UPSC-CSE is one of the most prestigious civil service examinations conducted by the Unified Public Service Commission (UPSC) annually. The official name of the exam is UPSC Civil Service Examination. It is also known by another popular name called “IAS EXAM”. It is one of the toughest examinations in India. This prestigious examination is attempted by more than 5 lakh candidates every year. But only the best get selected for the job vacancies.
It is evident that this examination has a huge competition and candidates across the country search for UPSC-CSE hubs to get the best IAS Coaching. Aspirants often fall in a dilemma when choosing the IAS coaching centre. The important parameters that an IAS aspirant should look for are the fee, faculty, study material, mentorship, test series and convenient place to stay for preparation.
IAS Coaching Fee
This is a very important parameter because most of the candidates who aspire to become civil servants are from middle-class families. The fee for UPSC-CSE coaching varies with demand in a particular city and the expertise of faculty available. However, a reasonable institute charges anywhere between Rs 1,00,000/- to Rs 1,35,000/- for the UPSC courses excluding optional coaching. With optional coaching, the total fee may rise up to 2 lakhs.
IAS Coaching Faculty
The next important aspect that a student or candidate looks for in an IAS Coaching institute is its faculty. Delhi is known for its faculty and is the top IAS coaching hub for decades. But, because of improved transportation facilities and demand for civil service coaching in various cities, expert faculties are available at places like Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai etc. During the pandemic, most aspirants preferred online coaching from institutes like BYJU’S.
IAS Study Material
Candidates often tend to choose institutes that make their preparation easier. The IAS study material includes daily, weekly, monthly and subject wise current affairs, study material for static content, question banks of MCQs for prelims and Questions & Answers for mains. The content in the material has to be precise and concise. Also, the candidate looks for UPSC hubs with ease of access to study materials. Delhi’s Old Rajender Nagar market is flooded with IAS study material. But these days the study material is available in all the UPSC hubs.
IAS Mentorship
Candidates preparing for the IAS Exam often end up studying various sources gaining knowledge but not reaching the ultimate goal i.e., cracking UPSC-CSE. Therefore the mentorship is very important so that the candidate will be guided with the strategy and answer writing techniques required to crack the examination.
IAS Test Series
Test series has become a new trend in assessing the capability of an IAS coaching institute. There are candidates who completely rely on test series to crack the exam without any coaching. Test series enhance the performance of a candidate in solving MCQs and answer writing through practice. It also improves the guesswork and time management skills of the candidate.
Convenient Place to Stay for IAS Preparation
Food, cost of living and climate are the important factors that decide whether a place is convenient for IAS preparation. Despite harsh weather conditions, some people prefer to stay in Delhi because of the availability of material, faculty and study environment. People from southern India prefer moderate climatic conditions. The emergence of cities like Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore as UPSC hubs in the recent past have helped thousands of aspirants from Southern India in reducing their expenses over travel, accommodation etc.
Bangalore has emerged as one of the important centres for IAS preparation. IAS Coaching in Bangalore meets all the above mentioned criteria and is one of the most suitable places for IAS preparation. A number of institutes based in Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad have set up their education centres in Bangalore to capture the demand.