revolts, buddhism, Centre State relations etc. PYQs offer a peek into the examiner’s mindset. Many times, old questions are recycled into newer forms.
Revision Strategy
Due to paucity of time and wide variety of themes asked, the syllabus should be on your tips so that you can recall points in a very short span . reading from the same source multiple times builds a photographic memory, aiding recall. As far as subject wise revision is concerned, I preferred to study multiple subjects in a day to keep the study period a bit exciting. Though some people feel it is better to study the same subject in continuity.
I prefer attempting as many questions as possible. Exam pattern these days has become such that you are bound to make mistakes. You will have to take calculated risks. Make sure that you cover the static portion well and do not make many silly mistakes there. If you are able to eliminate two options, you must attempt that question. If you get more than half of them right, things would be in your favour. Before the first attempt, you can attempt 50+ subject wise and full length mocks, and keep a tab on what kind of mistakes you are making. Your focus should be on avoiding similar mistakes in the future .
Answer Writing Strategy
You can give at least two readings of your basic notes before you start answer writing. Initially, do not try to time your papers, just try to write decent answers. Go through topper answer copies and try to adapt a style which you find more suitable for you and has yielded good results in the past. Interlinking of answers, maps, diagrams, flowcharts can be incorporated to make your answers multidimensional.
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