Toppers’ Preparation Strategy to Succeed in UPSC ESE 2024

Whenever someone decides to play a game, their main goal is to win. Likewise, when a student prepares for an exam, the goal is to pass it successfully. However, in the journey toward success, there are moments of both triumph and setbacks. It’s important to understand that not every player can be the winner, and not every student can be at the top of the class. Hence, fostering a positive mindset becomes essential for students, helping them navigate through challenges with resilience and optimism.

To retain the positivity and help the students stay positive, this blog is here with tips and strategies from the toppers who, not only for their hard work, secured the topper rank but are also kind enough to share their insights on how to secure the highest or the best result.

ESE 2023 has seen many students achieve the expected results but also seen students with not the expected results. But the willpower to achieve something couldn’t bind the students to step back. They must have already started to prepare themselves again for the exam, as the saying goes,

“A true winner is one who bounces back after a setback.”

UPSC ESE Toppers

MADE EASY has been uploading “Topper’s Talk” on YouTube, in which toppers have been sharing their strategies and outcomes to avoid during the last few months of the ESE exam.

VINEET JAIN AIR- 1 in Civil Engineering

Vineet Jain has secured AIR 1 in ESE 2023, and he did his B.Tech. from the Indian Institute of Technology, Palakkad, in 2023. Also secured AIR-11 in GATE 2023.

During his conversation with B. SINGH SIR, he offered advice on how to get ready for ESE 2024 as well as all of the approaches he used to study for the exam.

• In his first attempt, he achieved AIR-1, which is a remarkable achievement. In his last year of graduation in engineering, he attempted the exam and secured the topper rank.
• He strongly believes that consistency and dedication are very important while preparing for the exam.
• One should be precisely clear on what they are targeting and have a positive approach to aiming for the goal.
• The source of study should be in the right mode, rather than wandering to every available study source or material. So your study source should be intact.
• Not only note-making but also revising them frequently is very important. As suggested by him and also by B. Singh Sir, PYQs should be religiously followed.
• Silly mistakes must be avoided, and mock test series are advisory while preparing for the forthcoming ESE 2024.

To know his journey, click on the YouTube link of “Topper’s Talk”

ROMIT SHARMA AIR- 1 in Mechanical Engineering

Romit Sharma secured AIR 1 in ESE 2023 Mechanical Engineering, and he did his B.Tech. from Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala, Punjab, in 2014. Originally from Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, his parents are retired from government services. He has been preparing for civil services and has secured AIR 299 in GATE 2023 and cleared the prelims of ESE 2018.

He shared his strategies with B. SINGH SIR for the students who have been preparing for ESE 2024.

• He expressed gratitude for the support and positivity he got from his family and friends, as they were his biggest supporters in achieving the highest rank.
• He advised that negativity shouldn’t be the hurdle between you and motivation.
• Pursuing your hobbies and staying physically active can be beneficial for keeping you mentally fit and motivated.
• He strictly suggests sticking to the core books, as it broadens your knowledge.
• Test series and PYQs greatly help in the General Studies/ non-tech part of ESE.
• He suggests being honest and truthful to the panel members in the interview if you don’t know any answers rather than giving incorrect answers.
• B. Singh Sir favors UPSC for selecting the students fairly. He appreciates the UPSC for judging the relative performance of candidates.
• For last month’s preparation, Romit tips the students to have their handwritten notes, which are the crux of whatever they have studied. He suggests revising the notes thoroughly and frequently.
• Revising your own notes before the exams is a must.
• But making notes should be efficient, not something copied from the books. Deviate your time efficiently in note-making.
• Lastly, he strongly recommends attempting a test series, as no exam can be cleared solely by acquiring knowledge.

To know his journey, click on the YouTube link of “Topper’s Talk”

ATUL KUMAR SINGH AIR- 1 in Electrical Engineering

Atul Kumar Singh has secured AIR 1 in ESE 2023 Electrical Engineering and is originally from Madhubani, Bihar. His father is in the Indian Railways, and his mother is an efficient homemaker. He has cleared ESE 2021, was selected, and is currently posted in Central Power Engineering Services (CPES).

With an interaction with B. SINGH SIR, he was frank and comfortable enough to share his strategies for ESE 2024 and accept his shortcomings.

• Atul accepts the fact that he has faced many challenges. He advises you to have a positive attitude and hone your knowledge to perform for the best outcome.
• Support from friends and family is the biggest pillar in achieving success.
• He advises avoiding silly mistakes in the strongest areas, especially in the General Studies/ non-tech part. He accepts the fact that GS is unpredictable, but the technical subject should be the strongest, and he must avoid any wrong answers in the subject.
• He suggests managing time efficiently, setting small goals on a daily basis, practicing test series, and revising the notes frequently.
• He advises you to keep a checklist of your mistakes so that you can avoid them in the future.
• Do attempt those questions that were left unanswered and the questions that were attempted wrong.
• B. SINGH SIR also suggests not to ignore the unattempt questions, as this is a valuable addition to your knowledge.
• Atul suggests that during the last month’s preparation, prepared topics must be honed rather than getting confused with new topics. Revisions and test series are very important. The classroom course and test series by MADE EASY are independent and help in a neutral assessment of the candidate.
• He strongly recommends maintaining discipline for prelims and main in ESE. Reading multiple times is more beneficial than reading multiple sources.
• He suggests planning meticulously, identifying your silly mistakes, revising, and testing series are the best combinations.

To know his journey, click on the YouTube link of “Topper’s Talk”

G. SAI CHARAN AIR- 1 in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering

G. Sai Charan has secured AIR 1 in ESE 2023 Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering and is originally from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. His father is a professor at the NRI Institute of Technology. He has cleared ESE 2022 with AIR-19 and is working in Central Power Engineering Services (CPES). He did his B.Tech. from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. He has also secured AIR-115 in GATE 2021 and AIR-114 in GATE 2022.

Following will be some of the useful insights coming straight from his interaction with B. SINGH SIR:

• He advises starting the preparation for ESE 2024 at the right time and managing every minute effectively. Whatever the given time is, he advises accurately managing it to expect the best outcome.
• Moving further in his interaction, he suggests that one’s concepts should be clear and defines how revision and practice have helped him a lot in securing the topper rank.
• Writing skills, i.e., answer writing for the ESE main, must be very good. How you phrase the answer with your skills is what the examiners examine. Also, the fundamentals must be clear if one wants to clear the main exam.
• Perseverance and patience are the key aspects, as the Engineering Services Examination procedure is a bit longer and the syllabus is also vast.
• Note-making, solving the Previous Year’s Question Papers (PYQs) more than once, and seeking advice from the previous year’s toppers with their notes are the cherry on top.
• Lastly, he advises that hard work has no substitute, and keeping oneself motivated in this ongoing depressing and stressful environment is very important.

To know his journey, click on the YouTube link of “Topper’s Talk”

As far as we have been talking about the toppers’ tips and strategies, the following are some general outlooks for the preparation for ESE 2024. These preparation tips will be beneficial for the students to give their best and achieve engineering excellence.

Here are key aspects associated with the topper’s preparation strategy to excel in UPSC ESE 2024:

1. Analyze the syllabus well: UPSC ESE aspirants must read the syllabus from the official website and then understand the amount of time that all the subjects and topics will require throughout the UPSC ESE preparation. Staying aware of the in-depth syllabus keeps aspirants mentally prepared for the respective examination.
2. Get started with technical subjects: Technical subjects form a crucial part of the UPSC ESE preparation. It is important to understand the concepts of technical subjects during the academic years in college. This helps the ESE aspirants build a strong base for the examination. So, it is recommended to start building the concepts from scratch right after graduation.
3. Study non-technical subjects with the technical ones: Usually, aspirants feel that technical subjects are more relevant than non-technical subjects. However non-technical subjects such as General Studies, Aptitude section, and Engineering mathematics need equal attention during the preparation tenure. This forms a vital part of the UPSC ESE preparation strategy. It is advised to balance both of these subject sections and study all the subjects properly based on the mark distribution.
4. Make subject notes: Notes are highly beneficial for the UPSC ESE aspirants, especially during the last few days before the UPSC ESE examination. Experts recommend studying and preparing notes properly with the help of standard textbooks. Most of the aspirants find it difficult to remember and revise the important concepts in the last few days before the examination. Therefore, aspirants must create a different set of notes in the form of important topic notes, and formula notes, followed by tips and tricks notes. In this way, this forms a crucial part of the UPSC ESE preparation strategy.
5. Practice solving numericals: Numericals are a crucial part of the UPSC ESE preparation. ESE aspirants must solve numerical problems regularly to improve their speed and efficiency for the actual examination. Most of the candidates find it difficult to solve the numerical problems on their first attempt. But with routine practice, aspirants can solve numerical-type questions with much ease and at a faster speed.
6. Solve previous year’s UPSC ESE exam papers: Experts recommend that ESE aspirants solve at least 50–100 questions daily to prepare themselves for the actual examination. It is highly recommended to practice questions from the previous year’s question papers and analyze the performance properly. Accordingly, ESE aspirants can implement the desired changes in their ESE preparation strategy and improve their scores in the next test series.
7. Make reading a habit: If you are truly dedicated to your preparation and want to know how to prepare ESE Main 2024, then it is important to build a reading habit. You can get started by reading grammar and relevant books that contribute to an increase in General English knowledge. Aspirants must focus on building vocabulary. This will help in scoring more marks in the respective subjects in the ESE Main Examination.
8. Learn basics with NCERT: NCERT is one of the useful resources that must be included in the UPSC ESE preparation strategy. Most of the aspirants find it challenging to prepare for the General Studies. Utilizing NCERT will help me study and prepare for the General studies subject. This book is also beneficial while preparing notes for subjects such as geography, history, and polity. NCERT ensures that students can learn the basic concepts associated with the respective subjects. This is useful to prepare a strong base for the UPSC ESE prelims and main exams.
9. Develop time management skills: Most of the aspirants who ask the question ‘How to prepare for ESE 2024’ often face challenges concerning managing and allocating time to each of the subjects during the preparation tenure. If you want to excel in this prestigious examination, you need to ensure that you learn to manage your time efficiently. Initially, you will find it difficult to manage your time especially if you are in college or preparing along with a full-time job.
10. Prioritize revision: Revision plays a pivotal role in the entire UPSC ESE preparation. It is advised to refer to the prepared notes for faster revision. If you want to know the secret of how to prepare ESE main 2024, then you need to understand that revision is the key to scoring a high rank in the UPSC ESE preparation. You can prepare a weekly and monthly revision schedule based on your strengths and weaknesses in the respective subjects.

Thus, these are the crucial aspects that are associated with the UPSC ESE preparation strategy. ESE aspirants can follow these expert-recommended tips and have a great start with their exam preparation.

It is recommended to look for other blogs if you want to have more information on the ESE 2023 result and toppers list. The link for the blogs is down below to save you time.

• UPSC ESE 2023 Final Result Out
• Success with MADE EASY – The Untold Stories of ESE 2023 Toppers

Hope you found this blog on the UPSC ESE preparation strategy useful for achieving your ESE goals.

All the best!