Aakriti Sethi, AIR-249 CSE-22 Journey, Prelims, Mains & Economics

Aakriti Sethi's Inspiring UPSC Journey: From Prelims Failures to AIR 249 in CSE 2022

In the ever-evolving landscape of the UPSC Civil Services Examination, Aakriti Sethi's story stands as a testament to the power of determination and unwavering perseverance. As the 32nd Topper Journey & Strategy post from the Batch of 2023, her journey will undoubtedly inspire and motivate countless aspirants across the nation.

Introduction

Aakriti Sethi, a native of Ambala Cantt in Haryana, secured the impressive rank of AIR 249 in the UPSC CSE 2022. Her optional subject was Economics, and this was her first successful attempt at the Mains examination after a series of challenges in her previous attempts. The Prelims examination, however, had been her primary hurdle, as she was unable to clear it in her last five attempts.

Brief Background

Aakriti's academic and extracurricular achievements paint a picture of an all-around individual. She completed her schooling at Bhartiya Public School Ambala Cantt, where she excelled not only in her studies but also in sports, representing Ambala District in basketball and becoming a national-level Handball player. Her talents extended beyond the athletic realm, as she also shone in declamations and dance competitions.

In 2010, Aakriti moved to Delhi to pursue her graduation in B.Com (Hons.) from SGND Khalsa College, Delhi University. After completing her undergraduate degree in 2013, she joined KPMG Global Services Gurugram as an Audit executive. In 2014, she embarked on her Masters program from the School of Open Learning, Delhi University, which she completed in 2017, taking an extra year due to not qualifying in one of the semesters.

My UPSC Journey

2017

Aakriti's UPSC journey began in 2017, when she attempted the examination for the first time, without any formal coaching for both the General Studies and Optional papers. This initial attempt was more of an exploratory nature, as she took the time to understand the exam, the basic syllabus, and how to effectively prepare for it. Unsurprisingly, she failed to clear the Prelims in this attempt, as she had only prepared for two months.

2018

In her second attempt, Aakriti enrolled in a year-long test series for the Prelims, focusing primarily on revising the basic books without any significant preparation for the Mains. This strategy, in retrospect, was her "second biggest mistake", as she ended up failing to clear the Prelims once again.

2019

Aakriti's third attempt saw her diligently writing daily answers for Current Affairs and attempting a test series. She also worked on her essay writing skills. However, just before the UPSC Prelims, a setback in the Haryana Civil Services Prelims examination dealt an emotional blow that adversely affected her performance, leading to another failure in the UPSC Prelims.

2020

Determined to break the cycle of Prelims failures, Aakriti joined the Intensive News Analysis (INA) program of MK Yadav Sir, which provided her with valuable guidance. Under his tutelage, she appeared for the 2020 Prelims, feeling confident that she would finally clear this hurdle. Yet again, the Prelims eluded her.

2021

In this year, Aakriti shifted her focus to extensive preparation for the Mains examination. She joined the Quality Enrichment Program (QEP) of MK Yadav Sir, concentrating on improving her answer writing skills, essay writing, and optional subject (Economics). However, the cumulative effect of multiple failures and mental instability took a toll, and just 20 days before the Prelims, she suffered a major breakdown, ultimately scoring the lowest marks in the Prelims that year.

2022

With nothing left to lose, Aakriti decided to give her "last and final attempt" in 2022, determined to achieve "Nirvana". Starting her preparation in February, she adopted a slightly modified strategy. She focused on consolidating her notes, preparing differentiated notes for the Prelims and Mains from the monthly current affairs magazine, and ensuring that she had comprehensive notes for GS 1-4 and her optional subject, Economics, before the Prelims.

This time, with a calm and positive mindset, Aakriti's efforts paid off, and she finally cleared the Prelims. She then put her heart and soul into the Mains examination, working tirelessly to manifest her success. Her unwavering positive attitude and hard work ultimately led her to achieve the impressive rank of AIR 249 in the UPSC CSE 2022.

Prelims Strategy

Aakriti's Prelims strategy was multifaceted, reflecting the lessons she had learned from her previous attempts:

1. Integrated Study of Prelims and Mains: She emphasized the importance of not solely focusing on clearing the Prelims, but rather adopting an integrated approach to prepare for both stages of the examination.
2. Unwavering Faith: Aakriti strongly believed that no matter how much one studies, the "2 Hours" of the Prelims examination can make all the difference, underscoring the need to never lose faith in one's abilities.
3. Streamlined Sources: She advised against following multiple sources for the Prelims, recommending instead to restrict one's sources and revise them multiple times.
4. Current Affairs Consistency: Aakriti advocated for consistently following a single source for current affairs, rather than relying on ready-made shortcuts like watching newspaper videos.
5. Previous Year Question Practice: She emphasized the importance of practicing previous year questions and analyzing them thoroughly to identify patterns and areas of focus.
6. Strategic Preparation: Aakriti advised focusing on areas with a higher tendency of questions, particularly the static portions of the syllabus, and consistently attempting mock tests to identify and address weaknesses.

Mains Strategy

Aakriti's Mains strategy revolved around the mantra of "Practice, practice, and practice". Her approach included:

1. Extensive Previous Year Question Study: She followed the previous year's questions extensively and worked in the same direction to refine her answers.
2. Comprehensive Note Preparation: Aakriti prepared detailed notes from each section of the UPSC syllabus, which she supplemented with the high-quality notes from the Quality Enrichment Program (QEP) of MK Yadav Sir.
3. Iterative Improvement: She continuously added value to her answers, incorporating examples, case studies, case laws, committee recommendations, and data, facts, and figures to enhance the quality of her responses.
4. Ethical Preparation: Aakriti found Mudit Jain Sir's "Decode Ethics 4.0" book to be the best reference for her ethical preparation, and she also utilized his blog content to kickstart her preparation in various subjects.
5. Revision Cycles: Between the Prelims and Mains, Aakriti completed at least three cycles of revision, which helped her memorize the content and write better answers.
6. Answer Structuring: She emphasized the importance of developing a proper structure for her answers and practicing it in test papers to replicate the same in the final examination, while avoiding the trap of unnecessary diagram-making.

Economics Optional

Aakriti's strategy for the Economics optional subject was comprehensive, drawing from a diverse range of resources:

Paper 1

For the first paper, Aakriti referred to the basic advised books, including:

• Microeconomics by HL Ahuja
• Macroeconomics by Froyen and HL Ahuja
• International Economics by Salvatore
• Public Finance by Musgrave and Bhatia
• Money Banking from HL Ahuja

She meticulously prepared notes on the syllabus topics, revised the books multiple times, and practiced previous year questions extensively (at least the last 10 years).

Paper 2

Recognizing the dynamic nature of this paper, Aakriti utilized various sources, such as:

• Indian Economy by Uma Kapila
• Mishra and Puri
• Tirthankar Roy for Pre-Independence
• QEP material from MK Yadav Sir
• Toppers' notes from Abhijeet Sinha, Tejasvi Rana, Gaurav, and others

Aakriti credits the availability of these valuable resources for her strong performance in Paper 2. Additionally, she kept herself updated with current affairs, using Livemint as a reliable newspaper, and incorporated economists' names, data, facts, and diagrams to enhance her answers.

Pro Tips

Aakriti shared a few pro tips that she believes were instrumental in her success:

1. Prioritize Health: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including daily walks and physical activities, was a key focus for Aakriti.
2. Emotional Balance: She emphasized the importance of mental health, suggesting the regular practice of stress-management techniques and the reading of positive books.

Contribution to Co-Aspirants

Aakriti has collaborated with other toppers, such as Gaurav Budania (AIR 13, CSE 2020) and Aditya Sharma (AIR 70, CSE 2022), under the guidance of MK Yadav Sir, to create "Handwritten Model Answers" books. These books, compiled topic-wise for each subject, aim to provide aspirants with high-quality content, keywords, maps, diagrams, and more.

Aakriti's message to fellow aspirants is clear: "Do not lose self-belief, and keep working hard!" She is grateful to the Almighty, her parents, family, mentor, and special friends who have supported her throughout this journey. Aakriti firmly believes that this success is just the beginning, and she invites aspirants to join her on her continued path of growth and learning.