UPSC topper Shruti Sharma's marks prove civil services exam is one of the toughest in the world, know why

Normally, it takes more than 90 per cent to top any exam. However, in UPSC, the country's toughest exam, any score above 50 per cent will most likely land a candidate a spot in the civil services. To put things in perspective, let's check what Shruti Sharma, this year's UPSC topper, scored.

Shruti Sharma, the highest scorer in the UPSC exam, scored just 54.56 per cent marks. The second rank holder Ankita Agarwal scored 51.85 per cent. These scores are a grim reminder that even the brightest of minds in the country can't even score 60 per cent.

A total of 685 candidates passed the exam. 508 men and 177 women have cleared the UPSC exam this year. 

What's the exam process for UPSC?

The UPSC exam has three main components -- preliminary, mains and interview. The preliminary exam carries 400 marks. It has two papers with multiple objective type questions. This exam is meant to shortlist candidates for further tests. 

The merit is determined out of the total of 2,025 marks. The written or main exam is of 1,750 marks and the interview is of 275.

Shruti Sharma got a total of 1,105 marks -- 932 in the written and 173 in the personality test (or interview). Agarwal scored 1,050 -- 871 in written and 179 in interview.  Third rank achiever Gamini Singla got 1,045 -- 858 in the main and 187 in the interview, and fourth rank holder Aishwarya Verma scored 1,039 (860 in written and 1179 in interview). Utkarsh Dwivedi got the fifth rank with a total of 1,036 marks -- 871 in written and 165 in the interview.

With inputs from PTI