UPSC-CSE is one of the most prestigious civil service examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) annually. UPSC conducts civil service exams for job vacancies like IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, and various other posts. There are 24 services that come under UPSC-CSE. The official name of the exam is UPSC Civil Service Examination. It is also known by another popular name called “IAS EXAM”.
Being the guardian of merit UPSC examines the candidates in three stages to select the best among the candidates. The three phases of the examination are prelims, mains, and the personality test (interview).
UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2021 was held by the Union Public Service Commission from 7th January 2022 to 16th January 2022. The result for the same was released on 17th March 2022. Personality Tests (Interviews) of these candidates will be commenced from 5th April 2022, which will be held in the Office of the Union Public Service Commission.
The candidates selected for the interview must note that the Interview/Personality Test is intended to judge the mental calibre of a candidate. Therefore, some amount of grooming for the interview is definitely required. The previous years’ UPSC toppers have suggested many tips and strategies prepare for the UPSC interview.
Strategy of Toppers for UPSC Interview
Some important strategies of UPSC toppers to prepare for UPSC interview are given below.
Cover your biodata i.e. DAF ( Detailed Application Form)
The candidate will be interviewed by a Board that will have before them a record of the candidate’s career. wide range of information in your Detailed Application Form(DAF). The candidate will be asked questions on details filled in the DAF related to educational background, work experience, reasons for choosing civil service, optional subject, preference of services, district and state he/she belongs to etc. So, thorough knowledge is required on each aspect filled in the DAF.
Covering Current Issues
The candidates must have knowledge of current events of national and international importance. So, it is important to cover current issues and take a stand or form a firm opinion on these issues. Some important sources for current affairs are
- The Hindu
- Yojana Magazine
- Press Information Bureau (PIB)
- PRS India
Cover Important Issues of your Region
Questions can be asked on the district and state that you belong to. You should be aware of the history, geography, culture, society, economy, industries of the district and state.
Knowledge on Subject Related to Hobbies
Candidates mention hobbies in the DAF Detailed Application Form(DAF). The candidate must be able to answer questions related to the hobbies mentioned in the DAF. There is no need to become an academic master of your hobbies. The board tries to check whether your hobbies are genuine.
Governance issues
Few questions are asked to assess your credibility as a bureaucrat or how efficiently you will deal with the ground situations. So practice on some situational questions.
Some Tips for UPSC Interview
Start Early
Most of the candidates start preparing for the interview only after the release of the written result and will be left with little time to clear all the important aspects required for the interview. So, start the preparation for the interview as early as possible.
Never bluff in the Interview
Honesty is the best policy. If the interview panel finds out that you are bluffing, then they will punish you by rewarding fewer marks.
Give balanced answers
You must have an impartial and balanced view of the topics. There should not be any social or political biases. You can take a stand on the topic but you should have a justification for the same.
Practice before a mirror
Stand up before a mirror in your room for a few minutes and try to answer some questions. This will help you have a better command over your voice modulation. You can also record your own conversation for self analysis.
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