PW Student Abhishek Vashishth’s UPSC CSE 2024 Success Story: From Six Attempts to AIR 14

Abhishek Vashishth’s UPSC journey took him through multiple setbacks, services and attempts before he finally secured AIR 14 in UPSC CSE 2024. An engineering graduate, Abhishek discovered Civil Services during college and gradually found a purpose in the kind of ground-level work the service offered. 

His journey involved missing Prelims by two marks, falling one mark short of the Mains cutoff, securing IRS and IPS, and eventually making it to IAS.

How Abhishek Vashishth Found His Purpose in Civil Services

Abhishek initially followed the conventional academic path of studying Science and pursuing Engineering. However, during college, he realised that an engineering career did not match what he wanted to do. A professor preparing for UPSC introduced him to the Civil Services and helped him understand the nature of the work.

As he researched the examination, Abhishek found that the opportunity to work directly with people was what attracted him most to the service.

How Abhishek Vashishth Turned a Two-Mark Failure Into a Strategy Change

Abhishek’s first attempt ended at the Prelims stage. Despite extensive studying and multiple revisions, he missed the cutoff by just two marks. The result forced him to look beyond the amount of time he had spent studying and examine whether his preparation was actually aligned with the demands of the exam.

After discussing his preparation with seniors, he identified a key gap: practice. He realised that knowing the content was not enough for an examination that required applying that knowledge through questions.

“Then I realize ki padhai achhi thi, lekin practice mein thodi kami thi, kyunki UPSC thoda applied exam hai, aur aap MCQ ki taiyari nahi kar rahe to aapne kitna hi padha ho, maayne nahi rakhta — aur aapne proper practice nahi kari.”

Abhishek changed his approach by increasing his MCQ practice and focusing more on application. The change helped him clear Prelims in his second attempt in 2019. However, his next challenge came in Mains, where he scored 750 against a cutoff of 751.

The near miss made him realise that UPSC preparation required attention to the entire examination cycle, not just one stage. He subsequently worked more seriously on answer writing and Mains preparation. His efforts eventually led to an IRS selection.

The journey still had more setbacks. In a later attempt, he reached the interview stage but could not make the final list. His fifth attempt resulted in IPS, while his sixth and final attempt culminated in AIR 14 and IAS.

How PW Only IAS Supported Abhishek Vashishth’s Preparation

As Abhishek progressed through multiple UPSC attempts, current affairs remained an important part of his preparation. PW OnlyIAS resources became a consistent part of his routine, particularly the Editorial Discussion and Prelims Booster sessions.

He combined these resources with newspaper reading instead of treating current affairs as an isolated part of preparation.

“To current affairs ke liye sir pehli cheez to yahi hai ki aapko newspaper daily basis pe padhna hai — The Hindu hai, Indian Express — aap koi bhi newspaper padh sakte ho. Dusra jo main karta tha, ki OnlyIAS ka YouTube channel tha, us pe Sumit sir editorial discussion aur Prelims Booster discussion aata tha, usko main kaafi achhe se daily... sunta tha.”

For Abhishek, the process involved reading the newspaper, using discussions to understand important issues and revising them through compiled material closer to the examination. His association with PW Only IAS also went back to 2017, making these resources a recurring part of his preparation over several years.

How Abhishek Vashishth’s Mindset Changed From Attempts to AIR 14

After going through multiple attempts, Abhishek’s biggest learning was that preparation had to remain centred on the process rather than the final result. With every attempt, he became more aware of the importance of sticking to basic practices such as revision, MCQ practice and answer writing.

He also learnt that previous success could not become a reason to take a new attempt lightly.

“UPSC bhi, agar aapne pichle innings mein century bhi maari hai, to nayi innings zero se hi start hoti hai, aap usko casually nahi le sakte.”

This mindset became particularly important after securing services in earlier attempts. Instead of treating those achievements as the end of the journey, Abhishek continued to identify gaps and work on them.

His approach eventually became less about worrying over the final outcome and more about improving each part of his preparation.

“Aap result ke baare mein sochne lagte hain to process se deviate ho jaate hain. To yahi meri learning thi — ki aapka focus process pe hona chahiye, basic cheezon ko pakad ke rakhna hai.” 

That process-focused approach helped Abhishek stay consistent through six attempts and ultimately achieve AIR 14 in UPSC CSE 2024.

Abhishek Vashishth’s Final Step: Improving His Interview Approach

After appearing for four UPSC interviews, Abhishek shifted his focus from simply gaining knowledge to improving his personality and approach to answers.

“Is baar maine knowledge pe itna focus na karke, jo personality ke attributes hain ki kaise balanced answer dena hai — kaise, matlab agar nahi aata to aap bolte ho sir, ‘I don't know.’”

This change helped him improve his interview score by 40 marks in his final attempt, contributing to his AIR 14. His journey shows how identifying gaps and refining the strategy at every stage can turn setbacks into progress.

Conclusion

Abhishek Vashishth’s journey from engineering to AIR 14 in UPSC CSE 2024 shows that setbacks can become stepping stones when aspirants are willing to identify their gaps and change their approach. His experience highlights the importance of consistent practice, self-analysis and trusting the preparation process through every stage of the UPSC journey.