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Aastha Singh cleared UPSC CSE 2024 in her first attempt at 21. With self-study from home, focused PYQ and mock practice, and limited resources, she navigated Prelims, Mains, and interview preparation while also managing Haryana Civil Service training.
Aastha Singh cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024 in her first attempt at the age of 21, becoming one of the youngest IAS officers. A graduate in Economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce, she started her focused UPSC preparation only after graduating in June 2023.
Instead of joining a full-time foundation course in Delhi, Aastha prepared primarily through self-study from home, using digital resources and a focused approach to revision, PYQs, and mock tests. Her journey also included an unexpected challenge: managing her UPSC preparation alongside Haryana Civil Service training after being selected there.
Aastha knew even before entering college that she wanted to pursue civil services. However, she chose to enjoy her college years rather than begin serious preparation immediately. After graduating in June 2023, she had less than a year before her first UPSC attempt.
She decided against full-time coaching and chose to prepare from home, using self-study and online resources for General Studies. Her Economics background also helped her take Economics as her optional subject, for which she used recorded lectures.
“I graduated in 2023 from Shri Ram College of Commerce, maine Economics Honours mein degree kari, aur mujhe college mein step in karne se pehle hi pata tha ki this is what I wanted to do.
Although I did not start preparing during college… when I graduated in June 2023, I looked at the UPSC syllabus, and that’s when I started preparing — July 2023.”
Aastha first completed her optional preparation and then shifted her primary focus towards Prelims. She spent around five to five and a half months preparing specifically for Prelims, with emphasis on PYQs, mock tests, and repeated revision rather than continuously adding new material.
For Aastha, one of the most important parts of Prelims preparation was staying confident about the material she had already studied. Instead of constantly searching for new resources, she focused on revising the same content multiple times.
“Prelims ki preparation kari Prelims mein I focused extensively on PYQs, I focused extensively on giving as many tests as I can, and doing n number of revisions for the same matter that I had made from the beginning of my preparation.”
This approach helped her avoid the pressure of constantly finding something new to study. Even after the Prelims examination, when she felt she might not have cleared it, the result went in her favour.
After clearing Prelims, Aastha had to balance her UPSC Mains preparation with her Haryana Civil Service training. During one month of this phase, she could study for around six hours a day until her leave was approved.
She was also unable to enrol in a full-fledged Mains test series. Instead of allowing the limitation to derail her preparation, she focused on making the most of the time and resources available to her.
Her experience shows that preparation does not always happen under ideal circumstances. For Aastha, making effective use of the available time mattered more than trying to replicate someone else’s preparation schedule.
PW OnlyIAS became particularly useful for Aastha during her Mains and interview preparation. She used the Prahar magazine to revise and cover areas such as Social Issues and Governance, with Governance being an area she studied entirely through the resource.
“Ah to Mains ke time pe Prahar magazine se maine kaafi subjects touch up kiye the — se Social Issues ho gaya ya phir Governance ho gaya, Governance to entirely maine udhar se hi padha tha.”
The most significant role of PW OnlyIAS came during the interview stage. Aastha enrolled in the PW OnlyIAS Interview Guidance Program and participated in mock interviews. She found the experience particularly useful for building confidence before the actual UPSC Personality Test.
Current affairs can easily become overwhelming when aspirants try to follow newspapers, magazines, videos, and multiple compilations simultaneously. Aastha gradually moved towards a more focused approach.
She initially developed the habit of reading newspapers but later felt that a single reliable current affairs source was more practical, particularly closer to the examination.
“To mere hisaab se aap ek koi aisi magazine pakdo — can be a monthly magazine, can be a year long compilation — but that should be your primary source… aise mujhe nahi lagta ki aapko bahut chaar jagah se padhne ki zaroorat hai — koi marathon video chal raha hai, koi teen-teen magazines padh rahe hain, newspaper bhi padh rahe hain.”
Aastha’s preparation strategy revolved around three things: revision, PYQs, and mock tests. She recommends revising the same content multiple times rather than constantly adding new resources.
“Just keep revising — I think at least teen revision to aapko karne chahiye apne same content ke, one source be thorough with it, so that you are confident.”
She also completed UPSC PYQs repeatedly and used mock tests to understand the examination rather than judging her preparation only by her scores.
“And I cannot emphasize enough PYQs. I think maine at least teen baar saare PYQs for the past maybe 20 years, I did it — and I did them multiple times taaki mujhe yaad hi ho jaaye almost.”
For mocks, she advises aspirants not to become discouraged by low scores. According to her, the real purpose is to understand the examiner’s approach, question patterns, and one’s own strategy.
“Do not get bogged down with low scores in mocks… your numbers in the mocks don’t matter as much. It’s about having the mindset ki theek hai, I am understanding the psychology of the examiner, the kind of questions they want to ask, how am I going to tackle, what are the number of questions I want to attempt.”
Despite the result, Aastha does not describe her journey as perfect. She acknowledges that the first attempt also came with difficult phases, self-doubt, and challenges.
For her, consistency meant continuing even on days when studying felt difficult.
“Even if you are having the worst day of your life, I think aap ek ghanta agar padhoge na, ek ghanta if you are giving because if this is your aim — even if you put one hour that day, you will feel better, you will feel like I have not lost track of things.”
She also believes that aspirants need emotional support during a long preparation journey. Her family played an important role in allowing her to prepare peacefully from home without letting family responsibilities interfere with her studies.
“Secondly, emotional balance and emotional support is extremely important. Mere hisaab se aap apne aapko duniya se close close off na karein… But you need a certain number of people who can pull you back when you are in a rut.”
For Aastha, consistency was ultimately connected to remembering why she had chosen UPSC in the first place. When preparation felt difficult, she would step back and reflect on that purpose.
Aastha’s journey shows that UPSC preparation does not have to follow a fixed path. She prepared primarily from home through self-study, digital resources, PYQs, mock tests, and repeated revision, while also managing Haryana Civil Service training.
Her experience highlights the importance of focused resources, consistency, PYQ practice, and emotional balance. Her association with PW OnlyIAS, particularly during the Interview Guidance Program and mock interviews, also supported her final-stage preparation.
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