Is coaching necessary for UPSC or can self-study work?
I see a lot of toppers who did self-study and some who swear by coaching. I'm from a small town with no good coaching nearby. Has anyone here cleared with purely self-study + online resources?
Replies (5)
Cleared without coaching. Used: standard books + DailyIAS DPP + YouTube lectures (Mrunal for Economy, StudyIQ for Current Affairs) + test series. Totally doable.
Coaching helps with structure and peer group, not secret knowledge. If you're disciplined enough to follow a self-made schedule, you don't need coaching. The content is all freely available.
I joined coaching and honestly regret it. Wasted 8 months attending classes when I could've covered the same syllabus in 4 months of self-study. The pace is too slow.
Depends on your background. If you're from a non-humanities background, coaching for 1 subject (like Polity or History) can help build the foundation. But full coaching isn't necessary.
Self-study + online test series + peer group for answer evaluation = more effective than most coaching institutes. Save your money.