Inspirational Story of Priya Singh Chauhan, UPSC Rank 45

The journey to success in the Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission is often filled with challenges, setbacks, and moments of doubt. One inspiring example is the story of Priya Singh Chauhan, who secured Rank 45 after overcoming multiple failures in the Preliminary examination. 

Despite facing five unsuccessful attempts at Prelims, she remained determined and continued refining her strategy. While working as an accountant in the Ministry of Home Affairs through SSC CGL, she balanced her job and preparation with discipline and smart planning. Her journey highlights the importance of perseverance, consistent practice, and self-belief for aspirants preparing for the UPSC exam.

Inspirational Story of Priya Singh Chauhan, UPSC Rank 45

This blog highlights the journey of Priya Singh Chauhan, UPSC Rank 45, detailing her strategies for navigating the challenging civil services examination. It covers her perseverance through repeated Prelims failures, effective Mains preparation, and time management techniques crucial for working professionals. Her experience offers valuable insights into maintaining motivation and a balanced approach during a demanding preparation phase.

1. Overcoming Repeated Prelims Failures

Priya Singh Chauhan demonstrated remarkable perseverance, facing five Prelims failures before finally clearing the exam in her last attempt. The Prelims stage was identified as the biggest hurdle in her journey. Despite experiencing repeated setbacks, including narrowly missing the cut-off by less than 0.66 marks and suffering from panic during an attempt, she persisted. Her mindset was that having invested so much, one more attempt was always worthwhile.

2. Motivation and Support System

As a working professional (Accountant, Ministry of Home Affairs, via SSC CGL), Priya faced significant time crunch and frequent demotivation. Her primary motivational factors included:

• Self-reasoning: She convinced herself that any failure indicated a gap in preparation, necessitating more study.

• Family and Friends: Their unwavering guidance and support were crucial. Her mother, for instance, would move to Delhi to support her after every Prelims failure, reinforcing the belief to continue trying. This familial presence served as a pillar of support.

3. Prelims Strategy and Mindset

For students repeatedly failing Prelims, Priya advises:

• Maintain Calm on D-Day: Prelims is significantly a "D-day game," emphasizing the need to stay calm and control factors within one's power on the examination day.

• Continuous Study: "Keep studying," as one never knows which attempt will lead to success and ultimately to an IAS rank.

• Do Not Lose Hope: Despite personal experiences of persistent fear and encountering "No Matches Found" in result PDFs multiple times, it's crucial to "not lose hope."

• Belief in Hard Work and Timing: Her belief strengthened that "nothing is received before or beyond one's time, more than destiny." Therefore, "if you work hard, you will get it."

4. Mains Examination Strategy

For Mains, especially as a first-time attempt, Priya adopted a focused approach:

• Concise Strategy: Her overall strategy was "very concise," adhering to basic principles suggested by top performers.

• Source Limitation & Revision: "Limit sources" and "revise them" regularly.

• Short Notes: Created "short notes" for effective preparation.

• Answer Writing Focus: Engaged in "extensive answer writing."

5. Time Management for Working Professionals and Notes Strategy

For working professionals, Priya shares her time management techniques:

• Optimizing Study Hours: Due to physical and mental exhaustion after office, she focused on "early mornings" as her most productive study time. She would wake up at 4 AM and dedicate the stretch from 4 AM to 9-10 AM to focused study.

• Utilized Weekends: Dedicated weekends for extended study periods.

• Evenings: Used any remaining time in the evenings.

Regarding notes, her strategy was:

• Prelims: Relied on "standard books" for Prelims.

• Mains Notes: Making notes for Mains is "helpful" because investing time initially saves time during revision. However, it's not mandatory, as some successful candidates don't make notes. 

6. Managing Distractions and Maintaining Balance

On avoiding distractions and maintaining focus, Priya highlighted:

• Varied Study Intensity: Acknowledged that "every day cannot be the same day," especially over multiple attempts. During exam season, study hours could reach 12 hours daily, with "everything else taking a back seat" (e.g., social media). There were also months post-failure when she was not in study mode.

• Balanced Lifestyle: She did not advocate for complete "isolation" throughout the long preparation journey. She "used to go out with friends, with family, and enjoyed time."

• Targeted Isolation: "Some isolation is important" when the exam approaches to dedicate required hours.

• Strategic Breaks: Taking breaks between attempts is acceptable, but there should be a "valid reason" for it, not just to rest. The goal is to "give your best shot" and see what happens.