Daijiworld Media Network – Ghaziabad
Ghaziabad, Oct 26: Two unsuccessful attempts at the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination could have forced Nikita Verma to reconsider her dream of joining the civil services. Instead, she chose to learn from her setbacks, reassess her preparation and continue working towards her goal. Her perseverance finally paid off when she secured All India Rank (AIR) 30 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025 in her third attempt.
Hailing from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, Nikita's journey is an inspiring example of how persistence, patience and a willingness to correct mistakes can help aspirants overcome repeated disappointments. Her success came after she failed to clear the Preliminary Examination in her first two attempts, despite performing well in the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT). Rather than allowing these setbacks to define her abilities, she used them as opportunities to understand the examination better and improve her approach.
Nikita was born and brought up in Ghaziabad, where she grew up in an environment that valued education. Her father works as a deputy secretary in the Delhi government. From an early age, she developed an interest in politics, governance and international affairs, interests that eventually shaped her academic choices and civil services preparation.
She pursued a BA (Honours) in Political Science at the University of Delhi and subsequently completed her postgraduate studies at the same university. Her academic background provided a strong foundation for Political Science and International Relations (PSIR), which she selected as her optional subject for the UPSC examination. Alongside her academic interests, she also pursued Bharatanatyam, maintaining an interest in cultural activities while preparing for one of India's most demanding competitive examinations.
The first two failures in the Preliminary Examination proved to be the most difficult phase of her preparation. Although her CSAT performance was consistently good, she could not clear the overall qualifying threshold. The experience forced her to examine where her preparation was falling short. She reviewed her mistakes, refined her strategy and continued working towards her goal instead of abandoning it. In her third attempt, she successfully cleared the Preliminary Examination, qualified in the Mains and performed well in the Personality Test to secure a place among the country's top 30 candidates.
Her preparation strategy centred on understanding the demands of the examination rather than relying solely on the number of hours spent studying. She analysed previous years' question papers to understand the examination pattern and identify the expectations of each paper. She also concentrated on repeated revision of static subjects, including history, geography and political science, to strengthen her conceptual understanding.
Current affairs formed another important part of her preparation. Her interest in national and international developments helped her connect contemporary events with concepts in General Studies and her optional subject. She worked on making notes, revising consistently and developing a clear understanding of the syllabus. Her academic background in political science also helped her approach PSIR with greater familiarity.
The Personality Test presented another opportunity for Nikita to demonstrate her understanding of issues beyond textbooks. According to an interview published by Indian Masterminds, the questions covered her Detailed Application Form, political science and international relations, geopolitics, current affairs and air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region during winter. Her interest in Bharatanatyam also featured in the discussion, reflecting the broader assessment of a candidate's personality, interests and awareness.
Nikita secured 1,020 marks in the final result, comprising 830 marks in the written examination and 190 marks in the Personality Test, according to the UPSC's published marks list. Her name appears at rank 30 in the official list of recommended candidates for the Civil Services Examination 2025.
Her message to future aspirants is rooted in the lessons she learnt through failure. She has emphasised the importance of understanding the demands of the examination, analysing previous years' question papers, preparing for both Prelims and Mains, and remaining consistent. Her guiding principles are persistence, patience and perseverance.
Nikita Verma's journey is a reminder that setbacks need not signal the end of an ambition. Her two unsuccessful Preliminary Examination attempts could have brought her preparation to a halt, but instead, they became opportunities to reassess and improve. By staying committed to her goal and refining her strategy, she turned disappointment into achievement, offering encouragement to thousands of civil services aspirants who may be struggling to clear the examination.