• Ishita Kishore got All India Rank 1 (AIR-1) in UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022.
• She is in her third attempt, scoring 1094 marks (901 in written, 193 in interview).
• She was born in 1996 in Begumpet, Hyderabad. Ishita grew up in Bihar and Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
• She is even talented from her childhood and consistent in college days.

Personal Information

Educational Background

• Ishita Kishore, who achieved the All India Rank 1 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2022, did her schooling in Commerce with Mathematics at the Air Force Bal Bharati School, New Delhi, getting 97.25% in Class 12.
• After that in 2017, she completed her graduation with a B.A. (Hons) in Economics from Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), Delhi University.

Family Background

• Ishita Kishore, the top scorer of UPSC CSE 2022, has been born and brought up in a service-oriented, highly educated, middle-class family possessing a military-like ethics.
• The strictness and values of public service imparted by her deceased father, Wing Commander Sanjay Kishore (Indian Air Force), mother Jyoti Kishore (a teacher retired), and elder brother, lawyer Ishal Harsh, formed her character very strongly.

• UPSC CSE 2022’s Ishita Kishore, who got AIR-1, had a total of 1094 marks; her marks were 901 in the written mains and 193 in the personality test.
• The main subjects she chose were General Studies and PSIR optional and she did very well in the Essay and GS-II papers which contributed to her being the first rank.

• Ishita Kishore who is one of the toppers of UPSC CSE 2022, made a disciplined plan that lasted about 40-45 hours per week. She used the most limited but standard books, continuous revision, self-written notes, and most mock practice intensive. She had different focus areas for prelims, mains, and interviews to counter the two prelims failures that she had in the past.

Prelims strategy

• Started with strong conceptual clarity on core subjects (Polity, Economy, History, Geography, Environment) and knowing “why” facts instead of rote memorization.
• Used heavily along the lines of PYQs and full-length mock tests to build accuracy, fine-tuned elimination techniques, and mistake analysis after each test to modify her approach accordingly.
• Set up a daily routine with fixed reading (NCERT + standard books + one newspaper) and several revisions instead of just a new source added every time.

Mains strategy

• Giving priority to answer writing, daily/regular GS and PSIR answers, timed practice, and test series to improve speed, structure, and depth of content.
• Organized answers with concise introductions, sub-headings, multi-faceted points (constitutional, economic, social, international), and enhancements like data, reports, and case studies.
• Used the limited sources, took short notes, and focused on the repeated revision of GS + PSIR (chosen for its overlap with polity, governance, IR) to reap maximum benefits across papers.

Interview strategy

Reinforced fundamentals from DAF (education, work at EY, football, hometown issues) and governance-related current events to tackle profile-based and opinion questions.

Participated in many mock interviews to develop body language, listening skills, and moderate, non-extreme answers under pressure.

Focused on clarity, calm demeanour, and honest admission of limits, aiming to show administrative potential rather than “perfect knowledge,” which contributed to a high 193/275 in the personality test.

• Discipline and Consistency: Ishita insisted upon disciplined study spread over 40-45 hours each week, prioritizing quality than quantity and adhering to a realistic timetable.
• Limited Resources: Limited study materials to prevent distraction, made regular use of revised notes and no new textbooks during revision.
• Extensively: Solved the papers of previous years, conducted mock tests for the prelims and mains to develop answering skills and time management.
• Note-Making: Made personal notes from newspapers and studies for better retention; used the "Read, Revise, Re-Revise" method.
• Self-Analysis: Thought back to past failures (failed prelims twice), strategy was altered, the strengths/weaknesses were understood.
• PSIR Optional: Picked Political Science & IR for GS overlap, boosting governance and current affairs understanding.
• Mental Balance: Handled self-doubt, burnout; remained motivated by not comparing to others.