The UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) exams are one of the most competitive and challenging examinations to conquer and often require multiple attempts.

IAS officer Sonal Goel, currently serving as the Resident Commissioner at Tripura Bhawan in New Delhi, too carries such a story.

Sonal secured a rank in her second attempt in the UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2008.

In her first attempt, she fell short of going to the interview stage due to low marks in the general studies paper.

“However, this setback fueled my determination to leave no stone unturned in achieving my goal, UPSC,” she wrote on X.

Sonal shared tips for aspirants and what she did differently in her second attempt by sharing the marksheet of her first attempt.

Master your weak link: In order to master the general studies paper, she says she devoted extra time and effort to the subject.

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Practice, practice, practice: She improvised her score by meticulous note-taking, repeated revisions, and practising answer writing.

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Don’t leave any part of the syllabus: She emphasises the importance of having a well-rounded study plan.

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What adds to her feat is that she prepared for UPSC alongside an LLB (Bachelor of Laws) degree and working part-time as a Company Secretary (CS).

Her effort bore fruit as her general studies marks were the highest out of the other subjects.

To every aspirant, she says, “No obstacle is insurmountable. Every setback and failure is an opportunity to learn, improvise and ultimately, triumph. It is through perseverance, that greatness is achieved.”

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