My name is Jatin Jain, and I got AIR 91 in the UPSC CSE 2022 exam. My Optional subject is Sociology (280 marks), and I got AIR 91. My score for Mains is 818, and my score for Interview is 179. In this blog post, I’d like to talk about a detailed plan for UPSC.
Having a “never give up” attitude and learning to celebrate your mistakes. This was my third try. The first two times I tried, I didn’t pass the Prelims Exam. Then I looked at how I did and where I was weak in these attempts. I found that I didn’t put much stress on the PYQs and didn’t do a deep analysis of the UPSC’s ideology when making the Ques. Then, my tutor, Amit Jain Sir (Core IAS), helped me understand how UPSC came up with Prelims Questions, and with a lot of practise, I was able to pass both Prelims and the Ifos cutoff.
Get better at your core subjects, such as History, Politics, and Economics. These are the three most important topics that can guarantee you a spot in the Mains exam.
Look at the PYQs and do a lot of study on all the wrong answers as well.
Give multiple fake tests, i.e. solve as many multiple-choice questions (MCQs) as possible, at least 6,000 of them. This will help you figure out what to do next.
Figure out your strengths and weaknesses, as well as the best number of questions to try.
DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE CSAT. For the past three or four years, UPSC has used it as a real way to weed out candidates.
Jatin Jain Prelims Booklist
Polity: Laxmikanth
History of the present: Spectrum
Art and Culture: Fine Arts from Ncert and Nitin Singhania (very few pages).
Old and mediaeval: The Vajiram Yellow Book, the Old Ncerts, and the Lucent
Current Events in Science and Technology magzine: Sunya IAS
Environment: The Core IAS (Amit Jain Sir’s notes) and Current Affairs (Sunya IAS).
Economy: Class notes for Vajiram and Ravi from Vibhas Sir and Shyam Sundar Sir and Economy 550 questions from Vivek Singh Sir.
In Geography, ONLY NCERT
Maps and international relations: places in news videos on YouTube, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, etc.
Jatin Jain Mains Preparation Strategy
Mains is the most important part of this test, and if you do well on it, it can guarantee your spot in UPSC. Answer Writing is the key to doing well in mains, and I’d like to point out that it’s an art that needs to be honed and made in a scientific way.
Two teachers, Amit Jain Sir (Core IAS) and Anupam Jain Sir (Smartwork Labs), teach me how to study for mains and write answers. In his course, Amit Sir taught me the basics of answer writing, like how to structure it and how to answer the question.
Anupam Sir worked with me all the time to help me improve my skills and add value to my answers by reviewing most of them. Their comments have helped me feel better about myself and get better at writing answers.
Content is also important in Mains, along with Answer Writing. I used a method where I had 1-2 pages of structured material for every single word in the syllabus. I went back over them many times and kept adding examples and case studies to add value. The key is to take clear notes, learn them, and try to answer questions about them in different ways.
Interview Preparation Strategy by Jatin Jain
It’s the most fun part of this test because you get to learn more about yourself and try to see things from different points of view. You also learn more and gain a deeper understanding. And since Mains gets you in, the Interview is what will decide where you end up.
At the interview stage, your DAF (detailed application form) is the most important thing, and it needs to be well-prepared. About 70% of my interview questions came directly or indirectly from my DAF.
Sociology Optional Preparation Strategy by Jatin Jain
Sociology Sociology is an optional that gets very good grades. I’d like to say something about the sources I used:
Sleepy Classess (free videos on YouTube)
Mahapatra Sir Class (Vajiram and Ravi) Toppers Notes: Notes from Tushranshu Sir and Sinduri Ma’am (selected to add value)
Nitin Sangwan Sir’s “Essential Sociology”
Copies of bestsellers to add value
An analysis of Levelup IAS Nishat Sir’s advice and some recent events
Telegram channels like “One Liner Sociology” and “Decipher Sociology,” among others, can be used for examples and to add value.
Sociology strategy should be based on two things: understanding the big ideas and practising your questions (PYQs). This is because 60–70% of questions on the test are directly or indirectly repeated every year.
In sociology replies, it’s important to be clear about the ideas and include a list of thinkers. Using relevant and current examples can be the icing on the cake and help us stand out from other candidates.
Answer writing is a big part of sociology. It’s important to understand what the question wants and write what it wants, not what we know.
You can do well in sociology if you take short notes and go over them more than once, use standard meanings, and have ready-made introductions and conclusions for questions that are often asked. Try to think outside the box and add diagrams, flow charts, and maps to your replies whenever you can.
Tips for Aspirants by Jatin Jain
Always have self-confidence and a good mood, give your honest 110%, and let God take care of the rest. As a fan of MS Dhoni, one of his quotes that I always use is, “The process is more important than the result.
The result may or may not always be in your favour, as success and failure are two sides of the same coin, but if you follow the right process, you will reach your goal sooner or later.
So, keep doing smart work, have a plan and strategy for UPSC, don’t freak out when you fail temporarily, and be patient and consistent. You will all win.
