A R Rajah Mohaideen, AIR 7, UPSC CSE 2025: Journey, Marks & Strategy

A R Rajah Mohaideen, an MBBS graduate from the state of Tamil Nadu, achieved an All India Rank 7 in the UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) 2025. Mohaideen has cleared the examination in his third attempt after failing in the Prelims twice.

This is an inspiring achievement by an MBBS graduate in the civil services examination. It shows that with consistent reading & writing in preparation, even medical students can achieve success in the UPSC examination. For medical students aiming to clear the UPSC examination, Mohaideen is an inspiration.

Personal Details of A R Rajah Mohaideen

S. No.	Field	Details
1.	Full Name	A R Rajah Mohaideen
2.	Rank	AIR 7
3.	Exam	UPSC CSE 2025
4.	Date of Birth	12 April 1999
5.	Age (2025)	26 years
6.	Hometown	Nandanam, Chennai
7.	Birthplace	Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu
8.	Education	MBBS – Muthiah Medical College, Annamalai University
9.	Optional Subject	Anthropology
10.	Medium	English

Journey of A R Rajah Mohaideen, All India Rank-7, CSE 2025

• Born in Chengalpattu, he is a resident of Nandanam, Chennai.
• His academic achievements in early years were impeccable, with a perfect 10 in Class-X, 95.58% in Class-XII at DAV Schools.
• He also achieved a National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) scholarship.
• However, the COVID-19 pandemic changed his life, shifting his focus from becoming a doctor to becoming an IAS officer.
• He started UPSC preparation in 2023 in Delhi.
• Two failures in Prelims motivated him to improve his UPSC CSE preparation strategy, including opting for Anthropology as an optional subject and participating in test series.
• A R Rajah Mohaideen, an MBBS graduate from Muthiah Medical College, turned his medical career into a successful civil services career, achieving AIR 7 in UPSC CSE 2025 in his third attempt.

Educational Background of AIR 7, UPSC 2025

S.No.	Level	Institution	Board/University	Year	Achievements
1.	Class 10	DAV Boys Sr. Sec. School, Chennai	CBSE	2014	Perfect 10/10 CGPA
2.	Class 12	DAV Hr. Sec. School, Chennai	State Board	2016	95.58% score, NTSE scholarship
3.	MBBS	Muthiah Medical College (Rajah Muthiah Medical College), Annamalai University	Annamalai University	2022	Developed discipline for UPSC preparation

Marks Obtained by A R Rajah Mohaideen in UPSC CSE 2025

• The Union Public Service Commission has published the official detailed marks for Mains & interview for A R Rajah Mohaideen who achieved the 7th rank in UPSC CSE 2025.
• The details of CSE Mains & Interview marks are mentioned in the table below.

1. Prelims Strategy

• Rajah concentrated on ‘fixed goals’ instead of ‘fixed schedules’, covering monthly goals for Polity, Economy, and Environment through NCERTs and mocks.
• He practised test series for Prelims exam and analyzed PYQs and maintained error logs to achieve 100+ in GS Paper-I.
• CSAT preparation through his mathematics background helped him qualify easily.
• He read daily newspaper (The Hindu) + notes for current affairs preparation.

2. Mains Strategy

• After Prelims, Rajah focused on Anthropology using conventional study materials for structuring answers.
• He used limited study materials for General Studies (GS), and monthly compilations with a dedication of 3 hours daily for Essay and GS.
• For Essay and Ethics, he used his medical ethics background and reviewed his content through peer review for potential 150+ marks.

3. Interview Strategy

• The Mock Interviews helped Rajah practice DAF-based mocks focusing on his medical background, issues related to Tamil Nadu, and minority issues.
• An intensive DAF analysis was conducted on his MBBS, Guinness record, Carnatic music, NCC, and NSS Nepal.
• Personality sessions refined his articulation and body language.

• Goal-Oriented Planning: Instead of hourly time tables, monthly subject targets must be set.
• Limited Resources: NCERT books, one book for each subject, coaching notes, etc.
• Mock Analysis: Error log after tests, weekly analysis of weak areas.
• PYQ Practice: Solve past years’ papers of the last 10 years for all stages.
• Daily Writing: Attempt 2-3 mains answers, structure, keywords.
• Current Affairs Discipline: Newspaper, monthly magazines, link to static part of the syllabus.
• Optional Depth: Choose scoring subjects like Anthropology, including diagrams.
• Health Balance: Sleep for 7 hours, take short walks, avoid burnouts.
• Peer Learning: Test series discussion groups provide diverse views.
• DAF Thoroughness: In-depth preparation of bio-specific questions for Interview.

• In his UPSC CSE 2025 preparation, A R Rajah Mohaideen, AIR 7, had opted for the Current Affairs Course (CA-VA) from NEXT IAS.
• This has been very instrumental in his overall preparation for any stage, i.e., Prelims, Mains, or Interview, in the exam.
• In Mains, advanced courses such as CA-VA have played a very important role in overall preparations.
• More than 50% questions are being asked directly & indirectly from current affairs modules.
• The weightage for this advanced course is very high in Mains.
• In Mains, answers require a static and current approach for depth.
• Current Affairs is required for the final stage, i.e., Personality Test or Interview.
• Our Current Affairs Course (CA-VA) bridges dynamic issues with the static syllabus to provide an edge over others.

Who is A R Rajah Mohaideen?

He is an MBBS doctor from Chennai who achieved AIR 7 in UPSC CSE 2025 in his third attempt.

What is the educational qualification of A R Rajah Mohaideen?

He is an MBBS from Muthiah Medical College in Tamil Nadu and was a school topper from DAV Chennai. He was also a NTSE scorer.

What was the optional subject of A R Rajah Mohaideen?

His optional subject was Anthropology.

How many attempts did A R Rajah Mohaideen take?

He took three attempts for the exam, having failed Prelims twice in a row.