She achieved this feat in 2014 when she passed the UPSC Civil Services Examination, securing 731 marks in the mains examination and an impressive 220 out of 275 marks in the interview round, earning her the 107th rank overall.
Do you ever wonder who aced the interview round of the UPSC Civil Services Examination in the past decade? If you're guessing names like Tina Dabi, Srushti Deshmukh, Kanishka Kataria, Shubham Kumar, or Shruti Sharma, you're way off.
It's Zainab Sayeed who holds the record for the highest marks in the UPSC interview round over the last eight years. Zainab achieved this feat in 2014 when she passed the UPSC Civil Services Examination, securing 731 marks in the mains examination and an impressive 220 out of 275 marks in the interview round, earning her the 107th rank overall.
Zainab Syed stands out as the candidate with the highest interview score in the history of the UPSC Civil Services Examination. Zainab hails from Kolkata. Despite facing initial setbacks in her first two attempts, where she couldn't clear the preliminary exams, she persevered and eventually clinched success on her third try.
During her interview, Zainab showcased her preference for Kolkata over Delhi, citing her fondness for the city's fast-paced and vibrant lifestyle, alongside discussing various current affairs and international topics, including foreign direct investment in retail and the European Union.
According to her, in the interview round that lasted nearly 25 minutes, she was given a poem's lines and asked, on behalf of the board, who the poet was. "I informed them that I was unable to respond to their query," she said.
Zainab pursued her passion for English literature, graduating from St. Xavier's College, Kolkata, before completing her MA in mass communication at Jamia University, Delhi, in 2011. Following her educational pursuits, she dedicated herself to preparing for the UPSC exams, attempting them in 2012 and 2013 before finally achieving success in 2014.
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