Why competitive exam aspirants are flocking to study spaces in Chennai

In 2025, around 13.4 lakh candidates appeared for the UPSC prelims, and over 22 lakh sat for the NEET exams across India. Year after year, the pool of aspirants for civil services and medical entrance examinations continues to grow. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu has become a hub for many coaching centres, and along with them, the number of study spaces has also increased vastly.

As you walk through Anna Nagar, you will find a private study hall on nearly every corner, offering a permanent reserved seat to any aspirant for a monthly fee. These packed spaces have become the go-to individual study spots for many students.

Nageshwari Babu, who runs Banyans Study Hall in Anna Nagar, says a mixed crowd — including NEET PG, FMG, banking, CA, police selection, and UPSC aspirants — spends over 10 hours a day there. “We provide the infrastructure and curate the atmosphere for students to stay focused, from newspaper subscriptions to individual lockers. Not everyone preparing for competitive exams has a disruption-free zone at home, which is why these study spaces are growing in number,” says Ms. Nageshwari.

A study space
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Special Arrangement

In Mylapore, Santhosh Study Academy has been around for four years with about 78 seats, attracting mostly CA and PG NEET aspirants. “Anna Nagar has become a hub for UPSC aspirants to the point where study spaces do not even need marketing there. Many do not know that study spaces now exist in other neighbourhoods too,” says Mr. Santhosh who runs the space.

He recalls how the trend originally took root in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, when it became a hub for study spaces catering to CA students. “There is a certain atmosphere where everyone stays glued to their books, because these exams demand that level of dedication to clear,” he adds. “I have designed the cabins so that students cannot see each other, cutting out distractions.” Of course, study spaces have their own seasons too; during off-exam months, the number of students tends to drop.

For many students, public libraries were once the default option. Pramod, a student who now uses a study hall in Chennai, says: “I used to rely on the local library, but without internet or other modern amenities, it just was not practical anymore.”

“If I am studying at home for something as serious as the TNPSC Group 1 exam, even with a dedicated study room, distractions are unavoidable. Studying with friends has not been productive either, which is why I chose a study space that is different from the ones my friends go to, so I can solely concentrate on completing my work,” says Rashya Begum, a TNPSC aspirant at Banyans Study Hall. “I have reserved my seat here, which means I get a permanent spot all year long.”