UPSC Topper Tips: Know how to crack the IAS Exam without coaching, tips from IAS Gandharva Rathore

UPSC Preparation Tips: One of the foremost steps taken by any UPSC Civil Service aspirant is usually to join a coaching institute to prepare for their exam the best, however, there are a few students who have their own strategy of preparation, and they ditch the usual method of the coaching institutes, and initiate with their own preparation. 

Well, one such inspiration is Gandharva Rathore from Rajasthan, who cleared her UPSC Exam in the second attempt itself, with a prolific 93 rank by studying all by herself. Gandharva commenced with her preparation for the UPSC Civil Service in Delhi after completing her post-graduate in Commerce from the Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), University of Delhi.  

How to Pass UPSC without Coaching

1. Preparing Personal Manifesto: 

Gandharva shares that she while being in Delhi took a trip to all the Book Stores and Coaching Institutes to collect her notes, and prepared a detailed study of each subject from the syllabus, which she termed as the Personal Manifesto.

She further adds that candidates preparing for the UPSC Exam on their own must understand and divide their syllabus properly into small portions which will help them in studying well.

2. Initiate with preparations for Mains Exams:

Gandharva mentions that she gave 80% of her preparation time to her Mains Exam, and out of that, further gave half of the time to the preparation of the Optional paper, as it is the subject which you choose yourself and can perform the best in it.

3. Candidates must focus more on Answer writing:

Gandharva states that she started with her practice of writing answers even before completing her syllabus. She did so to enhance her writing ability and to gain insights into the type of questions that are asked in the exams. She used to write answers and then compared them to the answers available online. She, moreover, learned to divide her answers in such a way that they cover every aspect. 

4. Don’t hesitate in asking for help from others:

While doing the self-study, Gandharva shares that candidates must not hesitate in asking for help from anyone when they find themselves stuck anywhere. Moreover, candidates must develop a hobby to ensure some physical activity, on which they can also speak up during the interview round.