Learning from a Near Miss

Devansh Rao’s first attempt ended at Mains. At FIRST IAS INSTITUTE he audited every paper with mentors and rebuilt weak GS sections instead of restarting blindly.

CSAT received dedicated practice after a scare in mocks. GS answer writing shifted to clearer introductions and fewer digressions.

In the second attempt he treated mocks as diagnostics, not scoreboard vanity. Every low area had a one-week fix plan.

IPS selection rewarded resilience and a willingness to change methods rather than only increasing study hours.

Devansh tells juniors that a failed attempt is data—if you read it honestly with mentors, the next cycle can be decisive.

“My first attempt taught me what not to repeat. Mentors turned that lesson into a plan.”

— Devansh Rao

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