diff --git a/python/tvm/relay/frontend/mxnet.py b/python/tvm/relay/frontend/mxnet.py
index 0c9d2c4381ac..5415c77097a2 100644
--- a/python/tvm/relay/frontend/mxnet.py
+++ b/python/tvm/relay/frontend/mxnet.py
@@ -1234,7 +1234,7 @@ def _mx_topk(inputs, attrs):
     new_attrs = {}
     new_attrs["k"] = attrs.get_int("k", 1)
     new_attrs["axis"] = attrs.get_int("axis", -1)
-    new_attrs["is_ascend"] = attrs.get_bool("is_ascend", True)
+    new_attrs["is_ascend"] = attrs.get_bool("is_ascend", False)
     ret_type = attrs.get_str("ret_typ", "indices")
     if ret_type == "mask":
         raise tvm.error.OpAttributeUnimplemented(
diff --git a/tests/python/frontend/mxnet/test_forward.py b/tests/python/frontend/mxnet/test_forward.py
index 3e652cfc69e3..4eb7f6139e8f 100644
--- a/tests/python/frontend/mxnet/test_forward.py
+++ b/tests/python/frontend/mxnet/test_forward.py
@@ -1064,14 +1064,23 @@ def verify(shape, axis, is_ascend, dtype="float32"):
 
 @tvm.testing.uses_gpu
 def test_forward_topk():
-    def verify(shape, k, axis, ret_type, is_ascend=False, dtype="float32"):
+    def verify(shape, k, axis, ret_type, is_ascend=None, dtype="float32"):
         x_np = np.random.uniform(size=shape).astype("float32")
-        ref_res = mx.nd.topk(
-            mx.nd.array(x_np), k=k, axis=axis, ret_typ=ret_type, is_ascend=is_ascend, dtype=dtype
-        )
-        mx_sym = mx.sym.topk(
-            mx.sym.var("x"), k=k, axis=axis, ret_typ=ret_type, is_ascend=is_ascend, dtype=dtype
-        )
+        if is_ascend is None:
+            ref_res = mx.nd.topk(mx.nd.array(x_np), k=k, axis=axis, ret_typ=ret_type, dtype=dtype)
+            mx_sym = mx.sym.topk(mx.sym.var("x"), k=k, axis=axis, ret_typ=ret_type, dtype=dtype)
+        else:
+            ref_res = mx.nd.topk(
+                mx.nd.array(x_np),
+                k=k,
+                axis=axis,
+                ret_typ=ret_type,
+                is_ascend=is_ascend,
+                dtype=dtype,
+            )
+            mx_sym = mx.sym.topk(
+                mx.sym.var("x"), k=k, axis=axis, ret_typ=ret_type, is_ascend=is_ascend, dtype=dtype
+            )
         mod, _ = relay.frontend.from_mxnet(mx_sym, {"x": shape})
         for target, ctx in tvm.testing.enabled_targets():
             for kind in ["graph", "debug"]:
@@ -1086,7 +1095,7 @@ def verify(shape, k, axis, ret_type, is_ascend=False, dtype="float32"):
 
     verify((3, 4), k=1, axis=0, ret_type="both")
     verify((3, 4), k=1, axis=-1, ret_type="indices")
-    verify((3, 5, 6), k=2, axis=2, ret_type="value")
+    verify((3, 5, 6), k=2, axis=2, ret_type="value", is_ascend=False)
     verify((3, 5, 6), k=2, axis=1, ret_type="value", is_ascend=True)
     verify((3, 5, 6), k=0, axis=2, ret_type="both", dtype="int32")