Having cleared the UPSC in his third attempt, Mr Pradeep Kumar Dwivedi surely knows what struggle is, as also how to overcome various hurdles which India’s toughest exam throws at you right from prelims to interview stage. And he has got loads of well-meaning advice for people who wish to follow on his footsteps.
Mr Dwivedi’s success story
Heading from a simple family in Bundelkhand , where his father is a farmer and mother a homemaker, Mr Dwivedi never let his struggles undermine his dreams. After completing his intermediate he obtained a degree in electrical engineering from Bhopal. He then got a government job in the Electricity Department of Madhya Pradesh where he worked for a few years until he decided to prepare for UPSC.
Mr Dwivedi had decided he would appear for UPSC twice- and if he didn’t qualify the exam even in his second attempt, he would resume his work in the Madhya Pradesh Electricity Department. However, he decided to give a third attempt and qualified in the same achieving AIR 74.
Where to start if thinking of taking UPSC exam?
To help students who have just decided to prepare for the civil service examination, Mr Dwivedi’s first suggestion is to check the syllabus for the UPSC exam available on its website. This initial step hold utmost importance as it helps the aspirants to understand the exam pattern after which they can go through the next level of understanding of the study material.
Talking about the “roadmap for preparation” he said, “once you have seen the syllabus and are aware of the examination pattern then comes referring the sourcing, start with NCERT books of class 6 to 12.”
Start with History, he says, adding that “NCERT books of class 7 and 8 are very important. In fact, if you are able to study NCERT’s of class 9, 10, 11 and 12 then it would be the best.” For Geography, “you should study the books from class 6 to 12 at least once and during revision look at the books of class 11 and 12.” For Economics, he suggests NCERT books to understand the basics of it, for which NCERT books of class 11 and 12 are very important.
Talking about students who don’t have a science background, Mr Dwivedi says that they should refer to NCERT books for the same. He says that NCERT books for each subject are important as they help understand subjects in a better way.
After completing NCERT, students get a clear understanding of subjects that they feel they understand in a better way after which it is easier to decide the subject for the examination. Students should not select a subject based on just interest as “pattern of it is also important”.
Once the aspirants have selected their optional subject, they should start their preparation for UPSC, says Mr. Dwivedi. He insists there is no need for them to go for former coaching initially, and self-study itself can be quite rewarding.
What to do if you feel stuck during preparation
Mr Dwivedi points that “test series is the most important part of your preparation” and it had helped him greatl. “If you want to invest money for UPSC preparation then get a nice test series from any coaching institute. In fact, nothing should not stop you from taking help from the test series,’’ he added.
According to Mr Dwivedi, aspirants should take recourse to the internet if they feel stuck, as there are lots material and online tests that can help them sort out their issues.
Mr Dwivedi strongly feels that easy availability of internet can make coaching centres redundant. The focus should be on self-study as it alone will help them reach their goal.
