Working as a Government Employee (AAO in CAG) — Should I Target UPSC 2027 Seriously?

I’m currently working as an Assistant Audit Officer (AAO) in CAG, selected through SSC CGL.

I want to prepare seriously for UPSC CSE 2027, but I’m confused about how realistic this is while continuing my job.

My situation:

• Currently working as AAO in CAG
• Government job with a reasonably stable career and decent salary
• Targeting UPSC CSE 2027
• I have a decent academic background, but I’m not someone who has been preparing for UPSC for years
• I can study before/after office and on weekends, but obviously I don't have the 8–10 hours/day that a full-time aspirant might have
• I’m willing to give this a serious attempt rather than casually preparing alongside the job

My main dilemma is:

Should I continue my CAG job and prepare for UPSC 2027 alongside it, or does serious UPSC preparation realistically require leaving the job at some point?

For people who have been in a similar situation:

1. How many hours were you realistically able to study while working?
2. Were you able to clear Prelims/Mains while continuing your job?
3. At what stage, if any, did you feel leaving the job was necessary?
4. How did you manage office fatigue, leaves and revision?
5. If you had a stable Group B/Group A government job already, would you still recommend taking the UPSC risk?
6. Looking back, what would you do differently?

I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who prepared for UPSC while working in a government job, rather than general advice like "just work hard."

Thanks!