‘Prepare for the worse’

Hyderabad: After graduating from IIT and securing a job at Deutsche Bank, Pedditi Dhatri Reddy quit her banking career to pursue her childhood dream of Civil Services. She got into IPS in her second attempt with an All India Rank of 233 in 2018 and cleared IAS on her third attempt with a 46th rank […]

Hyderabad: After graduating from IIT and securing a job at Deutsche Bank, Pedditi Dhatri Reddy quit her banking career to pursue her childhood dream of Civil Services. She got into IPS in her second attempt with an All India Rank of 233 in 2018 and cleared IAS on her third attempt with a 46th rank in Civil Services Examination, 2019. Hyderabad-based Dhatri Reddy who is now under training at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy Of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie, shares her experiences and tips with Sruthi Kuruganti.

Prepare a strategy

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You can follow others’ strategies at the beginning of your preparation, but you must eventually develop your own approach and work on it. There’s no one formula to crack the exam, each student has their own approach that suits them.

Micro planning

Understand the syllabus well and divide the time you have into how much you can accomplish each month. Plan on a daily basis and know what you’ll be studying in advance and stick to it.

Pomodoro technique

Take planned breaks, because you won’t be able to maintain the same level of concentration throughout the day. Focus stringently for 40-45 minutes, and then reward yourself with a 5-10 minute break. This will help you focus better, work longer hours, and avoid mental exhaustion.

Positive mechanism

Have confidence in yourself and your decision-making abilities. Because these tests are mentally draining, everyone experiences moments of self-doubt. if you don’t believe in yourself, no amount of hard work will help you succeed. Don’t lose faith in yourself, even if you fail. The success or failure of a test depends on various factors, some of which are beyond our control. One thing we have control over is whether or not we are satisfied with our preparation efforts. Even if you don’t clear the exam, don’t regret your preparation process and move forward.

Prepare for the worse

What matters most, regardless of how much you study, is how you perform on exam day. I have given my third attempt with a high fever and saline. Mock tests will help you prepare for this, so take a series of online tests, get feedback, and work on them.

Death by information

If anyone is failing after working hard, it is probably because of reading all that’s available on the internet. So planning and organising the required resources right when you start preparing is important. Condense the syllabus into a few books that you’re going to read. Make a booklist right before the preparation and stick to it.

On Preparation

A focused 5-hour preparation will be enough. You can attend coaching sessions at the start of your preparation. Additionally, online preparation saves time on the commute. Depending on the time you have, read one or two newspapers a day. Stick to editorials and headlines, this saves time and gives you a flair for how to write. Those preparing alongside work must work harder, focus on squeezing every minute out of weekends and after-work hours. Planning in an organised manner with limited resources helps.

Smart work and hard work

It has to be a combination of both smart work and hard work to crack the exam. It neither works if you study 18 hours a day but study all the wrong things nor it does if you don’t put in enough effort.

-Sruthi Kuruganti