Is It Necessary to join a coaching institute while preparing for UPSC Exam?

This is a perennial question I get asked the most. And it's understandable too. Many aspirants who start preparing for civil services are not aware of the demands of this exam and most cannot afford to take coaching by going to Delhi only.
There are many doubts and misconceptions regarding taking coaching for UPSC CSE . So let me break it down for you.
Coaching Institutes plays important role in your upsc exam preparation. If you are a fresher and thinking to appear for IAS exam then joining a upsc coaching will be very beneficial for you.
If you have already done offline UPSC coaching in past 2 years and you are confident enough then you can do self study or join some online course to plan your preparation for UPSC IAS exam. Join some test series of Sharma Academy or Best upsc coaching in indore institute. To solve your doubts, you can use free apps like doubtnut, brainly, various what'sup groups and telegram doubt solving groups, online doubt forums etc.
If your family can afford a coaching then it is a good idea to join a coaching as it helps you to grasp the concepts quickly as compared to when you study by yourself.
But if you can’t afford coaching then you can take help form online coaching classes resources. There are many websites which clear concepts without any cost. You can get your doubts clear in those websites. You should definitely join test series, it will help you greatly during examination.
If you don’t join any IAS coaching in indore and start self study then you might face some problems like -
• Tough to get doubts cleared
• No competitive environment
• No one to make you study
• You will be lonely and may or may not get depressed
• All your friends will be enjoying college while you will be alone at home mugging up salt colours. This may or may not discourage you

As for the positive things are-
• You can study whatever subject and whatever chapter in depth whenever you want
• You can make you own schedule according to your weak/strong subjects/chapters.

Best UPSC coaching in indore suggest practised many test papers during the last 5 months. This will improve your speed and confidence.
Coaching merely helps you, it does not ensure you a rank. Your self study, consistency and the hard work you put in sitting at your study table matters far more than what you do in coaching classes. So if you are attending coaching classes, do take their notes, but you should not rely excessively on them and neglect standard books.
Always remember that roughly not more than 25-30% of your preparation should depend on upsc coaching classes. To say that you cannot crack UPSC without coaching is a lie. There are people who have put in that 25% of the work on their own and have passed this test (ie, they must have read the coaching notes but didn't attend any classes.) So it is your personal belief, self discipline and your knowledge. To determine whether you need coaching or not.
Assuming you know which standard books to study, which coaching notes to refer to, and by reading them you are able to understand the subject, that's brilliant and you don't need coaching.
On the other hand, if you are completely clueless about the exam process or the books you study, then the coaching institutes will surely help you to get a comprehensive idea. But as I said, you still have to read standard books, make necessary notes and work to beat your competition.