Ipsita Rawat Rank 4 UKPSC 2024: Assistant Commissioner State Tax
The UKPSC Result 2024 brought great news for aspirants who prepare from outside the state. Ipsita Rawat Rank 4 UKPSC 2024 secured the post of Assistant Commissioner, State Tax. Remarkably, she prepared mostly from Delhi.
She recently shared her clear and practical approach in a success talk with SAMVEG IAS. Therefore, here are the key lessons from her journey.
Major Highlights of Ipsita Rawat’s Interview with Samveg IAS
From Chamoli Roots to Delhi Classrooms
Ipsita belongs to Chamoli district. However, she grew up and studied in Delhi. She graduated in Sociology and Economics. Later, she completed her master’s in Political Science in 2023.
She started preparing during her master’s. Her first UKPSC attempt came with the 2022 prelims. Meanwhile, she also secured a district-level post through UKPSC and started working in Haridwar in 2024.
Her Motivation
“My father is the wind beneath my wings,” says Ipsita. Along with him, her sister remained her biggest supporter. Also, she chose humanities in Class 11 because she already knew her goal. Eventually, each exam she cleared boosted her belief further.
Prelims Strategy of Ipsita Rawat Rank 4 UKPSC 2024
“Prelims is not about analysis. It is about selection,” she explains. Therefore, she kept her plan very simple:
- Strong static: Current affairs can be unpredictable. So, she made static subjects her strongest area. After all, easy questions decide the cut-off, not the tough ones.
- Standard books: She relied on NCERTs, Laxmikanth and Spectrum.
- Current affairs: She read Vision IAS monthly magazines. For Uttarakhand, she revised a state current affairs booklet before the exam. Also, she followed Uttarakhand news channels.
- One state book: Nearly one-third of the questions come from Uttarakhand. Hence, pick one book like Pariksha Vani and read it cover to cover.
- PYQs: Solve all UKPSC PYQs, including Upper PCS, Lower PCS and RO/ARO papers from the commission’s website.
- CSAT: Do not ignore it. In particular, practise the Hindi language questions regularly.
Interestingly, she got only ten days between her previous interview and this prelims. During those days, PYQs made the biggest difference.
Mains: Simple Structure, Complete Papers
Her sources stayed the same as prelims. In addition, she made notes on every single point of the syllabus. So, she always had something to write.
The 2024 papers were lengthy. Still, Ipsita Rawat Rank 4 UKPSC 2024 completed every paper, thanks to regular answer writing. Her format was simple:
- Introduction: Keep it crisp. Use data if you know it; otherwise, use a simple definition.
- Body: Write in points and use subheadings. Moreover, use tables for comparisons and flowcharts for multi-part questions.
- Conclusion: Finally, end with a balanced way forward.
“Examiners get bored after a while. So, your presentation must stand out,” she adds.
Interview: Be Honest, Not Clever
The first advice of Ipsita Rawat Rank 4 UKPSC 2024 is honesty. “Do not try to challenge the board. Go as an aspirant who wants to learn,” she says. In her earlier interview, she simply said sorry when she did not know an answer.
Additionally, she worked on her habit of speaking too fast. She also took mock interviews to build confidence. When a board grills you, it only tests your pressure handling. Therefore, take it positively. Above all, know your background, job and education thoroughly.
Beating Burnout and Social Media
Exam postponements can be very frustrating. However, she never stopped studying during such phases. She also stayed away from rumours in Telegram groups and trusted only official updates.
On social media, she is refreshingly honest. “If I say I never doom-scrolled, I would be lying,” she admits. Still, she set limits and switched off completely one or two months before exams. After all, most stress comes from comparison, not from your own performance.
Advice to Her Past Self
Ipsita often underplayed herself. So, she would tell her younger self to be confident, concise and self-disciplined. “Parents cannot push you forever. Discipline must come from within,” she says.
Association with SAMVEG IAS
Ipsita joined the SAMVEG IAS prelims test series in early 2022. Later, she wrote the mains test series too. Since she could not come to Dehradun, Samveg Sir guided her on phone calls and gave detailed feedback.
She also gave mock interviews on Sir’s panel in both cycles. “I could not have had a better start,” she says. Clearly, the journey of Ipsita Rawat Rank 4 UKPSC 2024 shows that clarity and honesty go a long way.