The Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2024 results reflect a trend that has been steadily gaining momentum: a significant proportion of successful candidates are not first-timers. In fact, 13 of the top 25 rank-holders in this year’s final list had previously qualified the exam in one of the four preceding years. Their return signals a broader shift in the preparation landscape-one where strategic re-attempts are becoming not only common but highly successful.
Rohit Pande, Co-Founder & CEO of Civilsdaily, highlights a key shift in UPSC 2024: repeat candidates are not just returning, but thriving. Their success signals a new era where strategy, mentorship, and smart recalibration matter more than ever.
STRATEGIC REFINEMENT OVER REPETITION
Increasingly, candidates undertaking second or third attempts are doing so with clear intent: to secure a better service, land a home cadre, or transition into coveted roles such as the Indian Administrative or Foreign Services.
What these outcomes suggest is the growing importance of strategic refinement over brute-force repetition in preparation strategy. And for future aspirants-especially repeaters-personalised mentorship, real-time feedback, and targeted course correction may well be the most effective approach.
MENTOR-LED PREPARATION
One emerging model that addresses this need is mentorship-led preparation, where guidance comes from recent rank-holders or Mains-qualified candidates. These mentors bring a practical understanding of the exam’s evolving demands and are able to offer insights that go beyond the generic advice common in traditional coaching. Rather than focusing solely on content, these mentorship frameworks help aspirants identify preparation gaps, track progress rigorously, and adjust strategies in real time.
PEER GUIDANCE OVER TRADITIONAL COACHING
This model of mentorship-closer in spirit to peer guidance than to conventional classroom instruction-has emerged as a powerful counter to the legacy coaching. Where the traditional approach tends to emphasise coverage and repetition, mentorship grounded in real exam experience emphasizes personalised goal-setting, feedback and course correction. It is this shift-from teaching to guided self-improvement-that is enabling a growing number of aspirants to succeed in just one or two attempts, in contrast to the five-to-seven-year journeys that were once considered the norm.
DATA BEHIND THE TREND
The success of such recalibrated efforts is increasingly visible in the data. This year, 283 candidates on the merit list-approximately 28%-had already been recommended by the UPSC between 2020 and 2023. Of these, 166 appeared just last year, highlighting the rise of “upgrade attempts.” These are not driven by desperation but by clarity of goal.
Amongst them, 34 secured ranks within the Top 100, reinforcing the potential benefits of experience when paired with a focused re-attempt strategy. Notably, 82% of these repeaters were on only their second attempt, showing that it’s not repeated failure, but smart recalibration that can change outcomes.
EXPERIENCE AS AN ADVANTAGE
What’s notable is not just the volume of returning candidates, but the quality of their outcomes-and what that means for others in the fray. These repeaters are no longer passive participants re-entering the system-they’re active, informed strategists who’ve already experienced the pressures of Mains writing, interview boards, and sometimes even training academies.
Their edge lies in nuance: they know how to navigate the subjective terrain of essay writing, how to manage optional subjects strategically, and how to handle stress in high-stakes settings.
LESSONS FOR FIRST-TIME ASPIRANTS
This creates a new dynamic, particularly for first-time aspirants, who are now competing with individuals who’ve already been through the grind-and the best way to stay competitive is to learn from such candidates.
By seeking guidance from those who’ve faced the pressure, cracked the code, and navigated the unpredictability of the exam, first-timers can not only understand what to study, but also how to stay mentally resilient and strategically sharp throughout the journey.
Ultimately, the 2024 results highlight a deeper truth: the UPSC exam is no longer just a test of subject knowledge-it’s a test of strategy, agility, and the ability to pivot. For future aspirants, the question is no longer just what to study, but how to prepare-and most importantly, who is guiding that journey.