After UPSC toppers Tina Dabi and Smita Sabharwal, marksheet of IAS Sonal Goel goes viral, check her scores in different subjects

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Exam is widely regarded as one of the toughest competitive exams in India. To succeed in this exam, candidates dedicate countless hours to rigorous study. Each year, thousands of aspirants attempt the UPSC exam with the ambition of becoming IAS, IFS, IRS, and IPS officers. However, only a select few manage to pass this highly competitive examination, which comprises three stages: the preliminary exam, the main exam, and the interview. Renowned civil servants like IAS Anudeep Durishetty, IAS Tina Dabi, and IAS Smita Sabharwal have gained significant popularity. Today, we will talk about IAS Sonal, whose inspiring journey underscores the importance of perseverance and hard work.

Sonal Goel hails from Panipat, Haryana. She completed her schooling in Delhi. After completing Class 12, Shriram College of Commerce, she obtained a degree in computer science from Delhi University.

In a write-up submitted to the UPSC Pathshala, Sonal stated that she had read a magazine article on a civil servant and decided to become an IAS officer despite having no prior knowledge of the civil services examination.

Sonal Goel said, "During my CS studies when I told my family about my decision to become an IAS officer, my father did not want me to prepare for UPSC." Sonal said, "My father knew that UPSC exams are one of the toughest. Though he knew that I was smart he said that if I wanted to take the exam, I should also keep plan B ready."

Sonal Goel chose to enrol in Delhi University's LLB degree after intending to take the UPSC exam. She also worked as a company secretary for a firm. While working and studying her LLB, Sonal Goel kept up her UPSC exam preparation, but in 2006, she failed the examination on the first attempt. After putting in a lot of effort, she took the exam for the second time in 2007 and got AIR 13th and became an IAS officer.

To inspire a lot of UPSC aspirants who are busy preparing for the upcoming Preliminary examinations, IAS officer Sonal Goel once posted a photo of her UPSC Mains marksheet on X (previously Twitter). 

IAS officer Sonal Goel shared about her nostalgic moment when she came across her UPSC CSE 2007 Mains marksheet. She said it brought back memories of the struggles and victories that led to her ultimate selection in May 2008.