India’s most competitive examination once again underscored a striking reality: candidates do not need extraordinarily high percentages to top it. In the 2025 Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), just 1071 marks out of 2025 — roughly 52.88% — were enough to secure Rank 1.

Anuj Agnihotri, who topped the exam, scored 867 marks in the written mains examination and 204 marks in the personality test, reflecting a balanced performance across both stages that determine the final merit list.

The total marks for the final ranking in the UPSC Civil Services Examination combine 1750 marks from the written mains examination and 275 marks from the personality test, bringing the total to 2025 marks.

Tight race at the top

The competition at the top remained extremely close. Rajeshwari Suve M, who secured Rank 2, scored 1067 marks, just four marks behind the topper. Her score included 865 marks in mains and 202 marks in the interview.

At Rank 3, Akansh Dhull secured 1057 marks, with 864 marks in the written examination and 193 marks in the personality test.

The narrow margins highlight how even a small difference in performance across the two stages can significantly influence the final rankings.

Interview scores prove decisive

The marks list also illustrates the decisive role played by the personality test. Ishan Bhatnagar, who secured Rank 5, scored 823 marks in mains but compensated with an impressive 215 marks in the interview, among the highest personality test scores among the top candidates.

His final tally stood at 1038 marks, demonstrating how a strong interview performance can substantially boost a candidate’s final rank.

A razor-thin margin

The difference between Rank 1 and Rank 5 was just 33 marks, underscoring the razor-thin margins that separate the country’s top civil services aspirants.

In the UPSC selection process, only marks from the mains examination and the personality test are counted for the final ranking. The preliminary examination serves solely as a screening stage and its marks are not included in the final score.

The 2025 marks list once again reflects the intense competition in the UPSC exam — where crossing the halfway mark can still be enough to emerge among the nation’s top-ranked candidates, provided the performance remains consistently strong across both written papers and the interview.