Due to the vast and diverse syllabus of the UPSC Civil Services Examination coupled with intense competition, a high number of candidates are seen joining UPSC coaching institutes. But not a single institute can get them all selected, the same goes for the candidates who didn’t join coaching and focused on self-studies. Henceforth, it can be clearly seen that there is no such definite rule to success in the IAS Examination.

But, if you are a beginner, one question that will always haunt you is whether you should join coaching or focus on self-studies for his UPSC Civil Services Examination. While there is no such hard and fast rule for deciding which medium of studying is best for the civil services examination, nevertheless we can always analyze what fits our needs the best. 

Questions to ask before Choosing between Coaching or Self Studies for IAS preparation

• Can you plan it all yourself?: The Syllabus of the UPSC Civil Services Examination is very vast and would require a comprehensive study plan to cover all the syllabus in time. Due to the diverse syllabus, chances are high that you might come across a few topics which might seem complex and would require concept clarity. If you are a good learner and can understand topics by yourself by using books/guides, then self-studies will be good for you. But, if you don’t want to go that extra hog to study all by yourself, you can always choose a coaching.

• Can you study strictly as per the Exam Syllabus?: As discussed above, the syllabus of UPSC is very lengthy and gets very demanding if you don’t study according to the exam syllabus. A beginner might get confused between this vast syllabus and end up studying out of unnecessary topics losing his precious preparation time. The right coaching institutes with years of experience can play a handy role in guiding and channelizing your studies strictly according to the needs of the UPSC exam. Henceforth, if you are a beginner, you can join the UPSC IAS GS 2023 Coaching in English to study under the expert guidance of ex-civil servants and experienced UPSC mentors.

• Can you balance your CSAT and GS paper I studies?: Owing to the vast syllabus of GS Paper I, candidates don’t give the requisite importance to the CSAT paper. It can be a detrimental strategy to take the CSAT paper lightly, as when it backfires all your heavy lifting for the civil services examination can go in vain. Therefore, you will need to make a perfect balance between your CSAT and GS paper I. If you can do it by yourself, then you can choose to go for self-studies. But, if you are facing problems in a few subjects of the CSAT paper, it is always good to take coaching. The best way to do so is by taking the UPSC CSAT Online Coaching so that you can study at your own pace.

• Are you self-motivated? While motivation has no direct relevance from coaching institutes, there will be a time when you will require expert guidance and motivation. That motivation can come from your UPSC teachers or mentors, as they can guide you well in such situations. However, if you are a self-motivated person, you can always cheer yourself up or can get guidance/assistance from your peer groups.

• Do you have time? Now, if you are gearing up for coaching, you need to ask yourself, do you have time for a coaching? Generally, coaching institutes take a minimum of 3 hours of classes a day. If your UPSC prelims dates are nearby then it might not be a good strategy. Moreover, if you are a working personnel, then again, you might not take offline coaching. So, either you can take online coaching or focus on self studies. 

Thousands of aspirants have cleared the UPSC civil services examination by coaching while the same number of aspirants have cleared it by self-studies. Henceforth, it is you who needs to consider what fits best for you.

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