The Great Debate: Is UPSC Coaching Necessary for Success? Explore the pros and cons of enrolling in coaching institutes vs. self-study. Discover expert insights and make an informed choice for your UPSC preparation journey.
Is coaching necessary to crack UPSC CSE?
We don’t want to be diplomatic here. You will get a definite answer if you go through the entire article.
Let’s delve into this intricate debate and explore both sides of the argument.
The Case for Coaching:
- Structured Guidance: UPSC exams encompass a vast syllabus, including subjects like history, geography, polity, economics, and about ten others. Professional coaching institutes provide a structured approach to cover this extensive content, aiding candidates in staying organized and focused.
- Experienced Faculty: Coaching centres often employ subject-matter experts and retired civil servants who possess in-depth knowledge about the exam pattern, question trends, and effective study strategies. Their guidance can be invaluable in understanding the nuances of the examination.
- Mock Tests and Practice: Regular mock tests and practice sessions are crucial components of UPSC preparation. Coaching institutes simulate the exam environment and provide candidates with performance evaluations, enabling them to identify strengths and areas that need improvement.
- Peer Interaction: Joining a coaching program allows aspirants to interact with fellow UPSC candidates. Sharing ideas, discussing current affairs, and collaborative learning can foster a conducive study atmosphere and enhance knowledge retention.
The Case Against Coaching:
- Self-Study Potential: Some successful candidates have cracked UPSC exams solely through self-study. With the abundance of resources available, including textbooks, online materials, and previous years’ question papers, determined individuals, even though exception, can devise their study plans.
- Personalized Approach: Every aspirant’s learning style and pace vary. Coaching classes might adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, which might not cater to individual needs. Self-studying allows candidates to tailor their study techniques to suit their strengths.
- Financial Aspect: Joining a coaching institute can be expensive, encompassing fees, accommodation, and other associated costs. For candidates with financial constraints, this could become a major hurdle.
- Time Management: Some individuals might have prior commitments like jobs or family responsibilities, making it challenging to attend regular coaching classes. Self-study offers the flexibility to manage one’s own time.
The Middle Ground:
While the coaching vs. self-study debate rages on, there’s merit in finding a balanced approach.
In general, we can say that ‘it takes two hands to clap’.
Aspirants can consider combining the benefits of coaching with self-study. Utilize coaching to gain a strong foundation, understand exam patterns, and access expert guidance. Simultaneously, personalize your study schedule to accommodate self-study, focusing on revision, practice, and current affairs updates.
Whether coaching is necessary for UPSC preparation depends on various factors, including an individual’s learning style, resources, and circumstances.
However, aspirants should also note that no singular path can guarantee success.
What matters most is dedication, consistency, and a deep understanding of the exam’s demands.
Whether you opt for coaching or decide to tread the self-study path, remember that UPSC success is born from a combination of rigorous effort, strategic planning, and a passion for public service.
Why do sportspersons take the help of a coach?
Before answering the ‘whether coaching is necessary for UPSC’ question, let us rephrase the same question in another way.
Is coaching/guidance/practice helpful or not?
In general, they are helpful. Aren’t they?
Now, whether coaching/guidance/practice is necessary to top a highly competitive field?
In general, an expert coach or mentor provides a great advantage over others in every competitive field like exams or sports.
Even Sachin Tendulkar had a coach. Do you remember Ramakant Achrekar who won the Dronacharya Award in 1990 and Padma Shri in 2010?
In general, coaching/guidance/practice is treated as necessary to get an edge in most competitive fields.
There can be a few exceptions for candidates who succeeded without coaching. However, those are exceptions. Exceptions cannot be generalised.
To conclude, an expert coach, guide, or mentor is a great aid to achieving more things in life!
Are you struggling to finish the vast UPSC CSE syllabus by self-study? Do smart-study!
ClearIAS website and app act as the mentor or coach for lakhs of aspirants in India.
Right from the basics to advanced topics, ClearIAS supports IAS/IPS/IFS aspirants through our free resources and premium resources.
We support the self-study of lakhs of aspirants who cannot afford classroom coaching.
1 million aspirants learn for free from ClearIAS study materials!
However, doing self-study does not mean these aspirants have not been taking any guidance/mentorship/practice.
ClearIAS provides quality guidance/mentorship/practice/classes/study materials at an affordable cost.
Many students take admissions in the personal guidance program of ClearIAS – online and offline.
A much more accurate way to express our mission is that ClearIAS supports smart study!
Yes, “Clear IAS by Smart-Study” was the tagline of ClearIAS for many years!
What matters is – success in your endeavours.
It does not matter if you go to any extent to achieve your dreams as long as your means are ethical.
Do you wish to cover the entire UPSC CSE Prelims and Mains syllabus in a few months’ time?
Do you dream of becoming an IAS/IPS/IFS officer?
Video Classes and expert guidance by the ClearIAS Team can help you to reach your goals faster.
There are no doubts about that.
Join ClearIAS UPSC Online OR Offline Coaching. Learn fast and focused.
Learn Online or Offline!
ClearIAS Prelims cum Mains (PCM) course is the superset of almost all the products and services offered by us.
You can learn online or offline.
Some of the best-selling courses of ClearIAS are:
- Prelims cum Mains Program – Recorded Classes for UPSC CSE (Self-Paced Course)
- Prelims cum Mains Program – Live Classes for UPSC CSE (Super-50)
- Fight Back: UPSC CSE Repeaters Program
- Prelims Marks Booster Program (PMB)
- Prelims Personal Mentorship Program (PMB+)
- Current Affairs Course for UPSC CSE
- CSAT Course for UPSC CSE
- Essay Writing Course for UPSC CSE
- Ethics Course for UPSC CSE
Learn from live classes OR from recorded classes!
If you prefer learning from live classes, we have such a course for you ie. Super-50!
ClearIAS Super 50 is a UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) coaching program provided to 50 brilliant students – across India. Classes can be attended either online or offline.
This Prelims cum Mains (PCM) coaching program will be offered as live classes. Students will also get access to recorded classes.
If you prefer learning from recorded classes, nothing to worry about, we have multiple courses with different validity! Scroll down to know more.
What will you get once you join ClearIAS Self-Paced Prelims cum Mains (PCM) Course (Recorded Classes)?
Once you join the ClearIAS Prelims cum Mains Foundation Course, you will get:
- Instant access to 350+ Subject-Wise Expert Classes (700+ hours of recorded video lectures) which cover the entire UPSC CSE GS syllabus of Prelims and Mains
- Additional access to the latest current affairs classes (live/recorded)
- Instant Access to 1500+ topic-wise study materials (PDF) which cover the entire UPSC CSE GS syllabus of Prelims and Mains
- Prelims Test Series (45 mock exams)
- Previous Year Question Paper Re-Take Tests (20+ mock exams)
- Personal Mentorship
- Doubt Clearance Facility
- Interview guidance
- A lot more additional benefits like holistic development of personality
ClearIAS Prelims cum Mains (PCM) Foundation Course: Admission Open for 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027
1. UPSC Online Coaching: Target CSE 2024 – ClearIAS Prelims cum Mains (PCM) Course
Validity: Until Mains 2024 – Rs.85000 Rs.49000
2. UPSC Online Coaching: Target CSE 2025 – ClearIAS Prelims cum Mains (PCM) Course
Validity: Until Mains 2025 – Rs.95000 Rs.59000
3. UPSC Online Coaching: Target CSE 2026 – ClearIAS Prelims cum Mains (PCM) Course
Validity: Until Mains 2026 – Rs.115000 Rs.69000
4. UPSC Online Coaching: Target CSE 2027 – ClearIAS Prelims cum Mains (PCM) Course
Validity: Until Mains 2027 – Rs.125000 Rs.79000
Highly Suitable for Working Professionals, College Students, and Full-Time Aspirants!
As you might have already noticed, ClearIAS offers expert UPSC Online Coaching Classes at less than half of the fees of many traditional coaching institutes.
Further, you get instant access to the uploaded classes, so you can start learning right away!
If you are a working professional, a college student, or a full-time aspirant looking for recorded classes and a smart work approach to crack IAS/IPS exam, look nowhere else!
Join the ClearIAS Prelims cum Mains (PCM) Course now!
Prelims cum Mains (PCM) Program: Subject-wise Classes Allocation (Covers the whole GS syllabus of UPSC CSE Prelims and Mains)
- Success Techniques – 20 Classes (40 Hours)
- History & Culture – 65 Classes (130 Hours)
- Geography – 35 Classes (70 Hours)
- Indian Polity – 45 Classes (90 Hours)
- Indian Economy – 40 Classes (80 Hours)
- Environment – 15 Classes (30 Hours)
- Science & Tech – 15 Classes (30 Hours)
- Current Affairs – 25 Classes (50 Hours)
- CSAT – 25 Classes (50 Hours)
- World History – 5 Classes (10 Hours)
- Indian Society – 10 Classes (20 Hours)
- Intl. Relations – 10 Classes (20 Hours)
- Internal Security – 5 Classes (10 Hours)
- Disaster Mgmt. – 5 Classes (10 Hours)
- Ethics – 20 Classes (40 Hours)
- Essay – 10 Classes (20 Hours)
Total – 350 Classes (700 Hours)
Note: Apart from the above-mentioned classes, you will also get automatic access to future current affairs classes and the latest updates on each subject (live/recorded) until the validity date.
Not over! You will also get study materials (PDF), online mock exams, personal mentorship, and a lot more benefits in this course!
Learn fast and focused from ClearIAS Video Courses: Study in an organised way!
If you join the ClearIAS PCM course today, you will get instant access to about 700 hours of recorded videos which cover the entire UPSC CSE Prelims and Mains syllabus.
Apart from recorded classes, you will also get automatic access to future current affairs classes and the latest updates on each subject (live/recorded) until the validity date.
You can start learning right away!
The first step to achieving your dreams…is to find the right coach!
What makes ClearIAS Special: Expert Training by a brilliant team led by Alex Andrews George
The online courses of ClearIAS are designed and developed under the direct leadership of the expert Civil Service Trainer and popular author, Mr Alex Andrews George. There are very few mentors in India who can match the credibility of Mr. Alex. He is the founder and director of ClearIAS.
He is one of the expert Civil Service Exam trainers in India and the author of multiple best-seller books like ‘Important Judgments that Transformed India’ and ‘Important Acts that Transformed India’ loved by UPSC aspirants.
Mr. Alex had an excellent track record when he was a UPSC CSE aspirant. He qualified 5 UPSC CSE Prelims in a row, wrote 5 UPSC CSE Mains, and attended 3 UPSC CSE Interviews.
Along with Mr Alex Andrews George, 15 other expert faculties are part of the ClearIAS Team behind the PCM Program.
We guide our students right from the beginning to the advanced topics. Our training will cover the entire Prelims and Mains syllabus for GS!
ClearIAS Prelims cum (PCM) Online Course: What will you get?
ClearIAS Prelims cum Mains (PCM) course is the superset of almost all the products and services offered by ClearIAS.
Course Summary:
- Instant access to 350+ Subject-Wise Expert Classes (700+ hours of recorded video lectures) which cover the entire UPSC CSE GS syllabus of Prelims and Mains
- Additional access to the latest current affairs classes (live/recorded)
- Instant Access to 1500+ topic-wise study materials (PDF) which cover the entire UPSC CSE GS syllabus of Prelims and Mains
- Prelims Test Series (45 mock exams)
- Previous Year Question Paper Re-Take Tests (20+ mock exams)
- Personal Mentorship
- Doubt Clearance Facility
- Interview guidance
- A lot more additional benefits like holistic development of personality
Special Attractions:
- You can watch each class unlimited times in the subscription period.
- Apart from recorded classes, you will also get automatic access to future current affairs classes and the latest updates on each subject (live/recorded) until the validity date.
- Validity until the UPSC CSE Mains you appear.
- You will get instant access once you complete the payment.
Fast-Track Your IAS Preparation!
ClearIAS PCM Program is a well-organised online course that will help you finish the UPSC syllabus much early than your competitors.
You can even increase the speed of lectures (watch at 1.5X speed or 2X speed) if you wish.
Make everyone proud by securing a top rank (IAS/IPS/IFS) in the upcoming UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE)!
ClearIAS: A brand reputed for quality online education
ClearIAS was founded in 2012 by the expert Civil Service Trainer and popular author, Mr. Alex Andrews George.
ClearIAS is one of the top websites in India in the field of UPSC CSE preparation. More than 1 million aspirants learn from ClearIAS.com every month.
Over the last 10 years, we have helped hundreds of candidates succeed in various stages of the UPSC Civil Services Examination with flying colours.
Meera K IAS – ClearIAS Online Student
“I am a paid subscriber of ClearIAS Prelims Online Mock Test Series. The ClearIAS platform is highly user-friendly. It’s is quite easy to revise mock exams on the ClearIAS mobile app. The explanations are short, crisp and clear. I practised and revised ClearIAS online mock exams from my mobile whenever I got time and it really helped me in my prelims preparation. The all-India ranking helped me to analyse my performance at a pan-India level even before the actual UPSC exam. Thank you ClearIAS” – Meera K, All India Rank 6, UPSC CSE 2020
Saranya Ramachandran IAS – ClearIAS Online Student
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Renjina Mary Varghese IFS – ClearIAS Online Student
“I would like to thank ClearIAS for its role in my preparation for civil services exam. Alex Sir of ClearIAS had provided me valuable guidance at a crucial time when I had to decide about my resignation from the job for preparation. I have extensively used the notes provided on the website as well as the ClearIAS Test Series. They are of good quality and highly reliable. I am also grateful for the interview guidance of the ClearIAS team. I wish many more aspirants find ClearIAS an essential partner in their success in Civil Services Examination. Best Wishes!” – Renjina Mary Varghese IFS, All India Rank 49, UPSC CSE 2018
Saurabh Bhuwania IAS – ClearIAS Online Student
“Dear Sir, Being a working professional and a married man for 8 years with a toddler, it wasn’t ever easy for me to even think of clearing this examination but for support of so many people including ClearIAS. I am extremely grateful to ClearIAS for helping me with Prelims Test Series and also last minutes notes for mains along with free study material. It has a tremendous role in my success which I feel I won’t be able to justify in words.” – Saurabh Bhuwania IAS, All India Rank 113, UPSC CSE 2018
Dr T Shubhamangala IAS – ClearIAS Online Student
I had used ClearIAS Prelims Test Series and it was extremely useful. I have a 3.5-year-old child. I know how I used to feed him with one hand and read and give your test in another. – Dr T Shubhamangala IAS, All India Rank 147, UPSC CSE 2017
Why should you join ClearIAS Online Courses for UPSC?
You might have noticed hundreds of candidates toiling day and night without any success.
Hard work alone is not enough to succeed in most fields. The same is true with UPSC Civil Services Examination.
You need to know certain techniques, strategies, and processes which will give you an edge over the competition.
For this, you need the right guidance and training. Further, expert training can speed up your learning process. You can learn fast and save time.
Founded in 2012, ClearIAS is one of the most trusted brands with respect to UPSC preparation.
Around 1 million aspirants learn online from the ClearIAS website every month.
ClearIAS is reputed for its smart work approach to cracking UPSC CSE.
If you combine your self-study with ClearIAS smart study, you will get great results.
Finish the entire UPSC CSE Prelims and Mains Syllabus in a few months’ time!
Our PCM Course will help you finish your entire UPSC CSE Prelims and Mains (GS) Syllabus in a few months’ time by watching ClearIAS video classes!
Learn from Recorded Video Classes: Get into IAS/IPS/IFS!
You will get instant Access to 700+ Hours of Expert Classes (recorded) which cover the entire UPSC CSE GS syllabus of Prelims and Mains.
Further, you will get additional access to the latest current affairs classes (live/recorded).
Work Smart not Hard!
Adopt the ClearIAS smart work approach. Learn faster and get the extra edge while your competitors struggle with traditional methods.
Secure a top rank and add the prestigious three letters ‘IAS’, ‘IPS’ or ‘IFS’ into your name. Be a leader admired by all.
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The special curriculum and methods followed by ClearIAS help you fast-track your UPSC journey.
ClearIAS online courses include recorded and live video classes, mock exams, study materials, techniques, and strategies.
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Do you wish to attend a ClearIAS demo class for free?
Go through the below video to get an idea about the special methods and strategies of ClearIAS.
If you liked the above demo video, take admission to ClearIAS UPSC Coaching and get instant access to 700+ hours of high-quality ClearIAS videos.
ClearIAS Online Classroom Program: Learn from Recorded Classes + L/R Current Affairs Updates
Admissions are open to the ClearIAS Online Courses which are valid until UPSC CSE 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027.
