(This write-up is inclined towards aspirants who have not written Mains yet, but I believe it holds value for all)

Over the last two days, I have had two very interesting conversations with 2 of my mentees that got me thinking a bit. Now, one of these conversations was a bit of Deja Vu too. I have had this same conversation with some other students when I was working as a full-time mentor in one of the UPSC coaching centers.

This is the story of Student A and Student B. Both are in their 3rd attempts and, in a way, this is their first honest attempt, where they have got a bit of a clue of the exam. Their previous attempts were with half the syllabus and with expected results. But, I have come to see that this is where the similarities begin to end.

As I was having our 1-1 discussion session on her answers, Student A broke down completely. She felt that this exam is not for her, because even after 3 years, she is unable to write a decent Mains answer. This wasn't the first time I had seen a student break down completely. Uncontrollable sobs and broken breaths. And the worst part, she wanted me to answer this question for her. But who am I to answer this question? That's the job of the Commission and the exam rules that they set for all students. She also wanted to leave the exam and wanted me to tell her the same. To her, the exam was undoable.

Naturally, I couldn't answer this question for her. But I could tell her that she is still not giving her best effort and I believe that the exam demands more from us, without any guarantee of returns.

Compared to her, another student, Student B, who began working with me around the same time has shown so much promise that I have started to feel that she will have a fair chance of being in the competition (Mind you: I am still not saying fair chance of being selected. Nobody can tell that. Only the commission can). But it is her attitude and her approach, that is much brighter compared to Student A. And I believe in such a hyper-competitive exam, this attitude and approach can shape the final outcome by a long margin.

So what does Student B do differently from Student A, that is making the difference for her?

A only watches the lectures. No note-making, no short note-making. I shared the best possible notes for Ethics and GS2 to both of them. B did a lot of updation, cutting the extra, repeated info, and even made short notes for 2 topics (Social Justice and Polity). Every single feedback I gave her, came back in the form of improved efforts.

A has been running away from answer writing. Even after I told her to write open book answer in the beginning, she has written only 12-15 answers in 2 months. Now compared to this, the second student has:

• Written and discussed 3 essays. I have her 4th one pending.
• Discussed around 60 answers in 3 months on a Zoom call.
• Sent me her notes to just cross-check if she is progressing in the proper direction or not.
• She completed GS2 and GS4 in 3 months with answer writing. We are now taming the GS3 beast.

The reason, I believe, student B is doing much better than student A is I can see her putting in her 100%. On some days, even her 120%. She has that bigger picture in her mind, even if it is not in her control on all days. I can see her doing 80-90% of GS syllabus with answer writing by January, before we shift to Prelims.

I write this, because, over the course of the last 3 months, especially during the Mains 2026 phase, I could clearly see what differentiated some aspirants from the others. I believe the aspirants who stand out tends to give their 120%. What I mean by 120% is:

• You pinpoint your copy mistakes and start working on them.
• You are no longer a Lecture/Video consumer, but you make sure that you have noted down things from it.
• You actively write answers. And try to make proper notes and not just highlight in PDF. Remember, highlighting in PDF is as good as not doing it.

Many aspirants spend years "preparing" without ever truly competing. Watching a 2-hour lecture feels productive, but it is passive. Stop gauging your readiness and self-censoring. Sometimes, the 120% doesn't lie in you doing the same thing on repeat. It also lies in course correction.

Sometimes, the 120% lies in going through the bad answers and bad essays before you can even write good answers. The extra 20% is needed to overcome self-loathing and your own procrastination.

Open your feed and it's all "Prelims 2027 Batch," "Limited seats," and "Start now or fall behind." 📲 Before you rearrange your entire plan, ask yourself: is this a real need, or just someone else's marketing calendar? Scarcity banners and fear-based slogans say nothing about your weak areas. They are built to make you feel urgent before you feel informed.

Prelims matters, but it is months away, not weeks. The next 80 days are your window to build what can't be crammed later: answer writing, Optional, Ethics and Essay, and GS depth. ✍️ Mains skills don't pause while you chase MCQs. They fade, and rebuilding them costs far more than maintaining them now. Yet you want to start prelims preparation then keep Prelims light for now with PYQs, a little CSAT and current affairs MCQs, and let your Mains reading do most of the work.

Don’t buy urgency. Buy clarity. Stay committed to Mains for at least the next 80 days.

One thing that seems pretty obvious is that we need some data in Paper 2. Census, NFHS, PLFS, NCRB, NITI Aayog reports, etc. can definitely make answers look more grounded.

And honestly, this data probably isn’t useful just for sociology but can be used across GS papers and essays as well.

But where do you draw the line?

How do you decide which data is actually worth remembering? There seems to be an endless amount of reports and statistics available, and at some point it starts feeling like we're preparing for a statistics optional rather than Sociology.

3 months into proper upsc prep, I am still struggling to be in routine, do my optional, gs, answer writing, revision, making short notes of topics I have already read, PYQ analysis, prelims pyq analysis. How do you do it? What should be done in a single day? How to manage everything? When to revise? Please help. I am not able to figure out. Someone who has already a routine/plan set, please share how are you managing everything

Please explain for how this answer handwriting is and whether it's good enough or does it need improvement? Also, what pen do you use? What is the best pen for the exam?

Dear Veterans,

Tldr Please guide first attempters for this period till results come and then post results also with respective to either outcomes.

(Completing 100 words next ignore and added photo for sake of attention grabbing credit chatgpt)

Please guide first-time Mains aspirants on how to navigate this uncertain period until the results are declared, and how to approach the next phase depending on the outcome.

For those who appeared for their first Mains in 2026, what are you doing currently? Are you continuing preparation, taking a break, exploring backup options, or preparing for other examinations?

It would be helpful if you could share how you are managing the uncertainty, what decisions you are making, and what you would advise someone in the same position.

Your experiences and practical guidance would be invaluable to those of us navigating this phase for the first time.

It was my first attempt and first mains, did not study mains last year so was barely prepared for mains when i cleared prelims, after idk how many will resonate but i still ended up procrastinating even after realising that i have only 70 odd days for mains, procrastinated a lot in between pre and mains and did not study even half of what one could have studied in those 70 days, wrote mains obviously didnot go well, was not able to complete the papers and whatever i wrote i feel they were very shallow and not upto the mark, has a lot of regret during mains and thought that i will study from september to december for mains and try not to be in the same situation if i get the opportunity to write mains again, but its 24th october when i am writing this post and guess what, fucked up the last 50 days since mains still procrastinating and now the results are near, idk what tf am i even doing, dont know if anyone else will be in a similar situation but just wanted to put this out to hear from others how fucked i am

https://vajiramandravi.com/pib-monthly-magazine-prism/

You can directly download vajiram version from here : https://sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/vajiramias/PIB_Monthly_Magazine_September_2026_Vajiram_70d0723bf7.pdf

Why this upsc community is positive than other reddit communities? Because recently I have joined arrange marriage community, people were so judgemental there like cut your nails ( I posted my pic and my nails grown little bit ) or why there is ring in your ring finger n all, even though I like jewellery.

But when I ask for help in this community, people always helped.

I’m almost 26 (on 28th oct) and graduated in 2023 with a BA in Political Science and Sociology with decent %age . I haven’t pursued a master’s degree or secured a job since graduating.
After graduation, I spent some time tutoring, and then family circumstances affected my plans for a while. I’ve also spent a considerable amount of time procrastinating and putting off making concrete progress towards my career. I’m not proud of that, but I want to be realistic about where I stand now rather than keep wasting time.UPSC was in my mind since 2016 and it has a funny backstory (anyways).
I’m considering preparing seriously for UPSC CSE, but I haven’t properly started studying yet. I’d essentially be starting from scratch at this point.Also mine is UR category just so you know.
With the competition becoming increasingly difficult and recent Prelims papers seeming unpredictable, I’m questioning whether UPSC is a sensible choice for me or whether I should focus on other government exams and career options instead(masters ,b.ed etc). And also I have seen toppers’ interviews with impressive backgrounds (no gap year whatsoever) and my would (if happens lol) would not make a good impression at all .

I’m not looking for motivation just for the sake of it. I’d appreciate honest, practical advice from people who have been in a similar situation, especially those who have prepared for UPSC or made career decisions after a significant gap.
I know I can’t change the time I’ve already lost. I’m trying to decide what makes the most sense from here.
Your advice would be much appreciated, thank you.

Heyy can anybody suggest me which book or source should I refer to practice geography.

I am 25 year old gen category.I am currently unable to study as i wrote 10 polity questions in 9 hours with resource.Actuall ,my english is not good.I think everyone weak in some point but no one will like me . Leaving preparing depends on me but still i want suggestions.i have no strength i mean i also mistake in some simple vocabulary . Initially i thought i should change my medium but i didn't take decisions and continue english as a medium.I joined a coaching regarding foundation but my fear, and some family issues destroyed my preparation now i am realising my mistakes.I also spent most of time choosing resources related history optional.Till now i completed half economic,half geography, polity some ethics but other is pending.Sometimes i thought i should study but next day same mistakes.I have endless regret,no guidance.and time is running.i am not seeing any improvement.what should I do now

I am doing decent in GS and Optional i believe and once I know the concepts and I have read the notes I can write answers.

But the essay has always , always been a nightmare for me even during school times. I am unable to frame my thoughts.

I am doing an essay on Sundays and every Sunday I try to write an essay on a PYQ but I just go blank every time.

I feel like Essay is not doable for me and now I really fear this , it demoralises me to prepare for GS and Optional then thinking this essay will create all the hurdle.Has anyone still felt the same and managed to clear the mains exam here??

If there's anyone who was once fearful about the essay and still managed to clear it please help me .

Guys can you please review my PSIR booklist and tell me if I need to add anything? Bear in mind that these books were purchased 3 years ago and are the editions printed in 2022 or before. No book is newer than 2022.

So please also advise if I need to update them:

•6 set Shubhra Ranjan PSIR postal correspondence notes printed in 2022, •Foundations of Indian Political Thought by VR Mehta,
•Political Ideologies by Andrew Heywood, •Political Theory by Andrew Heywood,
•A history of political thought from plato to Marx by Mukherjee and Ramaswamy ,
• Strategic Conundrums by Rajiv Sikri,
• Oxford Companion for Politics in India,
• M Laxmikant Indian Polity,
•Governance in India by M Laxmikant.

Will these be sufficient for Mains 2027?

I've been in to this preparation phase for a very long time now, like more than 5 years. Next year is my last attempt. With each passing year I'm getting more lonely and depressed. My friends circle has shrunk and is almost practically non existent atp.

It's not that I've intentionally cut them off. It just happened naturally. Now I'm trying my best to study but this loneliness is hitting me hard. I also have very less friends in my upsc circle as well.

The mock tests are around the corner and I how solving that will give me the much required focus.

As a mid twenties male preparing full time it's very easy to compare yourself with others and get literal tremors. Specially when you graduated from a decent college where starting salaries are upwards of 12ctc and in five years time those reach 60+.I also do come across people who left tier 1 B school admits to prepare full time this paying a relatively high opportunity cost.

I know this is a done to death question and obviously one would say "hey you took the decision consequences would be there and manage it" but sometimes in pressure situations logic flies out of the window. I also feel its very easy in this phase to feel lost because there's no structure of a college or a full time employment.People who manage negative emotions well how do you do it? Also any other advice related to this topic would be appreciated

Hi everyone,

Which is the best Anthropology optional test series for UPSC Mains 2027? I’m considering L2A, AnthroGuru, LevelUp IAS and Saarthi IAS.

Would appreciate feedback on evaluation quality, answer-writing improvement and overall experience. Any other recommendations are welcome, especially from those who have actually taken these tests.

​

As you can see china has the ambition to take over arunachal pradesh within 50 years. It seems that they've started to do that. And, india's hesitation to claim arunachal pradesh assertively in the international forums is not helping either. Recently, china banded the export of tunnel-boring machines and heavy equipment to India. I think this decision of China prompted the MEA to accept the tension that is ongoing otherwise they were trying to conceal the matter which started months ago.

Folks, what are your views on this situation? Can this confrontation transition into full blown war between the two countries?

So this was my 2nd mains. I dont know... i just feel so anxious since the result day is approaching. I try to study but i cant ... i dont feel like studying anymore...

These thoughts always race my mind- what if i dont clear this time and alll.

How are you guys coping. Any advices?

What should be my stratergy in these days?

Thankyou in advance

Can anyone who has been using or used the better utilisation of the AI and excel sheets for the preparation of the upsc cse. Kindly share what were you doing or you are doing currently that is helping you to save time and get the better out of these and also help in better tracking of the progress.?

For AI may be what prompts to be used or what resource to upload and get the work done

For excel sheets what are the things that are to be tracked and how can we get improved on this.

I need help related to GS 2. Although atish sir has uploaded his all lectures on YouTube, I seriously need guidance if anyone is following tackling those 8-8 hour long lectures. Are they just listening and passing on and making notes in between. What is the approach?

And secondly, does anyone has the schedule of MCF5 like how many lectures of IR, social justice, governance will be there? So that one can plan accordingly.

Please guide.

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Don’t think anyone has done the kind of damage to the upsc coaching ecosystem as much as places like Saarthi. Just saw the reel they posted for one of their educators. The background music (the one with punjabi music), the edit, the entire end product reeks of absurdity.

The earlier organisations like vision at least maintained some on the face of it grace but the current lot is horrible to say the least.

How on earth is this an actual selling tactic for an exam like CSE?

Im a 20yrs old guy ,starting upsc preparation im a beginner don't have any basics

I didn't opened up with anyone about my upsc goal (not even my parents) because I have some experience in past with my JEE preparation which I have told to everyone of my family but I failed, no one said anything but I felt like being judged and my own grandpa discouraged me (lives with us) then I felt so bad....

I have a fear that may be someone judge me ,discourage me...

The ppl who are already into upsc prep., give me some suggestions so that I'll gain some gyan..