Rukmani Riar, from Chandigarh, cleared UPSC CSE in 2011 by securing rank 2 with her undying passion after failing in STD 6, without any coaching. Her success mantra- “GO FOR IT.  IF I CAN DO IT, EVERYBODY ELSE CAN, AND NOTHING CAN STOP YOU”

24-year-old Deshal Dan cracked the CSE examination in 2017 securing an All India Rank of 82 in his first attempt. He managed to clear the CSE without attending any coaching classes. He followed a very simple rule: study with the intention of clearing the exam.

26-year old Sheerat Fatima juggled a full time teaching job while preparing for the CSE in 2017. And she managed to clear the exam with a rank of 810 without attending any coaching class.

UPSC Civil Services Examination is considered one of the ‘toughest’ exams in the world. This is not only because of the vast syllabus of the examination and a three stage process which filters the aspirants at every stage but also because the pass percentage of the examination is very low, that is, less than 0.1% .

There are people who say that the exam requires at least 3 attempts to cross the IAS ceiling. There are others who  clear in first attempt without any coaching.

This article focuses on traits of such aspirants and suggests strategy that can be followed to ace this prestigious exam without coaching.

TRAITS OF SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES:

• They left nothing to chance.
• They had a very clear dream/objective/aim/visionto clear the IAS ceiling.
• They kept themselves updated of all the current happenings and saw them with different perceptive lenses and not a rigid outlook.
• They studied the NCERTS diligently and thus, had a strong foundationand gradually switched over to the higher level standard books.
• They did not shy away from pursuing their special interest and hobbies in the free time.
• They did not limit themselves to the textbook/newspaper/magazine knowledge.
• To them every topic in the syllabus was a priority and they focused diligently on every aspect.
• They do not believe in rumours.
• They read from limited sources and do not make a Library of Alexanderia at home.
• They do not waste time (Time Management). They do not procrastinate.
• They have tremendous self-belief. They are not insecure about their education and background.
• THEY NEVER GIVE UP…THEY LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES AND TRY TO CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE THEMSELVES…COOL CALMNESS PERSEVERANCE SMART WORK AND DEDICATION ARE THEIR TRAITS.
• They jump onto the IAS bandwagonwith a proper strategy for the subjects.
• They do not panic during the exams.
• They answer the question asked not the topic.
• They continuously  practice and test.
• They are aware of their strengths and weaknesses. Moreover they focus on both (most aspirants just focus on their strengths). They do a meticulous analysis of test series results and work on their weaknesses (till they don’t have any).
• They maintain a balance in almost all spheres of life-neither eat too much nor exercise too much. They maintain balance between static and dynamic portions of the syllabus. They just take a break of few days and start preparing for mains/interview again.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BY SUCH ASPIRANTS WHO WANT TO PREPARE WITHOUT COACHING?

• Know about the UPSC exam pattern. Go through the UPSC Exam syllabus and memorise it to the word.
• After getting understanding of the pattern and the syllabus, follow article on books for UPSC from IAS GYAN website. Please note that there are many books in the market but UPSC requires a structured approach and the articles on the IAS GYAN website are highly beneficial in this regard.
• Prepare a time table and strategy for the preparation. The articles on the same can be again read in detail from the IAS GYAN website.
• Always start from NCERTS and after memorising them switch over to the higher level textbooks.
• Always stay updated of the current happenings both National and International and also of home state.
• Do not leave the job for today on tomorrow. The preparation is all about being consistent and persistent.
• Do not get impatient. The examination is a test of one’s character and thus one should continue to pursue your special interests and hobbies.
• Once done with a portion of the preparation, start giving mocks.
• Do not shy away from clearing doubts and enriching your opinion by conversing with others.
• Learn in multiple ways.
• Read multiple subjects in one day and make handwritten notes.
• Multiple revision is the key.

Remember a person who is able to manage other spheres of his life efficiently without losing his disciplined routine is a suitable candidate for CSE.

HAPPY LEARNING

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