✦ Strategy & LearningsPreparation approach, subject-wise strategy, and interview mindset - compiled from public interviews and coaching-institute features.
ⓘ AI-generated from Srajit Kumar's public interviews & coaching-institute features - not written or reviewed by them.
2024
Attempt 1 - AIR 277
Cleared the exam in his first attempt, securing a rank that led to a service.
2025
Attempt 2 - AIR 84
Improved his rank significantly in his second attempt.
📅Preparation Timeline
Starting the journey while working
Srajit began his serious preparation while working in a corporate job at Oracle, eventually transitioning to full-time study.
Early phase
He was working at Oracle in Bangalore and did not have a full-time study mindset initially.
Transition
He left his job and joined a coaching institute in mid-August 2023 to begin his formal preparation.
💻Study Methodology
Leveraging technical skills for efficiency
Coming from a computer science background, Srajit optimized his study process for speed and accessibility.
Digital notes
He created all his notes digitally using OneNote, allowing for easy updates, highlighting, and searching.
Lecture consumption
He watched all recorded lectures at 2x speed to save time, ensuring he never skipped a class.
Note-making philosophy
He emphasized that notes must be one's own; copying from toppers or AI is less effective for retention.
📝Mains Strategy
Answer writing and resource management
Srajit focused on concise resources and consistent practice to handle the vast GS syllabus.
Resource limitation
He avoided diversifying sources, relying heavily on class notes and specific high-yield materials.
Answer writing
He started writing answers after Prelims, initially focusing on quantity to overcome the inertia of writing.
Value addition
He used specific examples and data points from his notes to enrich his answers.
🎯Prelims Strategy
Maximizing attempts and intelligent guessing
His approach to Prelims was centered on test series and managing uncertainty.
Test series
He took numerous mock tests to practice intelligent guessing and eliminate options.
Attempt strategy
He aimed to maximize attempts, reaching 97-98 questions, and used a 50-50 probability approach for difficult questions.
🗣️Interview Approach
Handling the personality test
Srajit viewed the interview as a conversation and emphasized authenticity over appearance.
Preparation
He relied on his foundation course and previous interview experience to build confidence.
Mindset
He treated the interview as an opportunity to convey his personality and reasoning rather than just providing factual answers.
Handling pressure
He maintained composure even when faced with challenging or unexpected questions.
“Any part of your notes should be your own. You can take material from toppers, but read it enough times that it becomes your own.”
— on the importance of personalized notes🎯 Advice for Aspirants
- Do not let work pile up; every day brings new tasks, and a backlog is a major mistake.
- Focus on multiple revisions of limited resources rather than chasing new books.
- Be consistent with your daily routine, even on days when you don't feel like studying.
- Use intelligent guessing in Prelims to maximize your score when you are stuck between two options.
Where this came fromBiography and marks corroborated across coaching-institute profiles; strategy details drawn from interview and strategy videos.