How Minal Negi Turned a 47-Mark Prelims Setback into Rank 66 With Focused Preparation and PW Support

Preparing for the UPSC examination requires candidates to manage different stages of preparation, from Prelims and Mains to the interview. For Minal Negi, the journey included an unsuccessful first attempt, followed by a focused approach towards PYQs, maps, answer writing and value addition.

Minal started her UPSC preparation in 2022 while she was in the final year of college. She appeared for her first attempt in 2024 but could not clear Prelims, missing the mark by 47 marks. In her next attempt, she cleared Prelims and secured a place in the top 100.

Minal Negi's UPSC Preparation Journey

Minal began her preparation in 2022 and appeared for her first UPSC attempt in 2024. Her first attempt did not go as planned, as she could not clear Prelims.

She then changed her approach and focused more closely on solving and analysing previous-year questions.

“Sir I started the preparation in 2022. I was in the final year of my college and I gave my first attempt in 2024.”

The first attempt became an important part of her preparation journey, as she identified areas that needed improvement.

“2024 mein I gave my first attempt, I couldn't clear the Prelims and I miserably failed Prelims by 47 marks.”

In her next attempt, Minal cleared the Prelims and eventually secured a position in the top 100.

Minal Negi's Prelims Strategy: Focus on PYQs and Maps

For Prelims, Minal gave significant importance to previous-year questions. She created a dedicated notebook using printouts of questions and wrote the solutions and related examples alongside them.

She considered this approach a major change in her preparation.

“Sir meri ek PYQ solve karne ka ek tareeka tha ki saare print outs maine original UPSC ki site se nikal ke single side print out le liye the saare exams ke aur unki notebook bana li thi.”

Her approach also involved using maps beyond Geography. She used them to summarise information from areas such as Ancient and Medieval History.

“Also sir maps were very important in my journey. Ye not only for Geography but also for Ancient Medieval.”

She also highlighted the improvement in her Prelims marks after focusing on PYQs properly.

Minal Negi's Mains Strategy: Value Addition and PYQ Analysis

After completing her foundation, Minal focused on adding value to her Mains answers. Her strategy included analysing toppers' copies and identifying where diagrams, flowcharts and graphs could be used.

She also paid attention to using relevant academic keywords in her answers.

“Lekin main value addition par maine kaafi focus kiya. Ek baar jab mera foundation complete ho gaya, kyunki mere paas journey mein bahut time tha, 2022 se main prepare kar rahi thi.”

For Mains, she also created a separate PYQ-based notebook with questions arranged in boxes and their answers.

“Mains ke liye bhi maine ek notebook banayi thi jismein main aise ek page mein ek A4 sheet mein teen boxes print out kare the aur har box mein ek question likha hua hota tha aur itne chhote box mein uske answers.”

Minal also followed a theme-based preparation approach by analysing PYQs and identifying relevant themes for different subjects.

Minal Negi's Association With Physics Wallah

Minal also shared how she used Physics Wallah resources during her preparation. She specifically mentioned the Prahaar Magazine, the Interview Guidance Programme and her association with PW on YouTube.

“Jo aapne use kari sir Prahaar Magazine bahut helpful rahi hai. Internal Security aur Environment maine sirf Prahaar Magazine se cover kiya hai.”

She further mentioned her association with the Interview Guidance Programme and PW's YouTube content.

“Uske baad main Interview Guidance Programme ke liye aapke saath thi. Mera PW se matlab online YouTube pe bhi kaafi association raha hai.”

Minal also recalled a one-to-one session before her interview. She said the session helped her feel more confident before appearing for the interview the following day.

What Minal Negi's UPSC Journey Shows

Minal's journey reflects how her preparation evolved after her first Prelims attempt. Her strategy placed strong emphasis on PYQs, structured notes, maps and answer value addition.

Minal Negi’s UPSC journey highlights the importance of learning from setbacks and improving preparation with focused strategies. Her approach to PYQs, maps, value addition and answer writing can help aspirants build a more structured preparation journey. PW’s UPSC batches also offer structured preparation support for aspirants looking to strengthen these aspects of their preparation.