Optional Strength, Balanced GS
Kabir Malhotra joined FIRST IAS INSTITUTE knowing his optional could be a rank booster if GS stopped leaking marks. Mentors balanced both tracks instead of over-indexing on one.
He wrote optional answers weekly under evaluation and kept GS on a parallel calendar of section tests. Prelims revision used spaced repetition rather than last-month panic.
Essay practice focused on structure and examples drawn from administration and economy—themes that later appeared in interview discussions.
Selection into IAAS reflected a profile strong in numbers and systems thinking, backed by credible GS performance.
Kabir advises aspirants not to abandon GS while chasing optional perfection; the board and Mains both demand balance.
Back to Success Stories“Optional got me attention. Balanced GS and mocks got me selected.”
— Kabir Malhotra
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