UPSC Preparation: Is coaching mandatory?

“Is coaching necessary for IAS preparation?”, “Will I crack IAS exams in the first attempt without coaching?”, “How will I meet the financial requirements of CSE coaching?” -- Such questions have been bothering many IAS aspirants for a long time and their inability to take a decision due to various reasons (personal, financial and others) has only caused more harm than good concerning their UPSC preparation. The answer to the above question is simple: Opting for coaching is totally a personal choice and it does not affect your scoring potential in CSE in anyway. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on what really matters: Confidence, Determination, Self – Motivation and Persistence – the qualities you need to develop consistently in order to clear CSE with flying colours.

Mr. Mohammed Y Safirulla secured All India Rank 55 in CSE 2009 without undergoing any coaching and he was also a working professional. He attributed his success in the CSE to focused and planned preparation. More inspiration could be derived from Mr. Karthik Gurunathan Iyer who obtained All India Rank 7 in CSE 2010 in the first attempt without any coaching. The mantra for Mr. Karthik was nothing other than hard work. 

In the video titled “IAS Preparation to Crack the UPSC Examinations : Part 26 - Preparing without Coaching” conceptualised by Dr. Roman Saini, various tips on proceeding with the CSE preparation sans coaching have been provided. The detailed strategy for self study in the video covers the themes of time management, learning from books, answer writing, relevance of coaching, regularity, reading, resources, dedication and other important areas. 

Utilising online sources of UPSC preparation effectively, reading only a selected number of books, revising and re-revising and most importantly practicing answer writing will increase an IAS aspirant's chances in succeeding the Civil Services Examination.

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