IAS Topper’s Interview 2015: Jasmeet Singh Sandhu AIR 03

Name: Jasmeet Singh Sandhu
Rank in CSE 2015: 03
Total Attempts in CSE: 04
Optional Subject: Literature of Punjabi Language

Education:
Class 10 percentage of marks:  89.6%
Class 12 Percentage of marks:  86.4%
Graduation: College and marks:  85.22% IIT Roorkee

Strategy for IAS Preparation

IAS Score: What were the basic mantras of your success?
Jasmeet Singh Sandhu: Simplicity in preparation, multi-dimensional answer writing, preservation.

IAS Score: What were your strategies for the lengthy syllabus of General Studies for both Prelims and Mains?
Jasmeet Singh Sandhu: I divided the topic into sub-topics & prepared points on them. I made this summary & kept on revising it.

IAS Score: Did you integrate your Prelims or Mains preparation or was it separate in the changing scenario?
Jasmeet Singh Sandhu: Both the preparation were integrated. I just attempted pre-mock test series extra for prelims part.

IAS Score: How did you prepare for prelims.
Jasmeet Singh Sandhu:  I have already written in brief on quora in March about my Preparation Strategy. Click Here to read that post.

IAS Score: How did you prepare for Mains General Studies.
Jasmeet Singh Sandhu: Same answer.  Click Here to read that post on quora.

IAS Score: How did you prepare for Essay.
Jasmeet Singh Sandhu:  I prepared from puneet gulati’s blog on Anay Dwivedi’s bog & Sagar Upadhyaya’s blog.

IAS Score: Did you adopted any specific strategy for GS Paper 4?
Jasmeet Singh Sandhu: Click Here to read my post on quora.

IAS Score: What were the sources of information for general reading? How did you come to know that which sources of reading materials are standard?
Jasmeet Singh Sandhu: Same answer.  Click Here to read that post on quora.

IAS Score: What is your advice on notes-making for other aspirants?
Jasmeet Singh Sandhu: Divide the topic into sub-topics & make short points on each sub topics and revise this again and again.

IAS Score: How did you manage your time during the preparation?
Jasmeet Singh Sandhu: I got selected in 4th attempt. So, time was never an issue. But my advice to all aspirants is that be focused on what you study & don’t be worried about the syllabus left.

IAS Score: What was your style (paragraph or point format) of writing in the exam? How was it distinct from the general writing style? How did you develop this writing style?
Jasmeet Singh Sandhu: I started off with the introduction in para, the body was in point format. In the conclusion, I mentioned recommendations in para/point format.

IAS Score: So much focus is being given to Test Series, both for Prelims and Mains, in your opinion how useful are they, in the course of a preparation process? Which Test Series did you join and how useful did you find it to be?

Jasmeet Singh Sandhu: I never joined test series. But I extensively discussed various test series with my friends who helped me a lot to frame answers.

IAS Score: Civil Services Exam process is quite strenuous. It requires long hours of constant study. How did you maintain your tempo and what did you do to break the monotony of preparation?
Jasmeet Singh Sandhu: My parents, friends game me a lot of support. I always maintained a positive spirit & was never disheartened by my failures.

IAS Score: The trend suggests that professionals or working people are more successful in this exam. Does this exam prove difficult for Humanities and Social Science background candidates?
Jasmeet Singh Sandhu: I beg to differ. I think it is more case of how one prepare. It has a level playing field for working professionals & non working people and both the humanities & sciences are at the same level.

IAS Score: Given the recent boom in online initiatives to support an aspirant, which were the platforms that you find useful enough during your course of preparation. Please list the sites.
Jasmeet Singh Sandhu:
http://www.insightsonindia.com : for secure compilation & daily current affairs.
http://iasbaba.com : for monthly magazine
http://iasscore.in/ : for prelims current affairs and mains contemporary issues material
http://mrunal.org/

IAS Score: What is your advice to the candidates who is still in the process of preparing for this examination?
Jasmeet Singh Sandhu: Be positive, never loose spirit & continue to work hard.

Marks in CSE 2015

Essay (Paper 1) 139
GS 1 (Paper 2) 120
GS 2 (Paper 3) 100
GS 3 (Paper 4) 111
GS 4 (Paper 5) 109
Optional 1 (Paper 6) 120
Optional 2 (Paper 7) 125
Written Total 824
Personality Test 190
Total Score 1014

 

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