Goldi Gupta, AIR-181 CSE-22 Journey, Prelims, Mains (GS-3 101 Marks)

Goldi Gupta's journey to crack the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022 has been a long and challenging one, marked by perseverance, hard work, and a deep commitment to excellence. Hailing from a humble background, Goldi's determination to succeed in this highly competitive exam has been nothing short of inspirational.

Introduction

Goldi Gupta, a fifth-time aspirant, has secured the remarkable Rank 181 in the CSE 2022 examination. Despite the obstacles and setbacks he faced throughout his journey, Goldi remained steadfast in his pursuit of this coveted civil service position. In this detailed writeup, he shares his experiences, strategies, and the lessons he learned along the way, providing valuable insights for fellow UPSC aspirants.

You can connect with Goldi on his Instagram Profile and Telegram Channel to seek guidance and support.

Coaching and Sources

Goldi did not opt for any classroom coaching, but he extensively used mains test series from reputable sources like Forum IAS MGP and other readily available test series. He believes that the decision to pursue classroom coaching, subject-specific coaching, or test series is a personal choice that should be made based on individual assessment of strengths, weaknesses, and preparation level.

Regarding his sources, Goldi relied on the recommendations of previous toppers, utilizing resources such as Anudeep sir's, Akshat Jain sir's, and Laxmikant's notes for Polity; Spectrum for History; Shankar for Environment; Nitin Sangwan sir's notes for Culture; Mrunal sir's old videos and Sriram IAS material for Economy; Rajtanil Ma'am's videos for Geography; and NCERT books.

Current Affairs Sources

Goldi's strategy for current affairs was to minimize the number of sources he relied on. He primarily focused on PT 365 and Mains 365 for current affairs, and the Explained Page of the Indian Express newspaper for mains-related examples, which he found to be a "goldmine" for his preparation.

Prelims Strategy

Goldi's prelims scores have ranged from 89 to 139 in the five attempts he has made. His mantra for prelims success has been the multiple revisions of the static notes he prepared early on in his preparation journey. Analyzing previous year question papers (PYQs) also helped him a great deal, as it allowed him to identify patterns and potential areas of focus.

In addition to revising his notes, Goldi emphasized the importance of developing the right mindset and strategy by doing a comprehensive test series. He believes that the current trends in the prelims exam require a focus on knowledge enrichment and confidence, as choosing the right option is often a matter of self-belief.

Mains Strategy

Goldi's mains strategy was multifaceted, and he has seen a significant improvement in his performance, with his marks increasing from 365 in 2020 to 457 in 2022. His strategies for each GS paper are as follows:

GS 1

Goldi worked on improving his speed and ensuring that he completed all the papers. He also started using maps and writing multiple perspectives in GS 1, which helped him increase his score from 74 in 2020 to 110 in 2022.

GS 2

In GS 2, Goldi focused on writing a large number of points, with a special emphasis on cases, committees (in Polity), quotes (in Governance), and comments by famous personalities (in International Relations). This approach helped him improve his score from 97 in 2020 to 128 in 2022.

GS 3

Goldi consistently scored above the average marks in GS 3 in the last three years (97, 94, and 101). His strategies included writing a lot of points, using maps in agriculture and security questions, addressing each part of the question specifically, using boxes to highlight key information, and utilizing relevant committees and data points.

GS 4

In GS 4, Goldi focused primarily on time management, using 90 minutes for case studies and 90 minutes exactly for the 13 answers. He emphasized the importance of quoting real-life examples to score well in this section, which he supplemented by thoroughly reading newspapers.

On Success, Failure, and Luck

Goldi acknowledges that the UPSC examination is highly uncertain, and even with all the hard work, success is not guaranteed. He believes that the only recourse available is to keep working hard, have faith in one's abilities and hard work, and trust in the universe to reward one's efforts, as it did for him.

Goldi's journey to CSE-22 success is a testament to the power of perseverance, strategic planning, and a unwavering belief in one's abilities. His detailed insights and strategies provide a roadmap for future UPSC aspirants, inspiring them to embrace the challenges and emerge victorious in their own civil service journeys.