Hello,

The eligibility criteria to appear for UPSC is passed graduation in any discipline from a recognized university, candidates in their final year too are eligible to apply provided they have attained 21 years as on 1st August of the appearing year, now coming to your question after completion of 12th it's too early to start UPSC coaching, if at all you need it you can do it from the last year of graduation, generally it takes two years as in one year of preparation for UPSC and another year of the exam taking place in three stages namely prelims, mains and interview, but yes some of the things which you can do from your college years itself in spare time is get acquainted with the syllabus, this will make you familiar with the fact that what to read and what to skip in terms of reading of study materials along with newspaper which is another vital step, you should make a habit of newspaper reading on a daily basis, especially news of national and international importance, editorials, economics, government schemes etc, and start off with NCERTs when it comes to study materials and then move towards others standard books.

Hey,

If you are really interested in taking coaching for UPSC, you can do it even after class 12 or after bachelors degree. If you opt for UPSC Coaching after class 12, you need to manage both your college and coaching classes. If you opted for any professional course, then, you can spend the time up to 4 in evening in college only. Also, there will be less time for focusing on both these aspects. You can even go for attending weekend classes. If you opt for Coaching after bachelors degree, then, obviously, you need to take a drop for a year. It all depends up on you, which method suits you best and is more feasible for you.