An Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from West Bengal, Nirja Shah, who cleared the UPSC CSE in her third attempt, shared her expertise on mistakes to avoid in the national level competitive exam. She admitted to making three mistakes during her UPSC journey. According to the IPS officer, her first mistake was “not taking this exam seriously." She claimed that after two failed attempts, she was able to pass the exam on her third attempt, which she took seriously and passed with flying colours.

Previously, she attempted to balance college and work with UPSC but was unable to find the right balance. “The first time I walked into the exam hall for prelims, I hadn’t even finished Laxmikanth for polity," she explained. Nirja went on to say that the second time around, she had covered the fundamentals but had only done a few mock tests. She said, “I was woefully underprepared for mains, even if prelims had happened."