Highest Marks in IAS Interview Round - Tricks to Crack the IAS Interview Round

The IAS or the Indian Administrative exam (IAS) is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). It is one of the most prestigious government jobs in India and every year lakhs of aspirants appear for this exam. The UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) is a competitive exam that is conducted at the National level

Highest Marks in IAS Interview Round:

Through the UPSC exam, the Indian Government recruits candidates for All India civil services posts like IAS, IFoS, IPS, IRS, etc. The Civil Services exam is the dream career option and candidates who secure the record highest marks in IAS become role models for the aspirants.

Stages of UPSC Exam:

1. Preliminary exam
2. Mains exam
3. Personality test (Interview round)

The UPSC Personality test/Interview is the final phase of the exam and has a duration of 30 minutes. The main objective of the Interview round is to check the administrative skills of the candidates.

The total marks of the interview round are 275 and the highest marks in UPSC ever in the personality test has been secured by Zainab Sayeed in 2014. She got record marks of 220 out of 275 and her rank in UPSC was 107.

List of Candidates Who Scored Highest Marks in IAS Interview Round:

• A personality test/Interview is the last phase of the IAS exam and candidates who clear the Mains exam can appear for the interview round. The total marks of the interview round are 275 and the main focus of this round is to check the mental alertness and suitability of the candidate for the civil services post.
• The names of candidates who clear the interview round will feature in the final merit list of the UPSC exams.

Below is the interview score-wise names of the UPSC Interview Toppers and their preparation strategy:

Zainab Sayeed

• Year: 2014
• IAS Interview Score: 220 out of 275
• All India Rank: 107
• Duration of the Interview: 25 minutes

Preparation Strategy: Zainab Sayeed credits her UPSC exam success to sheer determination and hard work.

• She is a graduate in literature and had devoted 6 to 7 hours of studying for the IAS exams.
• During the interview round, Zainab Sayeed was asked questions on European Union disintegration, FDI, and International relations.
• The interview Board also questioned Zainab on her hobbies, English literature, and extracurricular interests.

Apala Mishra

• Year: 2020
• IAS Interview Score: 215
• All India Rank: 9
• Duration of the Interview: 40 minutes

Preparation Strategy: Dr. Apala Mishra, who has a degree in Dental Surgery, contributes her success to hard work and self-study.

• After failing in the first two attempts, she secured the 9th rank in the UPSC exams.
• According to Apala, calmness, composure, and honesty help to nail the interview round. Also to get the record highest marks in the IAS interview round it is important to focus on the interview and not on the outcome.
• The Interview of Dr. Apala Mishra lasted for 40 minutes and her self-confidence and presence of mind helped her to be the top scorer.

Ankita Jain

• Year: 2020
• IAS Interview Score: 212
• All India Rank: 3
• Duration of the Interview: 30 minutes

Preparation Strategy: Ankita Jain has a B.Tech degree from Delhi University and chose Philosophy as her optional subject for the UPSC exams.

• According to Ankita, hard work and determination are key to cracking the IAS exams.
• The Personality test requires time management and principles of self-study.
• She devoted 6 to 7 hours of study every day for the UPSC CSE exams and also focused on current affairs which helped her to nail the interview round with ease and secure the highest marks in UPSC ever.

Nandini K R

• Year: 2016
• IAS Interview Score: 193
• All India Rank: 1
• Duration of the Interview: 30 minutes

Preparation Strategy: Nandini K R cracked the IAS exam in her 4th attempt.

• After completing her Civil Engineering degree, she joined the IRS in the customs and Excise Department.
• Nandini took Kannada literature as her optional subject. According to Nandini, overcoming fear and self-doubt is important to achieve success in the interview round.
• Nandini had prepared a robust timetable for her IAS exams which included 8 hours of sleep and 1 hour of sports every day.
• Besides this, intense practice, continuous focus, and mock interview sessions improved her confidence level and helped her to secure the record highest marks in the IAS interview round.

Jatin Kishore

• Year: 2019
• IAS Interview Score: 185
• All India Rank: 2
• Duration of the Interview: 30 to 35 minutes

Preparation Strategy: Jatin Kishore has a Masters's degree in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics and cracked the UPSC exams on his second attempt.

• He chose economics as his optional subject. Jatin Kishore followed a dedicated study schedule and also devoted 2 hours to reading the newspaper daily.
• Appearing for mock interviews and getting feedback from experts assures a good score in the interview round.
• It is also important to work on the confidence level and be up to date with current affairs.

Kanishk Kataria

• Year: 2018
• IAS Interview Score: 179
• All India Rank: 1
• Duration of the Interview: 30 minutes

Preparation Strategy: Kanishk Kataria did his B.Tech in Computer Science from IIT Bombay and was working as a Software Engineer for 2 years. Kanishk chose Mathematics as the optional subject in the UPSC exams.

• According to Kanishk’s preparation strategy, studying 12 hours daily before the exams is very necessary.
• Also staying away from social media 2 months prior to the exams helped him to focus more on his studies.
• For the interview round, Kanishk answered questions related to his job area, hobbies, and interests.
• Kanishk also answered situation-based questions, about the latest technological developments, and policymaking.
• It is important to have clarity of thoughts and give organized answers to get the highest marks in UPSC ever.

Anudeep Durishetty

• Year: 2017
• IAS Interview Score: 176
• All India Rank: 1
• Duration of the Interview: 30 minutes

Preparation Strategy: Anudeep secured the 1st rank in IAS after several failed attempts. In one of his earlier attempts, he had scored 204 in the Interview round but had faltered in the Mains exam.

• For the interview round, Anudeep asks all the aspirants to get rid of any insecurities or inferiority complex. Staying calm and maintaining a mental balance while answering the questions are important.
• According to Anudeep, it is important to give a valid reason for every question that is answered with a Yes or No. It is also important to prepare well for the DAF-related questions. Anudeep advises aspirants to take several mock tests before appearing for the actual interview.
• This will help them to self-evaluate and devote more time to the areas that need more focus.

5 Quick Tips to Crack UPSC Civil Services Interview Round:

• Aspirants must read their Detailed Application Form (DAF) carefully before appearing for the interview. Most of the questions of the interview are related to DAF and questions are based on hobbies, previous job experience, education, etc. So if you are aiming for the highest marks in UPSC ever, read the DAF carefully.
• Apart from studying from the syllabus, it is important for the candidates to appear for mock interviews. This will help to reduce the anxiety and stress for the final interview. Mock interviews also increase the confidence level and boost the morale of the aspirants.
• It is necessary for the candidates to remain updated with current affairs. Candidates who want to secure record highest marks in the IAS interview round must read the newspapers daily and gain knowledge on the latest developments across the country.
• Aspirants should maintain good body language while answering the questions. They should sit in a proper posture, greet the panel members, remain attentive, and be respectful while answering the questions. Candidates must not display any wrong gestures or show overconfidence while answering the questions.
• It is necessary to maintain integrity while answering the questions. If any candidate does not know any answer, they must not pretend to know it. Along with confidence, honesty also plays an important role in scoring good marks in the interview round.