My Preparation

I started my preparation for civil services examination in June 2007. I had earlier completed my engineering in electronics from Thadomal Shahani Engineering College, Bandra, Mumbai in 2005. From 2005 till May 2007 I was working with Infosys Technologies Ltd at Mysore. I quit my job in May 2007 and started preparing for civil services examination.


I had gathered information about the examination during my engineering days. My mother played a major role in gathering this information. I had already decided that when I start my preparation, I will go to Delhi.


I attended various private classes in Delhi for General Studies, History and Public Administration. I was in Delhi from June 2007 till March 2008 after which I came back home. The classes had given me a strong foundation. Now it was up to me to build upon that foundation.


I gave my first attempt at U.P.S.C Civil Services examination in May 2008. As my preparation was not sufficient I could not clear the Preliminary Examination.


From June 2008 till December 2008 I kept preparing for the Main Examination. It is general practice in preparation for this examination that you need to be ready for the Main Examination before you give the preliminary exam. The gap between the Preliminary and main examination is too short to prepare for the Main Exam.


In September 2008 I gave the entrance exam of C.D Deshmukh Institute for Administrative Carriers, Thane and got selected.


From Jan 2009 I started preparation for Preliminary exam again. I had already analysed the areas I feel short in the last attempt and worked on them. To check my progress I joined the Preliminary Examination Test Series at C.D.Deshmukh Institute. The test series was a vital component in my preparation. It helped me evaluate myself well in advance of the U.P.S.C examination and rectify the shortcomings.


May 2009 was my second attempt at the civil services examination and I was able to clear the prelims.


As there was no test series for Main Examination at C.D.Deshmukh institute then, I went to Delhi again. I was in Delhi from June 2009 till October 2009. I attended test series for Main Examination in General Studies, History, Public Administration and Essay. The test series' were quite extensive and helped me in vital aspects of answer writing like time management, answer writing techniques, word limit management etc.


I gave the Main examination in October 2009 and cleared it too. After the Main Examination, I kept preparing for next year's Main Examination as one is not sure of the result and the result too comes out in March, after which the Personality Test is still to follow.


Same process, as the previous year, was repeated in early 2010 with prelims preparation and Test Series. At the same time interview preparations were on side by side. I attended several guest lectures organised by C.D.Deshmukh Institute as part of the Interview preparations.


I appeared for Interview in April 2010, however got very poor marks in it and as a result was not selected in the final list. I fell short of selection by 16 marks.


My third attempt was all about repeating and if possible improving my good performance of previous Main Examination and working hard on Interview. I gave the prelims in May 2010. This time joined the Main Examination Test Series in C.D.Deshmukh Institute itself. I gave the Main Examination in Oct 2010. Had lot of discussions on various topics of General studies, History and Public Administration with my colleagues in C.D.Deshmukh Institute.


As Interview was my weakness I took special efforts towards it. Attended a six days course on public speaking in December-January. Then after the results in March attended a week long course for Interview Preparation at YASHADA, Pune. Again the interview preparations involved discussions with my colleagues.


Starting my preparations in June 2007, I was finally selected and recommended by U.P.S.C for civil services in May 2011.