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Rekha Siyak secured AIR 176 in UPSC CSE 2024 after leaving her job and committing to civil services preparation. Her journey began with PW Only IAS resources and evolved through focused study, answer writing, and consistent practice.
Rekha Siyak’s UPSC journey is a story of choosing conviction over comfort. A Civil Engineering graduate from MNIT Jaipur, she stepped away from a stable career to pursue her dream of joining the civil services, eventually securing AIR 176 in UPSC CSE 2024.
Preparing largely from home, Rekha built her strategy around focused resources, disciplined answer writing, and consistent revision. Her journey shows that success in UPSC is not about having the perfect background; it is about making clear decisions and staying committed to them.
Rekha’s interest in UPSC developed gradually. During the COVID-19 lockdown, she started following PW OnlyIAS Editorial Analysis simply to stay updated with current affairs. As she explored the examination, her interest in civil services grew.
“2020 mein jab Covid ka lockdown tha… to us time jaise bachche padh rahe hain to hum bhi ki thoda padh lete hain, kyunki UPSC mein padhne mein bhi utna hi maza aata hai jab aap Science background se hote hain ki History mein accha ye hua tha, Geography mein ye hua tha.”
She eventually decided to take the examination seriously but first wanted to understand whether civil services was genuinely the right career choice for her.
“Sabse pehle aap UPSC ka syllabus samjhein, dhyaan se samjhein ki aapka sach mein isme interest hai kya? Job profile ko dekhein ki kya aap sach mein ye kaam karenge?”
This clarity became important because Rekha later had to make the difficult decision to leave her job and prepare for UPSC full-time.
Leaving a stable job was not an easy decision for Rekha. She had already established herself professionally, and choosing UPSC meant stepping away from that security.
She first appeared for UPSC in 2022 partly to assess her aptitude and commitment before taking the bigger step. Eventually, she left her job in January 2023 and focused on the examination.
The next challenge came during Mains preparation. With multiple new subjects and limited answer-writing experience, she initially found the transition overwhelming.
“Bahut hi overwhelming tha ki kaise karein? Itna saara syllabus hai, plus sach bataun sir Mains ki itni zyada us time understanding thi nahi, aur jisne kabhi test nahi likhe, jisne kabhi answer nahi likha usko lagta hai ki main har question ka answer shuru kahan, intro kya hoga, conclusion kya hoga, content kya hoga.”
She overcame this hesitation by practising answers with a friend. Once she started writing regularly, both her content and retention improved.
Rekha joined the PW OnlyIAS Foundation Batch in 2022, which helped her build her static preparation around a structured source. She also used PW Only IAS resources for current affairs and Mains preparation.
“Foundation course ne mera pura static cover karwa diya tha aur static mein bhi saari booklet bhi uske saath available thi. To wo static apna comprehensive ek source ho gaya, phir maine usi source ko rakha.”
She supplemented this preparation with Editorial Analysis, Prelim Booster, Prahar and Udaan.
“Uske alawa jo bhi add-ons the, current affairs the, Editorial Analysis the ya aapka Prahar ya Udaan ka bhi jo content hai, maine apni static mein add kiya.”
For Mains, Prahar became particularly useful because Rekha did not have extensive self-made notes.
“Aapka Prahar ka content sir… kyunki mere paas notes nahi the kisi bhi cheez ke, maine Prahar ko use kiya extensively.”
This combination allowed her to keep her preparation focused instead of continuously looking for new sources.
Rekha’s second attempt brought a more deliberate approach to Mains preparation. Unlike her first attempt, she began answer writing early and practised complete papers under time limits.
“Maine optional ka 2022 ka paper uthaya aur 3 ghante baith ke likh liya, paper one likh liya.”
She also maintained a disciplined routine, studying around 8–10 hours a day during full-time preparation. For her, consistency mattered more than having a perfect study routine.
When the UPSC 2024 result was released, she initially expected to find her name on the list but was surprised to see AIR 176.
“Jaise hi maine 176 dekha, meri expectation se kaafi above thi kyunki aap sirf list mein naam expect karte hain.”
Her journey from Civil Engineering and professional work to AIR 176 shows that UPSC preparation can take different paths. Rekha’s experience highlights the value of making a clear decision, using focused resources, starting answer writing early, and staying consistent, even when the preparation journey does not begin under ideal circumstances.
Rekha Siyak’s journey proves that UPSC success is built on clarity, consistency, and the courage to keep improving after every setback. From leaving a secure job to securing AIR 176, her story inspires aspirants to trust the process, practise relentlessly and stay committed to their goal.
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