UPSC Interview Marks total up to 275. The IAS Interview is the final stage of the Civil Services Examination. To be called for the IAS interview, a candidate must achieve the minimum cut-off in the written part of the Mains exam, which carries 1750 marks. To determine if a candidate is qualified for a career in civil services is the purpose of the interview. There is no minimum score requirement to qualify for the UPSC interview.
The percentage of marks given for the interview often ranges from 40% to 80%. The article discusses in detail the UPSC Interview Marks Distribution along with the highest marks obtained by the Toppers in the personality test stage over the years.
Also Read: Expert Strategies to Help You Succeed at Your IAS Interview
UPSC Interview Marks
The Civil Services Examination is one the toughest exams in India. According to the UPSC Exam Pattern, the exam is conducted in three stages.
- UPSC Prelims: General Studies Paper and CSAT [Both 200 marks]
- UPSC Mains: Nine Papers [1750 Marks]
- UPSC Interview [275 Marks]
Shruti Sharma, who secured AIR 1 in the UPSC Exam 2021, did not receive the highest marks in the interview. Ashutosh Kumar and Kiran PB received the highest marks in the UPSC Interview 2021. Out of a maximum of 275, they both received 206. The interview marks for the 2022 cycle have not been announced yet.
Marks Required to Qualify for IAS Interview
Annually, the Union Public Service Commission administers the notably challenging Civil Service Examination, attracting participation from over 7-8 lakh individuals. Nonetheless, only a select few hundred individuals secure prestigious positions like IAS, IPS, IRS, IFS, and others.
In order to be summoned for the interview, a candidate must pass the UPSC mains examination with a minimum cut-off score. Every year, the UPSC cut-off for mains varies depending on the category. The mains cut-off for the previous three years is provided below so that you may have an idea of the minimum marks needed to appear in the interview.
Category | 2021 Mains Cut-off | 2020 Mains Cut-off | 2019 Mains Cut-off |
General | 745 | 736 | 751 |
Economically Weaker Section (EWS) | 713 | 687 | 696 |
Other Backward Class (OBC) | 707 | 698 | 718 |
Scheduled Castes (SCs) | 700 | 680 | 706 |
Scheduled Tribes (ST) | 700 | 682 | 699 |
Also Read: UPSC Exam: Everything You Need to Know (FAQ)
UPSC Interview Marks Distribution
The final and most important step in the cycle of the exam is the UPSC Interview/ Personality Test. The interview is worth 275 marks, for a maximum possible score of 2025. The following are some of the attributes the panel looks for in a candidate while allocating marks to him/her during the personality test:
- Mental sharpness
- Critically analyzing
- Rationality of thought
- Competence in risk assessment
- Capabilities in handling crises
- A propensity for leadership
- Moral and intellectual integrity
UPSC Interview Score Analysis
The UPSC Interview round is the third and final round of the IAS selection process. Candidates who are declared qualified in the mains exam are shortlisted for the IAS interview round.
This year, the UPSC interview date 2023 for Phase 3 was April 24 to May 18, 2023. Recently, the commission released the IAS Interview result on May 23, 2023. With this, the total UPSC interview marks are 275 and to pass these rounds, no minimum cut-off is required.
As per the UPSC Interview analysis, the percentage of interview scores usually varies between 40% to 80%. Thus, the aspirants should cover all the possible UPSC interview questions to boost their chances of obtaining higher ranks and achieving a better career in civil service.
Hence, we have compiled the detailed UPSC Interview Analysis including the question paper structure, interview trend analysis, highest marks in UPSC interview, and much more on this page.
UPSC Interview Analysis-Previous Trends & Analysis
I recommend reviewing the UPSC interview trend analysis to understand historical patterns of competition levels. This will assist in effective preparation for the upcoming civil service interview round.
However, the UPSC interview marks use to vary between 90 to 245 out of a maximum of 300 until 2012. It means that the average interview scores range between 30 percent-80 percent. Additionally, the median IAS Interview marks were around 55-60 percent.
But then, the interview marks were reduced to 275 in 2013. Currently, the marks allocation ranges between 45% to 75%. Check the detailed UPSC Interview Analysis from 2005 to 2021 on this page.
Year | Mains+Interview marks of the last candidate (General Category) | Mains+Interview Percentage of the last candidate (%) (General Category) |
2005 | 1203/2300 | 52.3 |
2006 | 1179/2300 | 51.26 |
2007 | 1210/2300 | 52.6 |
2008 | 1161/2300 | 50.47 |
2009 | 1127/2300 | 49 |
2010 | 1134/2300 | 49.3 |
2011 | 1090/2300 | 47.39 |
2012 | 936/2300 | 40.69 |
2013 | 775/2025 | 38.27 |
2014 | 889/2025 | 43.90 |
2015 | 877/2025 | 43.30 |
2016 | 988/2025 | 48.79 |
2017 | 1006/2025 | 49.67 |
2018 | 982/2025 | 48.49 |
2019 | 961/2025 | 47.45 |
2020 | 944/2025 | 46.61 |
2021 | 953/2025 | 47.06 |
2022 | 1094/2025 | – |
Highest Marks in UPSC Interview Analysis
The UPSC CSE interview round primarily carries out the assessment of the aspirants’ social traits, intellectual qualities, and awareness of current affairs. Thus, one should be familiar with all the current events in India and abroad.
To excel in the interview, one should go through the UPSC Interview Analysis, UPSC Interview Syllabus, and PYQs for interviews discussed by experts and toppers over the past decade.
With this, one should also check the highest marks in the UPSC interview to understand the competition level, marking scheme, past trends, etc, and set the target score accordingly.
Year | Name of the Candidate | Highest Marks in UPSC Interview |
2022 | YIMKUM I OZUKUM, TENZIN YANGKI, and ZENDEN LINGZERPA | 210 |
2021 | Ashutosh Kumar and Kiran PB | 206 |
2020 | Apala Mishra | 215 |
2019 | Jatin Kishore | 185 |
2018 | Kanishak Kataria | 179 |
2017 | Anudeep Dursihetty | 176 |
2016 | Nandini KR | 193 |
2014 | Zainab Sayeed | 220 |
Importance of UPSC Interview Analysis
There are a plethora of advantages to checking the UPSC Interview analysis as discussed below:
- It assists aspirants in comprehending the topics that require emphasis during the preparation of the personality test round.
- It helps candidates to understand the types of questions asked from current events in the interview round over the years.
- With the help of UPSC Interview analysis by toppers, candidates will be able to prepare mostly asked UPSC Interview questions and build a robust strategy to excel in this round.
- The analysis of IAS interviews from 2005 to 2022 will provide a detailed description of the increase or decrease in the competition level, past trends, etc.
Read Also: 5 Tricky UPSC Interview Questions with Best Answers