Introduction:
A R Rajah Mohaideen has made history. He secured All India Rank 7 (AIR 7) in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025. This young doctor from Tamil Nadu has shown that dedication brings success. So, his inspiring journey is now trending among many civil services aspirants in India.
Moreover, passing the toughest exam in the country is never easy. A R Rajah Mohaideen reached this milestone on his third attempt. He also managed his medical background and unique hobbies.
Many students want to know his study style, daily routine, and education choices. This post gives full details about his life and his path to success. Overall, you will get valuable tips to boost your own UPSC preparation today.
Quick Highlights Table
The table below provides all the key details about his life, exam ranks, and choices at a quick glance.
| Particulars | Details |
| Full Name | A R Rajah Mohaideen |
| Rank | IAS Topper |
| AIR | All India Rank 7 (AIR 7) |
| Exam Year | UPSC CSE 2025 (Result declared in March 2026) |
| Hometown | Chennai (Born in Chengalpattu) |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| Age | 25 Years (Born on April 12, 1999) |
| Education | MBBS Graduate (Completed in 2022) |
| College | Rajah Muthiah Medical College (Annamalai University) |
| Optional Subject | Anthropology |
| Attempts | 3 Attempts |
| Marks | Official information is not available at this time. |
| Current Status | Selected for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) |
Who is A R Rajah Mohaideen?
A Multi-Talented Personality
- A R Rajah Mohaideen is a 25-year-old MBBS doctor who has now become an IAS topper.
- He belongs to the state of Tamil Nadu and represents outstanding academic excellence.
- Besides academics, he is an accomplished Carnatic musician.
- He holds a amazing Guinness World Record for the Largest Keyboard Ensemble.
- Similarly, he was an NTSE scholar during his school days.
- He also served as the Head of the NSS Delegation to Nepal.
- Thus, he is a true polymath with achievements in many different fields.
An Inspiration for Youth
- He proved that a candidate can balance arts, sports, and studies perfectly.
- Many students believe that only bookworms can crack the Civil Services Examination.
- However, his diverse profile breaks this common myth completely.
- He used his diverse experiences to build a balanced personality for the interview stage.
- Finally, his hard work helped him secure a spot in the top 10 list of India.
Early Life and Family
A Family of Teachers
- A R Rajah Mohaideen was born on April 12, 1999, in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.
- He grew up in a household where education received the highest priority.
- Because both of his parents are teachers, he learned the value of discipline early.
- They taught him to stay curious and read books outside his regular syllabus.
- As a result, he developed a deep respect for public service and social development.
Growing Up in Chennai
- Later, his family shifted to Chennai for better educational opportunities.
- He spent his childhood practicing music and focusing on school assignments.
- Meanwhile, his parents supported his interest in the electronic keyboard and national service.
- This stable family environment gave him great mental strength during hard exam days.
- Therefore, he credits a major part of his success to his supportive parents.
Education Qualification
Schooling in Chennai
- He completed his schooling at the famous DAV Schools in Chennai.
- He consistently scored excellent marks in all his school board exams.
- Moreover, he won the National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) scholarship.
- This early achievement boosted his confidence to face national competitive exams.
Medical College Days
- After school, he selected the medical field to serve the people of India.
- He joined the Rajah Muthiah Medical College under Annamalai University.
- He successfully completed his MBBS degree in the year 2022 with a solid 65.08% score.
- During college, he earned an NCC ‘A’ Certificate through disciplined training.
- In addition, he actively led social service camps through the National Service Scheme (NSS).
UPSC Journey
The Initial Struggles
- After finishing his MBBS in 2022, he took a very brave decision.
- He chose to skip clinical practice to focus completely on the Civil Services Examination.
- He gave his first UPSC Preliminary Examination attempt in the year 2023.
- However, he could not clear the Mains exam in that first try.
- Similarly, he faced another setback in his second attempt in 2024.
- He missed the final selection list again during that year.
The Big Breakthrough in 2025
- He did not lose hope after failing twice in the written stage.
- Instead, he carefully analyzed his old mistakes to improve his answer writing structure.
- He appeared for his third attempt in the UPSC CSE 2025 cycle.
- Finally, the Union Public Service Commission declared the results on March 6, 2026.
- A R Rajah Mohaideen secured All India Rank 7 to become a top bureaucrat.
UPSC Preparation Strategy
Building a Strong Foundation
- He started his preparation by understanding the complete UPSC syllabus thoroughly.
- He did not make extensive traditional General Studies (GS) notes from scratch.
- On the other hand, he focused deeply on gaining high conceptual clarity from standard books.
- He read the basic NCERT textbooks to build a strong base in history and geography.
- After that, he shifted to advanced reference books for deeper subject knowledge.
Mastering Current Affairs
- He read standard newspapers like The Hindu every single day without fail.
- Because current events change rapidly, he used monthly magazines to revise facts.
- He connected current affairs directly with static topics in the syllabus.
- For example, he linked new government healthcare policies with his medical knowledge.
- This smart approach made his answers look highly professional and practical.
The Power of Answer Writing
- He practiced daily answer writing to improve his speed and presentation.
- He joined special answer enhancement programs like the Write Smart Course by Sarrthi IAS.
- This program helped him structure his points with clear introductions and subheadings.
- Furthermore, he added relevant data, diagrams, and committee reports to every answer.
- Consequently, his marks in the Mains written exam improved dramatically.
Mock Interviews and Mentorship
- He knew that the Personality Test carries 275 vital marks.
- Therefore, he joined the Interview Guidance Program at Legacy IAS and NEXT IAS.
- The expert mock panels analyzed his Detailed Application Form (DAF) carefully.
- They asked him questions about his MBBS degree, music background, and NSS tours.
- This rigorous practice helped him remain calm and confident before the actual UPSC board.
A R Rajah Mohaideen Optional Subject
Choosing Anthropology
- A R Rajah Mohaideen selected Anthropology as his optional subject for the Mains exam.
- Because he had a medical background, this subject felt very natural to him.
- Anthropology deals with human evolution, biology, and diverse social structures.
- Thus, his knowledge of human anatomy helped him grasp physical anthropology topics easily.
Why Toppers Prefer Anthropology
- Many top rankers choose Anthropology because its syllabus is highly structured.
- It contains many scientific concepts that candidates can explain using clear diagrams.
- Moreover, the study material for this optional subject is easily available in the market.
- By practicing previous year questions, he mastered the scoring areas of this subject.
- Hence, this optional choice played a major role in pushing his rank into the top ten.
UPSC Marks
Official Marksheet Status
- The Union Public Service Commission releases individual marks after completing the exam cycle.
- Currently, the detailed breakdown of paper-wise marks is not available.
- Therefore, official information is not available at this time regarding his exact scorecard.
- We will update the complete table below as soon as the commission uploads the official marks.
| Stage | Marks | Official Status |
| UPSC Mains Written | Not Officially Released | Official information is not available at this time. |
| UPSC Personality Test | Not Officially Released | Official information is not available at this time. |
| Total Marks Obtained | Not Officially Released | Official information is not available at this time. |
Number of Attempts
A Story of Three Cycles
- He cleared this highly competitive exam in his third serious attempt.
- In his first attempt (2023), he learned about the actual pressure of the exam hall.
- During his second attempt (2024), he improved his knowledge base but missed the final cutoff.
- However, he treated these failures as great learning opportunities.
- Finally, his third attempt in 2025 brought him the prestigious All India Rank 7.
- This teaches us that continuous improvement eventually leads to victory.
Daily Study Routine
A Disciplined Schedule
- He maintained a highly structured and regular study routine every day.
- He dedicated around 8 to 10 hours daily for deep self-study sessions.
- In the morning, he spent two hours reading the daily newspaper thoroughly.
- After that, he allocated four hours for the optional subject preparation.
- Meanwhile, his evening hours were kept for GS revision and answer writing practice.
Managing Mental Health
- He never isolated himself completely from his favorite hobbies.
- Whenever he felt stressed, he played the electronic keyboard to refresh his mind.
- Listening to Carnatic music served as a great tool for his mental strength.
- Because a fresh mind retains facts better, he took short breaks during long sessions.
- Overall, his routine balanced hard study hours with healthy relaxation periods.
Book List
General Studies Books
- History: Brief History of Modern India by Spectrum and NCERT textbooks.
- Polity: Indian Polity written by M. Laxmikanth.
- Economy: Standard class lectures and monthly current affairs compilations.
- Geography: Class 11 and 12 NCERT maps and physical geography books.
- Environment: Standard reference study material and international climate reports.
Optional Subject Books
- Physical Anthropology: Reference books by P. Nath.
- Socio-Cultural Anthropology: Books written by Ember and Ember.
- Indian Anthropology: Standard study notes and books by Nadeem Hasnain.
- Test Series: Regular mock tests to refine answer presentation.
Coaching Details
Expert Guidance at Multiple Stages
- He used classroom programs and test series from leading institutes strategically.
- For his Mains answer writing, he took guidance from Sarrthi IAS and ForumIAS.
- These courses helped him learn how to answer tricky questions quickly.
- In addition, he joined the Current Affairs Value Addition (CA-VA) program at NEXT IAS.
- Finally, he took mock interviews at Legacy IAS Academy to perfect his body language.
Success Story
From Doctor to Bureaucrat
- A R Rajah Mohaideen has shown a wonderful example of grit and determination.
- Leaving a secure medical career to prepare for civil services requires immense courage.
- He faced initial failures with a highly positive mindset.
- He did not complain about his missed chances in previous years.
- Instead, he worked silently on his weaknesses until he conquered the exam.
Celebrating the Big Win
- When the results came out, his entire family and hometown celebrated his achievement.
- He brought immense pride to the state of Tamil Nadu.
- His success story is being shared on all social media platforms by young students.
- He has now entered the elite Indian Administrative Service to serve the nation.
Lessons Students Can Learn
- Never Fear Failure: Failing twice did not stop him from trying a third time.
- Analyze Your Mistakes: He modified his answer structures after every failed attempt.
- Keep Hobbies Alive: Playing music helped him reduce daily exam anxiety.
- No Need for Endless Notes: He proved that understanding concepts matters more than making heavy notebooks.
- Stay Consistent: Studying daily for 8 to 10 hours brings definite results over time.
Interesting Facts
- He holds an official Guinness World Record for playing the keyboard in a massive ensemble.
- Both of his parents work as dedicated school teachers in Tamil Nadu.
- He represented India as the Head of the NSS Delegation to Nepal during a youth exchange.
- He completed his entire medical degree before turning 24 years old.
- He did not create traditional hand-written notes for his General Studies papers.
Why is A R Rajah Mohaideen inspiring?
He is highly inspiring because he shows us that a person can be brilliant in multiple fields simultaneously. He did not sacrifice his love for music or social work to clear the exam. Instead, those activities shaped him into a well-rounded individual.
His journey gives immense hope to students who face failure in their early attempts. He teaches us that a proper strategy and honest self-evaluation can turn any failure into a top rank.
Conclusion
To sum up, A R Rajah Mohaideen’s journey shows that no dream is too ambitious to achieve if you work hard. He balanced his love for music, his medical studies, and national service well to earn this top rank. His story will inspire future civil servants for years to come.
If you are preparing for UPSC, keep learning from successful candidates like A R Rajah Mohaideen. Their journey shows that regular study, patience, and smart planning can help you reach your dream.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who is A R Rajah Mohaideen?
A R Rajah Mohaideen is an MBBS doctor from Tamil Nadu. He secured All India Rank 7 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025.
Q2. What is A R Rajah Mohaideen AIR?
He achieved All India Rank 7 (AIR 7) in the UPSC CSE 2025 exam cycle.
Q3. What are A R Rajah Mohaideen marks?
Official information is not available at this time. The Union Public Service Commission has not released the detailed marksheets yet.
Q4. What is A R Rajah Mohaideen optional subject?
His chosen optional subject for the UPSC Mains examination was Anthropology.
Q5. What was his preparation strategy?
He focused heavily on basic concepts, daily newspaper reading, and intensive answer writing practice without making bulky GS notes.
Q6. What are his success tips for beginners?
Beginners should stay consistent, practice writing answers early, and keep their hobbies alive to maintain good mental health.
