I heard a tragic story about a young aspirant in Hyderabad that shook me to the core. It was the very first day of my Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC Group 1) coaching class, and our Maths teacher opened the class not with formulas—but with a real story.
Though the story was tragic, it gave a very powerful lesson. A lesson that I have never forgotten.
The Boy Who Dared to Dream
There was a young man in the coaching class who came from the lowest strata of society. His life had been a struggle from the start. He had seen his parents’ suffering while growing up. He had a big dream: to crack the APPSC Group 1 exam ( for the highest post in state civil services) and give his family the life they deserved.
What set him apart from other students in the coaching class was that he had a fire within. He had a very strong purpose and so he studied relentlessly. He crafted a detailed plan and stuck to it with monk-like discipline. Every day he put in long hours for studying.
His mock test scores were consistently the highest in the class.
Confidence Forged Through Preparation
When the prelims arrived, he appeared for the exam calmly and confidently. As expected, he cleared it with ease. He didn’t even bother checking the results of the APPSC Group 1 preliminary exam as he was very sure that he would clear.
He didn’t even wait for the APPSC Group 1 results, but, started preparing for the mains exam. That was his level of confidence.
According to our teacher, he asked brilliant questions in class, revised meticulously, and recalled facts with razor-sharp accuracy. He had only one mission: to top the APPSC Group 1 exam.
The Final Hurdle
Finally, he appeared in the APPSC Group 1 mains exam. The APPSC Group 1 mains consist of seven subjects, two of which are qualifying. The final merit list is based on 750 marks from the written papers and 75 marks from the interview, totaling 825.
He wrote the exam so well and as expected immediately started preparing for the interview.
The Tragedy
Just days before the interview, tragedy struck. He met with a terrible road accident. He was hospitalized in critical condition and remained unconscious in the ICU on the day of his interview.
Thus he could not attend the interview.
The Final Result
When the final results were declared, the boy had scored the highest marks in the APPSC Group 1 mains written exam. The gap between his score and the next candidate was more than 75 marks. The marks were so high, that even if the interview panel had given him a single mark, he would have topped the entire exam and fulfilled his dream to achieve the post of APPSC Group 1 officer.
The teacher almost cried when he narrated the incident. The story moved all of us and we felt sorry for the young man.
A Big Lesson Learned
I returned to my room that evening and kept thinking: What gave him that unshakable confidence? What helped him score so high? What made him different from all other APPSC Group 1 aspirants?
Then, the answer struck me:
He had become “Too good to be defeated.“
The young man didn’t prepare to compete but to conquer. He raised his standard so high that there was no competition at all. There was no luck factor. No room for error.
A Lesson for Every Aspirant
If you’re preparing for a tough competitive exam, remember this story.
Be like him.
Don’t aim to just clear the exam. Aim to dominate it. Study until your confidence is unshakable. Score so well that the interview becomes a formality.
While at Amritsar, I once read an interview of Mr. Varun Kumar, who scored the 3rd rank in UPSC Civil Services, 2010, where he said that he prepared in such a way that even if there was only one post, he should be the person who should get that post. That mindset makes all the difference.
Your Turn to Rise
So what’s stopping you?
Get rid of distractions. Cut down noise. Say no to anything that doesn’t serve your goal.
Make a list of every skill, subject, and technique that matters in your exam—and master them. Prepare so deeply that your success becomes inevitable.
Be too good to be defeated.
All the very best.
