As many of us know, our parents and society will judge our potential based on our performance in our class 10 and 12 exams. A parent will be happy and relaxed if their child secures a good mark. Otherwise, lots of criticism will fall on that child. 

But that was not the case with Anju Sharma, as she was an exception. Anju Sharma, one of the youngest IAS officers, cracked the UPSC exams at 22. And the best part is she cracked on the first attempt. 

Even though Anju Sharma cracked the UPSC exams at a young age, she was not a bright student during her school days. She failed the class 10 pre-boards in chemistry and economics in class 12. As per some reports, she has failed a few other subjects in her class 12 board exams. But that did not make her lose hope. Instead, she chose to shine brighter. 

She is now a Principal Secretary to Government Education Department (Higher & Technical Education), Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. She believes her hard work, patience, determination, and perseverance have made her achieve these things. 

IAS Anju Sharma once told Better India, "Today, when I look back to my days as a student, I wonder how everyone around me prepared me for success but failed to do the same for my failure. I distinctly remember cursing myself the day I failed an Economics paper in class 12. Naturally, to save myself from the embarrassment of nosy relatives and neighbors alike, I worked hard for my next paper and scored a distinction in the subject.”

She usually leaves everything to the last minute. She also shared that the lack of preparation is the reason for her low marks. Actually, the night of the result became an eye-opener for her. After that, she started to work harder in college. She secured a gold medal in her college. 

She completed her BSc and MBA from the University of Rajasthan. She secured a gold medal in both degrees. IAS Anju Sharma's story is definitely an eye-opener for everyone. Because from failing the board exams and securing the gold medal in college, she has come a long way in her journey. 

Study Tips for Candidates

The following are some of the tips that the candidate can follow to crack the civil services exam. 

1. Prepare a Strategy Plan

A strategy plan can be prepared only after knowing the exam pattern and syllabus. Therefore, the candidate should first focus on that. They can gather information regarding the exam pattern and syllabus from the official website. 

So that the information will be reliable. After knowing the exam pattern and syllabus, they should analyze the topics they are already well versed in. In this way, they can avoid giving so much concentration on the same topic.

Instead, they can move on to the weaker areas. Based on this, they have to create a schedule. Most importantly, the schedule should not be complicated. It should be simple. 

2. Collecting the Resources

It is important to collect the books and materials needed for the exam. Even though there are lots of materials available online, candidates should collect only those that are reliable and has clear concepts. So that they can revise them later. 

It also helps them to save time. Studying many materials is a waste as it can be overwhelming. Therefore, refer to only standard materials. 

3. Practicing More Questions

This can be from mock tests or previous year's question papers. Because they cover a wide range of questions it will give good practice. Therefore, after completing every topic, candidates should practice more questions.

Also, candidates can go to a good coaching institute for their preparation. Because self preparation is not every candidate's cup of tea. With studydekho.com, you can select the best coaching institute in your nearby area.