The Union Public Service Commission conducts the IAS exam annually to recruit candidates in the Indian Administrative Services. A candidate has to score maximum marks in all the three stages of the IAS Exam to be considered as an IAS Topper. Candidates preparing for UPSC 2020, should start with their preparation soon. UPSC has released the exam dates for the UPSC Prelims and UPSC Mains Examination. Aspirants should take some preparation tips from the yearly IAS Topper who can inspire them, while preparing for UPSC 2020.
The UPSC civil services exam is considered one of the most competitive exams in India. A huge number of candidates appear for the IAS exam every year but only a fraction of those come out with flying colours. After the announcement of the IAS results, the IAS Topper gains limelight in the country.
Year-wise list of IAS Topper
UPSC Mains Exam for the year 2018 was conducted from 28 September 2018 to 07 October 2018. Union Public Service Commission had released the IAS Exam 2018 results on April 2019. A total of 759 candidates were recommended to the Indian Administrative Services this time. The UPSC Interview rounds commenced on 11 February 2019 and were concluded on 29 March 2019.
Candidates appearing for the UPSC 2020 can take inspiration from them for their preparation.
The year-wise list of IAS Topper for the last 5 years are mentioned in the table given below:
| IAS Topper (UPSC Exams) | |||
| Year of IAS Exam | Rank 1 | Rank 2 | Rank 3 |
| 2018 | Kanishka Kataria | Akshat Jain | Junaid Ahmad |
| 2017 | Anudeep Durishetty | Anu Kumari | Sachin Gupta |
| 2016 | Nandini K R | Anmol Sher Singh Bedi | Gopalakrishna Ronanki |
| 2015 | Tina Dabi | Athar Aamir Ul Shafi Khan | Jasmeet Singh Sandhu |
| 2014 | Ira Singhal | Renu Raj | Nidhi Gupta |
The final list of IAS toppers is released in the month of April/May by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Preparation tips for UPSC 2020
Candidates who are appearing for the Civil Services Examination 2020, should follow the below-mentioned tips given by the IAS toppers to score well in the examination:
- Prepare yourself for the exam: Before starting with the preparation, the candidate should prepare mentally and physically for the examination. Understanding the UPSC exam pattern and syllabus thoroughly is very important. The UPSC exam has three stages- prelims mains and the interview.
- Prepare a time table: A candidate should set a comfortable timetable before starting with their preparation. Doing so will help him/her to score well in the examination.
- Go through the daily newspapers/current affairs: The questions asked in the civil services exam are directly or indirectly connected with current affairs. Hence, it is very important to follow the relevant news items in your daily newspaper.
- Selecting the optional subjects: The optional subject holds a lot of weightage in the IAS Examination. It accounts for 500 marks in the UPSC. Hence, a candidate must choose their optional subject wisely, considering the pros and cons of the subjects along with their interest.
As per the IAS Toppers, a candidate should be thorough with their basic concepts if they want to pass the exam with flying colours. Following the above tips on a daily basis will help the aspirants in scoring good marks.
Candidates can also take the online quiz and mock tests to clear their concepts on the IAS Exam pattern.