Strategy and Advice given by Ishita Kishre UPSC Rank 1

Effective Note-taking: Pay attention during classes and understand how to take effective notes. Revisit your notes after classes and engage in daily revision.

Book Selection: Follow standard books for each subject. Use NCERTs for geography, history, and polity. For science and technology, follow basic NCERTs if you are not from a science background. Supplement with current affairs and magazines from coaching institutes.

Current Affairs: Stay disciplined in daily current affairs. Dedicate 15 minutes to make notes from newspapers and another 15 minutes to review a reliable website. Optionally, follow a current affairs magazine consistently.

Digital Notes: Keep your notes digital to enhance efficiency. Use apps for note-taking and organization.

Previous Year Questions (PYQs): Solve previous year questions extensively, understanding not just the answers but also the areas of focus, language used, and the types of options provided.

MCQ Solving Skills: Work on multiple-choice question solving skills. Understand the application of knowledge in exams and practice solving questions using various books.

Test Series: Enroll in a good test series for prelims. Compare the test series with previous year questions for quality. Test series help in simulating exam conditions and building psychological readiness.

Exam Strategy: Develop a strategy for filling the OMR sheet. Be decisive about your answers, especially for the easy questions. Don't waste time and focus on managing time effectively.

Logical Reasoning: Treat Paper 1 of prelims as a CSAT paper. It requires logical reasoning, analytical skills, and problem-solving abilities. Approach it with an attentive and analytical mindset.

Attempt Strategy: Tailor your attempt strategy based on your strengths and weaknesses. Trust your knowledge and intuition. Learn from experience and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Take CSAT Seriously: The topper emphasizes the importance of not being casual about the CSAT examination. Stressing the need to stay awake, attentive, and fight till the last minute during the two hours of the exam.

Develop Comprehension Skills: The topper recommends a practice of summarizing newspaper articles. This helps in enhancing comprehension skills, as it involves reading a paragraph, summarizing it mentally, and connecting key points.

Effective Quantitative Analysis Preparation: For quantitative analysis, the topper suggests finding relevant material, breaking down challenges into smaller tasks, and dedicating a few minutes daily to solve questions. The emphasis is on making it easy for oneself and gradually covering a broad range of topics.

Knowledge is Non-Negotiable: Stressing the importance of knowledge, the topper advises taking the knowledge part seriously. This involves daily newspaper reading, making notes, and continuous revision.

Interaction with Friends: The topper recommends having friendly interactions with friends to practice recalling information. This helps in reinforcing knowledge and staying well-versed with various topics.

Strategies for Prelims Preparation: The topper advises analyzing previous year questions, especially the analytical side of recent papers. Daily practice with a few questions and a focused approach on problem-solving helps build the necessary skills.

Knowledge about Exam Pattern: Understanding the dynamic nature of the UPSC prelims, the topper suggests that adapting to changing patterns is essential. Staying updated and flexible in strategies is crucial for success.

Increase in Aptitude: The topper shares personal experience about increasing aptitude over time through consistent practice. Breaking down aptitude challenges into limited topics and focusing on them regularly contributes to improvement.

Choosing Coaching Websites: While discussing the importance of reading newspapers and staying updated, the topper suggests following one coaching website that compiles material from various sources. Previous year questions play a significant role in understanding what is important.

Choosing Optional Subject: The topper recommends choosing an optional subject based on strengths and interests. Conducting a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) can help in making an informed decision.

Role of Optional in Prelims and GS: The topper explains how the chosen optional subject, Political Science and International Relations (PSIR), had significant overlap with GS papers. This made it easier to integrate knowledge and score well in related GS papers.

Role of Coaching in Mains Preparation: The topper highlights the importance of coaching for mains preparation. It provided guidance, discipline, and a structured approach, especially for subjects that needed assistance.

Handling Failures: The topper acknowledges the challenges and self-doubt that come with facing failures in the preliminary stage. Emphasizes the need to accept those feelings but not let them hinder progress. Finding the right friends and prioritizing mental health is crucial during such times.

Time Management: The topper suggests managing time efficiently, including personal time for family and friends. Stressing the importance of balancing study hours, personal commitments, and maintaining discipline.

Essay and Ethics Preparation: For essay preparation, the topper recommends reading good material, following reputable authors, and understanding their writing styles. It's essential to find one's own voice and uniqueness. Ethics and essay preparation can go hand in hand, as both involve expressing one's thoughts effectively.

Prioritizing Mental Health: Acknowledging the emotional challenges of the UPSC journey, the topper advises prioritizing mental health. Interacting with non-UPSC friends, staying grounded, and being part of a supportive community are crucial for maintaining mental well-being.

Choosing Coaching Based on Background: The topper suggests choosing coaching classes based on individual strengths and weaknesses. It's okay to prioritize classes that align with one's background knowledge and leave out those that may not be as beneficial.

Interactivity in Coaching Classes: The topper recommends that coaching classes incorporate interactive discussions, question-answer sessions, and a focus on previous year questions to enhance the learning experience.

Don't Fall for Scare Tactics: The topper emphasized not to be swayed by scare tactics or rumors about the interview process. The advice is to trust the process and not let such rumors guide you.

Trust in the Fairness of the Process: The topper encouraged having faith in the interview process, stating that it is fair. Believing in your own abilities and performance is crucial.

Beware of Insecurities: Acknowledge that there will be insecurities, especially regarding exams like prelims, mains, and interviews. The advice is not to let insecurities guide you and to stay focused on your preparation.

Build a Healthy Peer Group: The topper stressed the importance of having a supportive peer group of five to six people. Conducting mock interviews with this group helps in understanding how to think like an interviewer and contributes significantly to success.

Mock Interviews: Undertaking regular mock interviews, especially closer to the interview date, was part of the topper's strategy. This helped in staying in the flow and being well-prepared for the actual interview.

Learn from Senior Bureaucrats: Having conversations with retired senior bureaucrats helped in simulating the interview environment. This experience was found to be beneficial in preparing for the actual interview.

Accept Feedback but Don't Take It to Heart: While mock interviews are helpful, the topper advised not to take feedback too personally. Only focus on changes that can be realistically implemented, like posture, speaking pace, and handling pauses.

Be Conversational and Positive in Interviews: During the actual interview, the topper emphasized being conversational, positive, and respectful. It's okay not to know everything, and showing a willingness to learn is essential.

Learn from Mistakes: The topper's advice is that it's okay to fail and make mistakes. Learning from one's mistakes and not letting failures affect one's confidence is crucial.

Find the Right Mentors: Seek guidance from mentors whom you trust and who can provide accurate guidance. Be cautious about the people you interact with and the content you consume.

Avoid Falling for Insecurity: The topper highlighted the need to be careful about the content and people one interacts with to avoid unnecessary insecurities.