A Primer for the UPSC Interview
RA Israel Jebasingh (IAS-2004, Rank 59)
1. To begin with, the interview panel will have 5 members in total, who will spend
approximately 5 minutes each on you, asking around 30-40 questions in total. The
questions will be primarily DAF based - on your education, work, hobbies etc. and little
bit on Current Affairs and international relations.
2. The interview is conducted to uncover your true personality and identify whether you
have the traits and qualities that can make you a good civil servant. That is, to see if you
are honest, trustworthy, analytical and have no regional, religious or caste biases.
3. While it is important to be candid and honest, you should not expose your inherent biases.
This is why preparation is needed.
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4. Interview preparation is mainly psychological preparation. That is,
preparing yourself to re ect your personality in a manner that the UPSC
board members would appreciate.
5. Your answers should not be diplomatic. You need to pick a side and give
answers with a lot of conviction and clarity. You cannot mince words or mumble under
self-doubt.
6. Being able to say “I don’t know” with a smile and a lot of conviction, when you don’t
know the answer to a question, is perhaps the most important part of psychological
preparation.
7. You must be able to give very short and precise answers, so that there is limited scope for
supplementary questions.
8. Whenever you’re in doubt, say I don’t know.
9. Remember that you’re not expected to answer all the questions. It is not a question -
answer session, where you answer to more questions to get more marks.
10. Board is more interested in your responses than the answers. Let’s say you are asked an
inconvenient question, for Example, why IAS when the Government has spent lakhs of
rupees on your IIT education. Seeing your immediate face reaction and body language is
enough for them to evaluate your personality. Doesn’t really matter what answer you give,
if your body language says something else.
11. Another example, Let’s say there is a question, whether you will vote for BJP or Congress.
Your answer will not matter. What they will look for is your response. Whether you are
panicking, getting nervous or apologetic will determine your marks
12. The board members have 20-30 years of experience in their elds and can easily catch a
lier. So be very honest.
13. Never feel bad about any aspect of your personality. None of us are perfect. Accept who
you are and bring out the best in you.
14. Whether the question is easy or dif cult, take a little bit of time before you answer. Don’t
come across as somebody very hasty. Haste is not a good of cer’s quality.
15. Take that extra time to structure the answer in your mind better. When the answer is
immediate, rst two sentences may be fast but the third one will take time and it won’t
look coherent.
16. The length of your interview or the number of questions you have given an answer to,
will have nothing to do with your marks. You can say ‘I don’t know’ to even 10 questions
and end up with a very high score. So, don’t aim for a six from every ball.
17. Questions for which you can’t say I don’t know - Factual questions. For Example, if there’s
a question on the U.S VISA policy for Indians and you don’t know the answer, don’t try to
guess. Just say, beg your pardon sir/madam, I don’t know.
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18. Whenever there is bouncer, let it go above your head. Don’t risk a hook shot.
“Discretion is the better part of valour.”
19. Questions for which you can’t say I don’t know - Your opinion about some basic
issues of your home state. Example- political situation, economic condition, society etc.
20. Expect questions on controversial subjects. For such a question, give the board your
opinion and don’t be diplomatic. There are always 2 sides to any issue, the board only
wants to check if you have an opinion or not. Whether you have the presence of mind to
analyse and come up with an opinion.
21. Treat the interview board members with utmost respect.
22. Your attitude more than aptitude will determine your success in the interview. Knowledge
has already been tested in prelims and mains.
23. While preparing for the interview, feel very strongly that you have done very well in the
main examination. This will reduce the psychological pressure on you to perform
exceedingly well at the interview. When you go to the interview without pressure, you will
almost certainly do well.
24. Accept your personality the way it is. Be self aware. Take pride in the fact that you have
been selected for the interview. This will reduce the pressure on you to act like somebody
else.
25. Mind-set. In the rst 5 minutes, let’s say commit a blunder or you’re not able to answer 3
questions. This should not affect your performance in the rest of the interview. Don’t even
waste 1 second on any of the previous questions you have answered. Stay in the present
and stay positive at all times.
26. Maintain eye-contact with the board members. Even if the question is only from one
board member keep the other members also engaged through eye-contact. Especially the
board chairperson.
27. How to approach a question. Example- what’s the problem with Indian judiciary. 1st
acknowledge there is a problem. Talk about what you feel is the 1st main problem. Keep it
very brief. Wait for the next question on the same topic, before you go to the second
problem. Don’t start displaying your knowledge to impress the board.
28. Is English uency very important ? Not at all. The recruitment is not for a professorial
position in English at JNU.
29. Your should never feel bad about your background, whether rural or urban, rich or poor,
education, job etc. All you need is the conviction that you will be a very good civil servant.
30. Always keep a slight smile on your face throughout the interview. But this smile shouldn’t
turn into laughter even if the members laugh or crack jokes. Maintain a formal
appearance
31. Never guess an answer. Be honest about what you know and don’t know. If you guess and
there are supplementary questions based on what you guessed, you may be in trouble.
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32. Con dence and positivity about your results and the capacity to be a good civil servant is
perhaps the most important part of interview preparation. Remove the uncertainty in
your mind about a low score in the Main Exam.
Keeping all this in mind, we at Of cers IAS Academy, have designed an interview
programme to help you be your best and score high in the UPSC interview. The whole
programme will be run by our team of 5 IAS and 1 IRS of cers, who will provide individual
guidance, help you frame 300-400 questions from your DAF, have one-on-one sessions, group
discussions etc. Our mock interview panels in the second tier of preparation, will have serving
and retired of cers matching UPSC standards.
You can call +917397767226 to register for our free interview guidance programme.
All the best !
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