Toppers’ Preparation Strategy to Succeed in UPSC ESE

Whenever someone decides to play a game, their main goal is to win. Likewise, when a student prepares for an exam, the goal is to pass it successfully. However, on the journey toward success, there are moments of both triumph and setbacks. It’s essential to recognize that not every player can be a winner, and not every student can be at the top of their class. Hence, fostering a positive mindset becomes crucial for students, helping them navigate challenges with resilience and optimism.

To retain positivity and help students stay positive, this blog offers tips and strategies from toppers who, in addition to their hard work, have secured top rank and are kind enough to share their insights on how to achieve the best possible results.

ESE 2025 has seen many students achieve their expected results, while others did not get the outcomes they hoped for. However, the willpower to achieve their goals has not held students back from moving forward. Many of them have already started preparing again for the exam, because as the saying goes,

“A true winner bounces back after a setback.”

UPSC ESE Toppers

MADE EASY has been uploading “Topper’s Talk” videos on YouTube, where toppers share their strategies and key points to avoid during the final months of ESE 2026 preparation.

PRAKHAR SHRI AIR 2 (Civil Engineering) ESE 2025

Prakhar Shri secured All India Rank 2 in the Engineering Services Examination (ESE) 2025 in the Civil Engineering discipline. He completed his B.Tech. from Babu Banarasi Das University, Lucknow. ESE 2025 was his second attempt; earlier, during his final year of engineering, he appeared for ESE 2024 and achieved a remarkable AIR 57. In a conversation with B. Singh Sir, Prakhar Shri shared his preparation journey along with valuable insights and strategies to guide aspirants preparing for ESE 2026 and ESE 2027.

• In his first attempt, Prakhar Shri secured AIR 57, which was a remarkable achievement. He appeared for the exam during his final year of engineering and achieved a top rank.
• He strongly believes that consistency and dedication are the most important factors while preparing for the ESE.
• Aspirants should be clear about their target and maintain a positive and focused approach toward achieving their goal.
• The study sources should be chosen wisely. Instead of referring to multiple materials, candidates should stick to limited and reliable sources.
• He emphasized that complete syllabus coverage is extremely important and no topic should be left untouched.
• He focused strongly on regular revision to strengthen concepts and improve retention.
• He shared the importance of test series, stating that they help in self-evaluation, improving accuracy, and managing time effectively during the exam.
• Note-making alone is not sufficient; regular revision is equally important. As suggested by both Prakhar Shri and B. Singh Sir, Previous Year Questions (PYQs) should be followed religiously.
• Silly mistakes must be avoided, and enrolling in a mock test series is highly advisable for aspirants preparing for ESE 2026 to improve accuracy, speed, and time management.

To know his journey, click on the YouTube link of “Topper’s Talk.”

ASHOK KUMAR AIR 2 (Mechanical Engineering), ESE 2025

Ashok Kumar secured All India Rank 2 in the Engineering Services Examination (ESE) 2025 in Mechanical Engineering. He completed his B.Tech. from YMCA, Faridabad and comes from a farming background. His ESE journey reflects consistent improvement over the years, he secured AIR 10 in ESE 2022, AIR 4 in ESE 2023, and finally achieved AIR 2 in ESE 2025. Along with ESE, he also secured AIR 267 in GATE. During his interaction, he shared his focused and practical preparation strategy for ESE aspirants.

He shared his strategies with B. SINGH SIR for the students who have been preparing for ESE 2026 or ESE 2027.

• He began his preparation by focusing on ESE Mains first, ensuring strong conceptual clarity.
• He completed the entire syllabus thoroughly before moving on to intensive practice.
• After syllabus completion, he solved the MADE EASY ESE Mains Test Series questions from 2018 to 2025.
• He analyzed topic-wise weightage and prioritized his preparation accordingly.
• For ESE Prelims, he emphasized that revision is extremely important.
• He advised aspirants never to ignore the non-technical subjects, as they can score.
• Test series and PYQs greatly help in the General Studies/ non-tech part of ESE.
• Prelims test series and Previous Year Questions (PYQs) are crucial for understanding the exam pattern.
• He highlighted the need for a realistic and flexible timetable that can be followed consistently.
• Lastly, he strongly recommends attempting a test series, as no exam can be cleared solely by acquiring knowledge.

To know his journey, click on the YouTube link of “Topper’s Talk.”

JYOTI KRISHNA PANDA AIR 7 (Electrical Engineering), ESE 2025

Jyoti Krishna Panda secured All India Rank 7 in the Engineering Services Examination (ESE) 2025 in Electrical Engineering and hails from Odisha. He had earlier cleared ESE 2023 with AIR 4 and is currently working with the Government of India. Being a MADE EASY classroom student, he reappeared for ESE 2025 with the specific aim of joining his dream department, Indian Railways, and successfully achieved AIR 7.

With an interaction with B. SINGH SIR, he was frank and comfortable enough to share his strategies for ESE 2026 and accept his shortcomings.

• Jyoti Krishna accepts the fact that he has faced many challenges. He advises you to have a positive attitude and hone your knowledge to perform for the best outcome.
• Support from friends and family is the biggest pillar in achieving success.
• He advises avoiding silly mistakes in the strongest areas, especially in the General Studies/ non-tech part. He accepts the fact that GS is unpredictable, but the technical subject should be the strongest, and he must avoid any wrong answers in the subject.
• He suggests managing time efficiently, setting small goals daily, practicing test series, and revising the notes frequently.
• He focused on limited and reliable study sources, avoiding unnecessary reference materials.
• He emphasized multiple revisions to strengthen concepts and improve retention.
• He relied heavily on the MADE EASY test series for self-evaluation and exam-oriented practice.
• He highlighted the importance of the MADE EASY classroom program, stating that he received complete guidance, structured content, and conceptual clarity through classroom teaching.
• According to him, classroom learning helped him stay focused, disciplined, and exam-ready.
• He suggests planning meticulously, identifying your silly mistakes, revising, and testing series are the best combinations.

To know his journey, click on the YouTube link of “Topper’s Talk”

PRASHANT LAVANIA AIR 3 (Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering), ESE 2025

Prashant Lavania secured All India Rank 3 in the Engineering Services Examination (ESE) 2025 in Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering and hails from Agra. He has successfully cleared ESE and GATE multiple times, showing consistent improvement over the years. His ESE ranks include AIR 31 in 2022, AIR 43 in 2023, AIR 23 in 2024, and finally AIR 3 in ESE 2025. In GATE, he secured AIR 94 in 2020, AIR 20 and AIR 19 (Instrumentation Engineering) in 2021, and AIR 8 in GATE 2023. His ultimate goal was to secure a Group A service, specifically in IRMS.

Following will be some of the useful insights coming straight from his interaction with B. SINGH SIR:

• He was a MADE EASY classroom student and prepared for GATE and ESE simultaneously.
• Initially, he focused more on GATE preparation to build strong conceptual fundamentals.
• After strengthening basics, he devoted focused time to ESE-oriented preparation.
• He advised completing static subjects first, as they form the foundation for both GATE and ESE.
• Moving further in his interaction, he suggests that one’s concepts should be clear and defines how revision and practice have helped him a lot in securing the topper rank.
• He emphasized that regular revision is essential to retain concepts.
• He strongly recommended test series practice to improve accuracy, speed, and exam confidence.
• Perseverance and patience are the key aspects, as the Engineering Services Examination procedure is a bit longer, and the syllabus is also vast.

To know his journey, click on the YouTube link of “Topper’s Talk”

As far as we have been talking about the toppers’ tips and strategies, the following are some general outlooks for the preparation for ESE 2026 and ESE 2027. These preparation tips will be beneficial for the students to give their best and achieve engineering excellence.

Here are key aspects associated with the topper’s preparation strategy to excel in UPSC ESE 2026 and ESE 2027:

1. Analyze the syllabus well: UPSC ESE aspirants must first read the syllabus from the official website and then understand how much time each subject and topic will require during their UPSC ESE preparation. Staying aware of the detailed syllabus helps aspirants remain mentally prepared for the examination.
2. Get started with technical subjects: Technical subjects form a crucial part of UPSC ESE preparation. It is important to understand the concepts of technical subjects during the academic years in college, as this helps ESE aspirants build a strong foundation for the examination. Therefore, it is recommended to start strengthening these concepts from scratch right after graduation.
3. Study non-technical subjects with the technical ones: Usually, aspirants feel that technical subjects are more important than non-technical subjects. However, non-technical subjects such as General Studies, the Aptitude section, and Engineering Mathematics also need equal attention during the preparation period. These subjects form a vital part of the UPSC ESE preparation strategy. It is advised to balance both sections and study all subjects properly based on the marks distribution.
4. Make subject notes: Notes are highly beneficial for UPSC ESE aspirants, especially during the last few days before the examination. Experts recommend preparing notes properly with the help of standard textbooks. Most aspirants find it difficult to remember and revise important concepts in the final days before the exam. Therefore, aspirants should create separate sets of notes, such as important topic notes, formula notes, and tips-and-tricks notes. This approach forms a crucial part of the UPSC ESE preparation strategy.
5. Practice solving numericals: Numericals are a crucial part of UPSC ESE preparation. ESE aspirants must solve numerical problems regularly to improve speed and efficiency for the actual examination. Most candidates find it difficult to solve numerical problems on their first attempt. However, with regular practice, aspirants can solve numerical-type questions more easily and at a faster pace.
6. Solve previous year’s UPSC ESE exam papers: Experts recommend that ESE aspirants solve at least 50–100 questions daily to prepare effectively for the actual examination. It is also highly recommended to practice questions from previous years’ question papers and analyze performance thoroughly. Based on this analysis, aspirants can implement necessary changes in their ESE preparation strategy and improve their scores in subsequent test series.
7. Make reading a habit: If you are truly dedicated to your ESE 2026 preparation and want to know how to prepare for ESE Mains 2026, it is important to build a strong reading habit. You can begin by reading grammar books and other relevant materials that help improve General English proficiency. Aspirants must also focus on building their vocabulary, as this will help them score higher marks in the respective subjects in the ESE Mains examination.
8. Learn basics with NCERT: NCERT books are among the most useful resources that must be included in the UPSC ESE preparation strategy. Many aspirants find it challenging to prepare for General Studies. Using NCERT books helps aspirants study and prepare effectively for the General Studies subject. These books are also beneficial for making notes in subjects such as geography, history, and polity. NCERT ensures that students understand the basic concepts related to each subject, which helps in building a strong foundation for both the UPSC ESE Prelims and Mains examinations.
9. Develop time management skills: Most aspirants who ask the question, “How to prepare for ESE 2027?” often face challenges in managing and allocating time to each subject during the preparation phase. To excel in this prestigious examination, it is essential to learn how to manage time efficiently. Initially, managing time can be difficult, especially if you are in college or preparing alongside a full-time job.
10. Prioritize revision: Revision plays a pivotal role in the entire UPSC ESE preparation process. It is advised to refer to prepared notes for faster revision. If you want to know the secret to preparing for ESE Mains 2026, you must understand that revision is the key to securing a high rank in the UPSC ESE exam. You should create weekly and monthly revision schedules based on your strengths and weaknesses in different subjects..

Thus, these are the crucial aspects associated with an effective UPSC ESE preparation strategy. ESE aspirants can follow these expert-recommended tips to get a strong start to their exam preparation.

If you are looking for more information on the ESE 2025 result and the toppers list, you can explore our other blogs. The links to these blogs are provided below to save you time.

• UPSC ESE 2025 Final Result Out
• Success with MADE EASY – The Untold Stories of ESE 2025 Toppers

Hope you found this blog on the UPSC ESE preparation strategy useful for achieving your ESE goals.

MADE EASY Toppers’ Talk