Wardah Khan (CSE-23 AIR-18) Sociology & Comprehensive Strategy

Wardah Khan's Journey to UPSC Success: An Inspirational Tale

Wardah Khan, a member of the DecodeCIVILS Mains and Interview Telegram Groups, has achieved a remarkable feat by securing the 18th rank in the UPSC Civil Services Examination, with Sociology as her optional subject. Her journey to this success is a testament to her hard work, dedication, and strategic approach to preparation.

Background and Journey

Wardah hails from Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, and completed her B.Com (Hons) from SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi. She briefly worked at KPMG Global in Audit before making the bold decision to quit her job and dedicate herself fully to UPSC preparation. This decision, though not influenced by anyone else's story, was a pivotal moment in her journey.

Wardah began her UPSC journey in 2021, a year prior to her first attempt. She enrolled in an online GS foundation course with Vajiram & Ravi, diligently completing her NCERT readings, developing the habit of regular newspaper reading, and making detailed notes while attending the lectures. Despite her efforts, she could not clear the Prelims in her first attempt in 2022, missing the GS cutoff by a mere 1.33 marks and performing poorly in the CSAT section. However, this setback proved to be a valuable learning experience that allowed her to identify and address the gaps in her preparation.

Timetable and Strategies

Wardah's typical day started with an hour of newspaper reading and underlining the important information. She would then study two subjects in the morning and evening, reserving the afternoon for attending online lectures and CSAT practice (starting 5 months before Prelims). Her optional subject, Sociology, was studied at night. Wardah consistently clocked in 8-10 hours of study, with the hours increasing to 12-13 at least 1.5 months before the Mains examination.

Prelims Preparation

For the Prelims, Wardah prioritized practicing previous year question papers (PYQs) over mock tests. She would first attempt subject-wise MCQs and then full-fledged papers in three iterations, spaced out by 45-60 days to avoid memorizing the answers. This approach allowed her to understand the pattern and understand the approach to answering the questions. She also practiced mocks like Forum Simulators, Vision sectional tests, and Vision Abhyas (taken at the center for a proper simulation).

Wardah's current affairs preparation focused on The Hindu and Vision monthly magazines, from which she made short notes for revision. She also selectively studied PT 365 for environment and science & technology topics not covered in the magazines. For CSAT, she analyzed PYQs to identify her strengths and weaknesses, practicing questions from indiabix.com and brushing up on concepts from YouTube.

Mains Preparation

For the Mains, Wardah primarily relied on standard books, her coaching notes, and value addition from Mains 365 and newspaper articles. She would attempt PYQs after completing a topic to check her understanding and make additional notes for the questions that could not be answered from the available resources. She then switched to test series preparation.

In terms of answer writing, Wardah favored a pointwise format, with a definitional or contextual introduction and a futuristic conclusion.

Optional Strategy: Sociology

Wardah initially struggled with Sociology, relying on self-study using resources like Nitin Sangwan's Essential Socio, Haralambos & Horlborn, and Ritzer. However, to consolidate her preparation, she sought the guidance of Nishat Sir at LevelupIAS in her second attempt. Nishat Sir's mentorship helped her tackle both static and current topics, improve her answer writing strategy, and effectively approach PYQ practice.

Wardah emphasized two key points that Nishat Sir emphasized in his classes: "There is a difference between notes and answers," and "Examiners will check your answers vertically, not horizontally." These insights significantly transformed her approach and perspective.

For further value addition, Wardah referred to Neha Bhosle Ma'am's notes and the copies of Jagrati Awasthi Ma'am and Jatin Jain Sir.

Essay Strategy

Wardah initially faced challenges with structuring her essays, despite having a strong command over the content. To address this, she joined a crash course by Jawwad Kazi Sir, which helped her develop a unique style of essay writing. She practiced 6 PYQ topics and wrote one essay test in a simulated environment, allocating 15 minutes for brainstorming and preparing a skeletal framework, and 1.15 hours for writing the essay.

Attitude and Advice

Wardah believes that the right attitude, in addition to academic preparation, can be a crucial factor in UPSC success. This includes being honest with oneself about the level of preparation, maintaining a solution-oriented mindset, and focusing on weekly or monthly target completion rather than getting caught up in the bigger picture.

Wardah encourages aspiring UPSC candidates to cherry-pick the points that resonate with them from various toppers' strategies and curate a unique approach that works best for them. She also provides detailed strategies for all the UPSC papers on her Telegram channel, "CSE Preparation - AIR 18 Way."

Wardah Khan's journey to UPSC success is a shining example of how hard work, strategic planning, and the right attitude can lead to remarkable achievements. Her story serves as an inspiration for all UPSC aspirants, showing that with dedication and a well-rounded approach, the path to the coveted Civil Services can be navigated with success.