IAS Strategies for Preparing UPSC Interview

UPSC Interview or Personality Test is the final round in the UPSC Civil Service Examination. In this phase, there is a group of examiners shoot questions to the candidates to examine the personality and thought process of the future civil service officers. The final rank list is prepared based on the consolidated marks the candidates obtained from both the UPSC Mains examination and the interview. 

IAS Strategies for Preparing UPSC Interview

According to the nature of the UPSC interview, the candidate requires a comprehensive civil service strategy for the Interview to crack the phase with high scores. This effective strategy must cover multiple factors that are relevant for the UPSC interview including laying a strong foundation on relevant subjects, developing communication skills on both verbal and non-verbal, and establishing a strong interview attitude. Let’s go into detail.

•  Cover Relevant Topics Thoroughly

The UPSC does not set a particular syllabus for UPSC interviews or personal tests. However, when referring to the scheme of the interview provided by the UPSC and the experiences of the past interviewees, there are certain questions asked by the UPSC interview panel that are generally based on:

• Self-Introduction: This is the kick-start point of the interview process. For this, the candidate should prepare concise yet comprehensive answers to the questions related to topics including introducing yourself, your strengths, your weaknesses, your role model and so forth. 

• Thorough with Detailed Application Form (DAF): The UPSC interview board expected the candidate to have comprehensive knowledge regarding the facts mentioned in the Detailed Application Form or DAF. In this scenario, the candidate should expect and prepare well for the questions based on educational qualifications, work experience, hobbies, and so forth that are mentioned in the DAF.

• Thorough with the Basic Concepts of Optional Subject: Although the UPSC interview is not intended to measure the candidate’s knowledge of their chosen optional subject, sometimes the interview board members might ask some basic concepts and theories related to the subject. Thus, the candidate needs to be well-versed in the optional subject they have chosen for the UPSC Civil Service Examination.  

• Solid Understanding of Current Affairs: It is a well-known fact that a solid understanding of current affairs is necessary for crossing all three stages of the UPSC Civil Service Examination. Thus, the candidate needs to be thorough with the daily facts and events. In other words, the candidates must have a deep knowledge of the current affairs of the last one year. You need to prioritise both national and international current affairs. The interviewer in the UPSC interview panel might shoot questions based on current affairs.

• General Knowledge is Important: The UPSC interview board might ask questions based on the subject included in the General Studies paper such as polity, geography, history, and so on. Thus, the candidate needs to be thorough with these subjects before attending the UPSC interview. 

• Aware About Situational Questions: Decision-making ability is necessary for a civil servant. Thus, the UPSC interview board may ask some situational questions to examine the decision-making ability of the candidate. The questions asked in the interview are mostly similar to the case studies included in the Mains Ethics Paper. 

• Build an Effective Verbal and Non-verbal Communication Skill

Effective communication in terms of verbal and non-verbal is necessary for scoring high marks in the UPSC interview. Even if the candidate is a great scholar, the interview board analyses the way they communicate their knowledge. Here are some tips to improve the communication skills required for scoring high in the UPSC Civil Service Interview.

The candidate needs to practise two types of communication., ie., verbal and non-verbal communication.

Verbal communication:

Verbal communication is the first and foremost method of communication, the candidate needs to practice presenting their knowledge before the UPSC interview board. Thus, the candidate needs to have a good command over the language he chose for the interview. In addition, the candidate should be focused and attentive to the questions asked by the interview board. This helps the candidate to give a precise and thoughtful answer to their question. The candidate needs to use appropriate vocabulary and grammar while presenting their answers.

Non-Verbal Communication:

Non-verbal communication is as important as verbal communication in the UPSC interview. This is because the interview board examines the personality of the candidate during interview time. The candidate needs to improve in certain factors including maintaining body language, good gestures and posture. In addition, the candidate needs to have good eye contact with the interview members throughout the interview process. 

• Develop a Good Attitude in the Interview

The UPSC interview board expected that the candidate should have a positive attitude towards their service and their commitment towards the nation. The interview board assesses this attitude of the candidate through their response to the questions as well as their body language. Thus, it is necessary to develop a positive attitude in person while preparing for the UPSC interview. 

In addition, to these IAS strategies, the candidate should focus on certain interview tips for securing a high score in the UPSC Civil Service Interview, which includes:

• It is recommended that the candidates require to attend several mock interviews before attending the actual one. This helps the candidate to be familiar with the style and the environment of the actual UPSC interview.  

• When attending the interview, the candidate should follow the proper dress code to create a positive impression on the interview panel. The dress code for the UPSC interview is a formal shirt & pants, tie and formal shoes. 

• It is recommended to greet the panel when the candidate enters the venue and should take all the documents presented before the interview panel while leaving the room. 
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Overall, the candidate needs to develop smart strategies based on their weak and strong points. This helps the candidate to perform well in the interview.