UPSC is one of the toughest exams in India. However, if the exam preparation is done in the right way, you can become successful. Many UPSC aspirants are confused about the preparation strategy. For such people, the story of IAS Soumya Pandey could be an inspiration.

Soumya Pandey prepared uniquely, tasted success in her first attempt, and fulfilled her dream of becoming an IAS officer. She got an All India Rank (AIR) 4 in the 2016 UPSC exams. Soumya hails from Ahmedabad. She was a meritorious student from her school days. 

She completed her schooling at an Army School and secured 97.8 percent in her class 10th exams and 98 percent in her 12th exams. She was a district topper in both of her classes. She completed an Engineering degree from Motilal Nehru Institute of Technology and secured a Gold Medal. 

After completing her Engineering degree, she decided to become an IAS officer and started her preparations. But she had only eight to nine months left for her preparation. Also, no one in her family has studied for the UPSC exams, so it was a completely new profession for her. 

She had no idea about what she was talking about, because everything was new for her. She didn't know the important topics. She had to start everything from scratch and build her own strategy to crack the exam. 

She opted for General Studies (GS) coaching and self-study for six to eight hours daily. Simultaneously, she read newspapers and watched news channels to keep herself updated about current affairs. 

UPSC Strategy

Soumya Pandey chose Uttar Pradesh as her first choice of Cadre because it will be difficult for her to relocate elsewhere. She chose Geography as an optional subject for UPSC. 

Strategy For UPSC Prelims

She performed an integrated approach for UPSC prelims. She started to give mock tests 1 to 2 months before the exam. Since she is an engineer, she had to brush up on her arithmetic abilities a few days before the exam. She also studied the English comprehension part along with the mock tests. 

GS Paper: Prelims

She studied all the NCERT concepts for History, Political Science, Sociology, Science, Geography, and Technology from Class 6 to Class 12. To keep up with current affairs, she read PIB and Hindu editorials. 

Soumya's advice for the prelims exam is to attempt all the questions you are 100% certain about first before moving to other questions. 

GS 1

Read NCERT. Read Nitin Singhania and Bipin Chandra and practice the previous year's question papers.

GS 2

Read NCERT. But focus more on current affairs. Read Laxmikant. Practice the previous year's question papers. Do mock tests.

GS 3

For economy, read the 11th NCERT and macroeconomic, economic, and economic survey. 

GS 4

Practice case studies. Read Lexicon Ethics Book. Read the ARC report on ethics and governance. 

Strategy For UPSC Personality Test or Interview

One of the first steps in a personality test or interview is to thoroughly fill out the DAF, as the UPSC board will certainly ask questions based on what you have written about yourself. They will ask about your hometown, hobbies, extracurricular activities, trophies, medals, etc.

Sometimes they will also ask about your current events and situations. So, plan ahead of time and practice many mock interviews. Ensure that your responses are balanced, logical, and multifaceted. 

Books Recommended by Soumya Pandey

• Indian Polity by Laxmikanth
• Physical Geography by Savinder Singh
• Indian Geography by Dr. Khullar
• Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania
• NCERT books from class 6 to class 12
• India's Struggle For Independence by Bipin Chandra

Many people find it difficult to pass the UPSC exam on their first attempt. Nothing will be complicated when you put your mind and soul into it. We hope that this inspiring journey of Soumya Pandey has motivated you to prepare harder and well for the UPSC exam.