I'll give my own personal example.
I started preparing from February 2013 when I was still in college and was busy with studies and my final year project.
I gave prelims in May 2013. After studying NCERT basics.
Then graduated in May, convocation was in June.
I did not take any type of coaching.
I joined my office on July 15th. I was studying and working at the same time.
Then I quit my job in October.
Then I studied for one month, gave lots of writing practice. Wrote more than 600 pages of answers from books, sitting at home.
Then, gave Mains.
Then, gave Interview - The interviewer said my age was only 22, and was too young. The average age of IAS officers is around 26-29. The panel said that politicians might influence me a lot since I was a kid.
And they gave me 146/275. Which is quite low for interviews. And, by a few marks I lost the rank list for 2013.
I am preparing again for 2014. Still wont take any coaching, nor any mock tests. Let's see what will happen this year.
You just need to be clear in your basics, and must give lots of writing practice for learning answer formulation - Thats the only key.
No.
Coaching is not essential to crack the Civil Services Exam. Like Akand Sitra, let me tell you my story.
I first took the exam in 2012. I was working at a private firm at the time, and I didn't take significant time off to study. I took one week off to prepare for prelims, and a couple of weeks for the Mains. I don't mean to say that I was twiddling my thumbs outside of this three-week period. I used the time after work, typically early morning and the evenings to cover the preparation material. I cleared the prelims, and got through the Mains as well, and attended the interview. One of my optional papers let me down badly and I missed the rank list by 15 marks. No matter, I knew how close I was and I would try again next year.
Fast forward to 2013, I was still working at the same firm. I didn't take even a day off for prelims, but took eight weeks off this time for Mains to focus completely on the preparation. This time I did clear the exam, with an All India Rank of 250. One of the GS papers let me down again, but overall this was a much improved show. No coaching of any kind involved.
While everyone is different and will have to tailor their strategy to their personal needs and quirks, I will briefly lay down the strategy I adopted for the benefit of those who may find it helpful.
Most of these may sound like platitudes bandied about indiscriminately by all and sundry, but I promise I won't write anything which I actually didn't find useful. :)
1. Focus on what you're doing at the time
This does sound like one of those platitudes that I just warned you about, but I can't stress more how important this is. I was aware from the beginning that I would have to manage my time smartly to have any chance of cracking this. This did not just mean using my time after work to sit and read through the syllabus, but actually using that time as productively as possible. This meant shutting away all the distractions for that window of an hour or two. The average time I spent on preparation did not exceed two-three hours a day while I was attending work, the key was to make those hours count.
2. Keep tabs on things happening around you, and learn to have an opinion
Read a newspaper daily, look up concepts/events in the past that you find unfamiliar, but don't stop there. Think about them, their causes and effects, alternate realities (a bit of daydreaming, yes, guilty as charged), and in cases of policies/decisions, think about the rationale/what you could have done differently. Discuss and have debates(don't let them degenerate into shouting matches ;) ) with friends, colleagues, family, anyone who can give you an opinion. Your ideas will emerge more rounded, and you will have more points to attack a question from. This will help you a lot in the Mains for GS and the Essay.
3. The internet has (almost) everything you need. Use it wisely
It stands to reason that the material that coaching materials put out is compiled from the sources around us, so why get them second-hand? Granted it takes some time and effort to get there, but there are a lot of tailored sources out there like Mrunal or GK Today, which can at least provide starting points from where you can branch off.
Be aware of distractions that lurk and shirk away from them. For instance, Khan Academy on YouTube is an excellent resource for learning , but clicking on "related links" on YouTube and following the chain can easily burn a couple of hours.
4. (Try to) love the process of writing the exam
OK, you must now be thinking that I have gone absolutely bonkers from all the preparation. I know this sounds weird, but this is one of the things that helped me a lot. In CSE, especially the Mains, you don't have a lot of time to think, it is easy to get stressed at the sight of such a demanding paper. I sometimes get into a trance-like state while I'm taking an exam, everything apart from the examination paper and myself cease to exist for those three hours. Exam-nirvana, if you like. :P Keeps you calm, and focussed, and helps you think on your feet.
Disclaimer: Personal experience. YMMV. Don't lynch me if you can't fall in love with the exam. Most human beings choose better things to fall in love with.
5. Have a fallback hobby/routine
Civil Services is not an easy exam to crack by any means, and the syllabus may seem daunting at times. I have had times when I was mired in self-doubt and existential crises while I was preparing. Learn to take these moods in your stride, these will pass. Have something that you can fall back on to get you back in the groove. My friends were PG Wodehouse, AR Rahman, Quora and long walks :) Make sure you come out of these fairly quickly, it's easy to get stuck in a mental rut.
There, I have to admit this ended up becoming a lot longer than I wanted to make it, but if this helps someone, I'll be more than happy.
Coaching is not essential to crack the Civil Services Exam. Like Akand Sitra, let me tell you my story.
I first took the exam in 2012. I was working at a private firm at the time, and I didn't take significant time off to study. I took one week off to prepare for prelims, and a couple of weeks for the Mains. I don't mean to say that I was twiddling my thumbs outside of this three-week period. I used the time after work, typically early morning and the evenings to cover the preparation material. I cleared the prelims, and got through the Mains as well, and attended the interview. One of my optional papers let me down badly and I missed the rank list by 15 marks. No matter, I knew how close I was and I would try again next year.
Fast forward to 2013, I was still working at the same firm. I didn't take even a day off for prelims, but took eight weeks off this time for Mains to focus completely on the preparation. This time I did clear the exam, with an All India Rank of 250. One of the GS papers let me down again, but overall this was a much improved show. No coaching of any kind involved.
While everyone is different and will have to tailor their strategy to their personal needs and quirks, I will briefly lay down the strategy I adopted for the benefit of those who may find it helpful.
Most of these may sound like platitudes bandied about indiscriminately by all and sundry, but I promise I won't write anything which I actually didn't find useful. :)
1. Focus on what you're doing at the time
This does sound like one of those platitudes that I just warned you about, but I can't stress more how important this is. I was aware from the beginning that I would have to manage my time smartly to have any chance of cracking this. This did not just mean using my time after work to sit and read through the syllabus, but actually using that time as productively as possible. This meant shutting away all the distractions for that window of an hour or two. The average time I spent on preparation did not exceed two-three hours a day while I was attending work, the key was to make those hours count.
2. Keep tabs on things happening around you, and learn to have an opinion
Read a newspaper daily, look up concepts/events in the past that you find unfamiliar, but don't stop there. Think about them, their causes and effects, alternate realities (a bit of daydreaming, yes, guilty as charged), and in cases of policies/decisions, think about the rationale/what you could have done differently. Discuss and have debates(don't let them degenerate into shouting matches ;) ) with friends, colleagues, family, anyone who can give you an opinion. Your ideas will emerge more rounded, and you will have more points to attack a question from. This will help you a lot in the Mains for GS and the Essay.
3. The internet has (almost) everything you need. Use it wisely
It stands to reason that the material that coaching materials put out is compiled from the sources around us, so why get them second-hand? Granted it takes some time and effort to get there, but there are a lot of tailored sources out there like Mrunal or GK Today, which can at least provide starting points from where you can branch off.
Be aware of distractions that lurk and shirk away from them. For instance, Khan Academy on YouTube is an excellent resource for learning , but clicking on "related links" on YouTube and following the chain can easily burn a couple of hours.
4. (Try to) love the process of writing the exam
OK, you must now be thinking that I have gone absolutely bonkers from all the preparation. I know this sounds weird, but this is one of the things that helped me a lot. In CSE, especially the Mains, you don't have a lot of time to think, it is easy to get stressed at the sight of such a demanding paper. I sometimes get into a trance-like state while I'm taking an exam, everything apart from the examination paper and myself cease to exist for those three hours. Exam-nirvana, if you like. :P Keeps you calm, and focussed, and helps you think on your feet.
Disclaimer: Personal experience. YMMV. Don't lynch me if you can't fall in love with the exam. Most human beings choose better things to fall in love with.
5. Have a fallback hobby/routine
Civil Services is not an easy exam to crack by any means, and the syllabus may seem daunting at times. I have had times when I was mired in self-doubt and existential crises while I was preparing. Learn to take these moods in your stride, these will pass. Have something that you can fall back on to get you back in the groove. My friends were PG Wodehouse, AR Rahman, Quora and long walks :) Make sure you come out of these fairly quickly, it's easy to get stuck in a mental rut.
There, I have to admit this ended up becoming a lot longer than I wanted to make it, but if this helps someone, I'll be more than happy.
Earlier it used to be Yes.
This is because, UPSC was asking questions from unknown places and one had to take help from a coaching class for some part of the exam be it Prelims/Mains/Interview. This year, even with just NCERT + newspapersAkand Sitra was able to clear Mains tells volumes on the level of questions asked. There is more need for conceptual clarity than mugging up loads of data.
Nowadays No:
If by coaching you mean getting help from someone dedicatedly for UPSC then yes. One needs a lot of resources like Mrunal , GKToday, etc. But, of course this does not come in the standard coaching category.
But why specifically No because:
1. The trend where the information on how to prepare and what to prepare is now laid out thread bare in internet. So the aura surrounding the preparation strategy is gone.
2. Newspapers have come in online version and the preparation itself has taken to whole new levels with dedicated websites like Mrunal, insights, etc. So one does need to search for starting preparation at least. \
3. Interview has a lot of subjectivity and depends on the Interview board. Like how there is a 21 year old in top 20 from one board but another feels 21 years is too less for IAS. It doesnt matter where you get coaching or you got coaching at all in these cases.
4. Whatever these coaching fellows say, they cannot mould you into some other person than what you are. People dont realize that when they join in coaching for the interview preparation stage.
5. One can take the test papers, materials of these coaching classes without joining them. If you want to that is. Dedicated self writing practise should do in my personal experience.
I can say lots more. But this much should suffice I guess.
This is because, UPSC was asking questions from unknown places and one had to take help from a coaching class for some part of the exam be it Prelims/Mains/Interview. This year, even with just NCERT + newspapersAkand Sitra was able to clear Mains tells volumes on the level of questions asked. There is more need for conceptual clarity than mugging up loads of data.
Nowadays No:
If by coaching you mean getting help from someone dedicatedly for UPSC then yes. One needs a lot of resources like Mrunal , GKToday, etc. But, of course this does not come in the standard coaching category.
But why specifically No because:
1. The trend where the information on how to prepare and what to prepare is now laid out thread bare in internet. So the aura surrounding the preparation strategy is gone.
2. Newspapers have come in online version and the preparation itself has taken to whole new levels with dedicated websites like Mrunal, insights, etc. So one does need to search for starting preparation at least. \
3. Interview has a lot of subjectivity and depends on the Interview board. Like how there is a 21 year old in top 20 from one board but another feels 21 years is too less for IAS. It doesnt matter where you get coaching or you got coaching at all in these cases.
4. Whatever these coaching fellows say, they cannot mould you into some other person than what you are. People dont realize that when they join in coaching for the interview preparation stage.
5. One can take the test papers, materials of these coaching classes without joining them. If you want to that is. Dedicated self writing practise should do in my personal experience.
I can say lots more. But this much should suffice I guess.
I think that this is a question which has been asked over and over again. While most people say that coaching is not essential for IAS exam and I more or less agree with this view, I think that you should evaluate your level of preparation yourself.
Some people find it easier to read and retain new information. I absolutely can not. For me classes are very important. I still can recall the things I learnt at school because I have a good audio-visual recall. Others find classes to be a burden and time consuming affair.
My experience has been mixed. I started preparing in Oct 2012. Got admission at ALS Delhi. I was doing my first year of law college then. wrote prelims with zero preparation as college exams were going on at the same time. Cleared prelims.
In 2013 the pattern for mains changed. I thought I could manage the mains syllabus on my own. Didn't take any coaching for additional syllabus. Preparation was really haphazard. Wrote mains, paper 2 for gs was a disaster. Missed interview call by 10 marks.
I am not saying that I would have cleared mains if i had taken coaching. But it would have saved me a lot of time if I had. Plus, all the time i was preparing for mains I read the wrong books, I was also worrying that other people had gotten themselves enrolled and they might do better. I know these are irrational thoughts, but when you are under stress they will haunt you like hungry hostelers on a plate of chilly chicken.
If you have the means then my advice would be to join a good coaching and give your best attempt when you are fresh with the coaching preparations. A lot of people will say that we lose so much time in class that there is no time for self study, that's really bullshit in disguise. They are giving excuses for their ineptitude.
Also, coaching classes give you a strict schedule for revision tests. That helps immensely. Specially if you are lazy and undisciplined (I know I am).
If you dont have the means, you don't need coaching. There is no motivation for hard work than fear of a dismal future. Laziness is a luxury only the privileged can afford. You can refer to various online sources to chart your preparation.
Only you can answer for yourself whether you need it or not. In any case, good wishes.
Some people find it easier to read and retain new information. I absolutely can not. For me classes are very important. I still can recall the things I learnt at school because I have a good audio-visual recall. Others find classes to be a burden and time consuming affair.
My experience has been mixed. I started preparing in Oct 2012. Got admission at ALS Delhi. I was doing my first year of law college then. wrote prelims with zero preparation as college exams were going on at the same time. Cleared prelims.
In 2013 the pattern for mains changed. I thought I could manage the mains syllabus on my own. Didn't take any coaching for additional syllabus. Preparation was really haphazard. Wrote mains, paper 2 for gs was a disaster. Missed interview call by 10 marks.
I am not saying that I would have cleared mains if i had taken coaching. But it would have saved me a lot of time if I had. Plus, all the time i was preparing for mains I read the wrong books, I was also worrying that other people had gotten themselves enrolled and they might do better. I know these are irrational thoughts, but when you are under stress they will haunt you like hungry hostelers on a plate of chilly chicken.
If you have the means then my advice would be to join a good coaching and give your best attempt when you are fresh with the coaching preparations. A lot of people will say that we lose so much time in class that there is no time for self study, that's really bullshit in disguise. They are giving excuses for their ineptitude.
Also, coaching classes give you a strict schedule for revision tests. That helps immensely. Specially if you are lazy and undisciplined (I know I am).
If you dont have the means, you don't need coaching. There is no motivation for hard work than fear of a dismal future. Laziness is a luxury only the privileged can afford. You can refer to various online sources to chart your preparation.
Only you can answer for yourself whether you need it or not. In any case, good wishes.
.jpg)