Interview Guidance

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Though the Interview is the last stage to be
cleared for the IAS exam, it is advisable to be
aware of the know-how of how to face it
successfully right from the beginning of the
preparation itself. Usually, a beginner is not
aware of the exact significance of the
Interview. Dont worry, we at Elite IAS conduct
IAS mock interview. The UPSC Interview puts the
candidate under close scrutiny so much so that it
is called the Personality Test. Thus, a few tips
are required to understand the entire
significance and the dos and donts to be taken
care of while facing the UPSC Interview. Even
before appearing in IAS mock interview of our
coaching, you should be well informed about its
intricacies. Please read on to find quite a few
important IAS Interview Tips to successfully face
the IAS Interview that is also referred to as
the IAS Personality Test/ IAS Exam Interview/
IAS Interview/ UPSC Personality Test etc.
Besides, you will also find yourself better
aware of the Civil Service Interview Questions,
apart from a lot of other inter-related
information.
Interview Guidance Programme 2019 is available at
Elite IAS Academy. You need to fill the
below-mentioned form along with your DAF. Our
representative will call you with detailed
information about the interview scheduled
procedures. Full Name Email Id Phone No
Details Application Form (DAF)
Click or drag a file to this area to upload.
Submit The Interview/Personality Test UPSC
conducts the Interview for the Civil Services
Exam in Delhi at the UPSC office. The point to
be noted is that although the time span for the
Interview is not fixed. However, if a candidate
is interviewed for a longer than usual time, the
probability to score higher is enhanced. A
candidates score in the Interview is added to
his/her score in the Mains Exam. The total
aggregate decides the successful candidates rank
in the Merit List when UPSC announces the result.
Thus the score in the Interview can be discovered
only when the UPSC result is declared and not
immediately after the Personality Test is
conducted. Various boards constituted by the
UPSC conduct the Interview. A list comprising
these boards that the interviewees are going to
face individually is released when the Interview
dates are declared. The candidates are expected
to research the board members.
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The competition is tougher than what you might
perceive in the beginning. The number of
candidates that are called for the Interview is
double than the number of vacancies. The
maximum score for the Interview is 275. It should
be noted that 90 of the successful candidates
usually score around 55 in the Personality Test.
The importance of the Interview must not be
underestimated. A score of 55 in the Interview
is not sufficient if you want to make it to the
Final Merit List. In order to get a Class I
Service, the score should be usually about 58.
It is observed that candidates with a score of
60 usually join the cadre of their choice. It
obviously implies that in order to join IAS or
any of the Group A Services, the candidates
score in the Interview should be 200 or above.
Thus, its understood that a high score in the
Interview plays a decisive role in the
candidates selection and allowing him to join
the cadre of his choice. Besides, it must be
noted that the IAS Interview questions vary from
one candidate to another and many of them are
based on the candidates DAF details that are
bound to vary for all the candidates. Thus,
individual attention is required by all the
candidates to prepare well for the Interview.
What documents are required to be submitted? The
candidates are required to submit the following
documents at the time of the Interview for the
UPSC exam

• SC/ST Certificate Performa
• OBC Certificate Performa
• Undertaking
• Physically Handicapped Certificate Performa
• Performa of Hailing from Certificate
  Questionnaire
• Attestation Form
• TA Form
• The TA Form, Attestation Form, and The
  Questionnaire are available at the official
  website of UPSC. In case, a candidate belongs to
  the SC/ST/OBC or the Physically Handicapped
  categories, then the respective certificates are
  to be filled in and submitted accordingly. The
  certificates may be printed from the UPSC website
• www.upsc.gov.in.
• Apart from the certificates as specified above,
  the candidates are required to produce the
  following documents while they appear for the
  Interview

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• Filled Questionnaire The questionnaire comprises
  7 pages that UPSC makes use of to research and
  analyze the information concerning the background
  of the candidate. Thus, the questionnaire should
  be filled in carefully. It is divided into a
  number of sections as stated below
• Background of the candidate
• Employment status
• Previous Civil Services attempts
• Competitive exams cleared
• Reasons for interest in Civil Services
• Education particulars
• Background of Parents/Guardian
• Source of information for Civil Services
• Coaching attended
• Optional subject chose
• Attestation Form The attestation form requires
  the relevant details including residence,
  education, nationality etc. It is required to be
  signed by a Gazetted Officer before you submit
  the same at the time of Interview.
• What kinds of questions are likely to be asked?
• The candidate would be provided with the
  questioners that he would have to fill in and
  submit while appearing for the Interview. It is a
  task that needs to be accomplished quite
  carefully. Fill in the information that you are
  quite sure of as you might have to answer some
  of the questions based on the same.
• For example, a famous personality might have the
  same name as yours. Besides, why do you want to
  be a Civil Servant?
• Your preferential order for your choice of
  services may also invite a few questions. You
  might even be asked what made you choose the
  hobby that you did.
• The academic institutions you studied from may
  also be asked about. If you have studied from
  IGNOU, questions may be asked about the former
  Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. In case, you have
  studied at IIT or IIM, there may be some related
  questions pertaining to these institutions as
  well.

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The Optional Subject that you chose can also
invite questions. In case, you have faced the
UPSC exam more than once and have changed the
Optional Subject in the repeated attempt, that
too might invite a question or two from
UPSC. Besides, your analytical skills may also
be scrutinized. For example, what action would
you prefer to take, in case you are an SP and
have to safeguard the common people against a
terror attack.
What qualities does UPSC assess in the
Interview? UPSC makes an assessment of your
personality to find if you can be an efficient
administrator. The candidate must be thoroughly
aware of what goes around in the world. Besides,
he should have a sharply analytical bent of the
mind. And that is not all. He should be
absolutely unprejudiced so that he administers
the society in a manner that is fair to
all. Besides, the Kothari Committee that had
been constituted by UPSC has recommended quite a
few of the qualities to be rated in the Interview
conducted by UPSC. These are listed below

• Clarity of expression
• Grasp of narrative and argument
• Reasoning ability,
• Appreciation of different points of views
• Awareness and concern for socio-economic problems
• Range and depth of interests and personal
  attributes relevant to interaction with people
• How to Prepare for UPSC Interview?
• The importance of a good score in the Interview
  has already been discussed earlier. And it must
  be noted that an individual personality keeps
  developing throughout his entire life. However,
  as far as preparation for the Personality Test
  for UPSC is concerned, it is advisable to do the
  same in 3 stages.
• The first stage involves acquiring relevant
  knowledge. The second stage requires the skill
  to converse well. The third stage requires a
  thoroughly well-groomed personality so that you
  can communicate in a convincing manner. It is
  advisable that the candidate should make a
  self-assessment and work on grooming his
  personality accordingly.
• The following tips can help you cross all the
  three stages discussed above in order to prepare
  for the UPSC Interview

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• Revise the notes that you had prepared for the
  Mains Exam It would help you acquire the
  knowledge as required by the First Stage.
  However, do not forget to acquire the knowledge
  of the relevant details concerning your hobby,
  extracurricular activity in a nutshell your
  entire background, be it your hometown, the
  university you have studied from, etc., apart
  from a thorough knowledge of the Current
  Affairs, of course.
• Hone up your conversational skills The
  conversational skills should be such that you
  appear neither submissive nor a haughty
  individual. Your conversational skills should
  present you as a confidently polite individual
  who knows how to present his point of view in a
  convincing and polite manner.
• A well-groomed personality UPSC makes an
  assessment of the complete personality of the
  candidate in order to find if he can be a good
  administrator. The candidate should try to keep
  himself aware of the current circumstances along
  with
• a thorough knowledge of the past background (if
  there is any) of the current
• events. Besides, the candidates should develop an
  analytical bent of the mind. And they should be
  completely unprejudiced. With these personality
  traits only, they can be allowed by UPSC to join
  the Indian Administrative Services.
• Facing the UPSC Interview Board
• The Interview Board usually comprises 5 members
  including a Chairperson seated at the center.
  Knock at the door and greet the Chairperson in a
  confident and polite manner. Nod at others
  pleasantly. Do not occupy a seat until you are
  asked to do so.
• Your body language should be positive. Maintain
  eye contact with the Interview Board and listen
  attentively. Your appearance must be confident,
  and smartly decent. Be attentive, maintain eye
  contact with the board persons, but it should be
  far from being a glare.
• Also, do not place your hands on the table. Dont
  bend in any direction and do not shake
  unnecessarily. You should appear to be attentive,
  and relaxed at the same time.
• Clarity of expression is highly appreciable. So
  do not begin to answer impulsively. Listen
  attentively first. Then answer in a precise
  manner.
• Do not agree with whatever the Interview Board
  says. Present your point of view in a confident
  manner. However, do not be adamant either. Opt
  for a balanced, but analytical, aware and
  unprejudiced approach. As already said earlier,
  these are the qualities that UPSC looks for in a
  potential administrator.
• It is best not to make any guesses in case you
  are not aware of the relevant answers for the
  questions that have been asked. Besides, it is
  advisable not to make a self- assessment of your
  performance while the Interview is still in
  progress.

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convey more in a few sentences. You are facing
the UPSC Interview, the Personality Test. So,
you are not to chatter unnecessarily.
How to make an exit? Leave the room only when you
are asked to do so by the Chairperson. Even if
any of or some of the members have not asked you
any question, do not be bothered. Simply leave
the room if you are asked to do so after saying a
Thank You to the Chairperson and giving a
pleasant nod to all others.
Personal Traits to face the Interview Eye
contact An attentive eye contact, but not a
glare is what conveys that you are a confident
individual. Fiddling fingers and crossing arms
Doing so only conveys that you are lacking in the
confidence and too self-defensive to be
approached for putting forth any point of view.
Fiddling with the fingers shows nervousness. And
crossing the arms only conveys that you have put
forward a barrier in self-defense. Thus, it is
far from being a positive body
language. Besides, there can be a number of
gestures that are best avoided. Bending forward
or sideways on the chair, making gestures with
the hands, biting the lips, touching ones own
face or hair, nodding the head too often without
a valid reason are some of the activities that
are best avoided. All of these gestures only
serve to indicate that you lack the confidence
and are not being sufficiently attentive to what
has been asked by the Interview Board.
How to answer the questions? Be clear and
confident while answering the questions in the
Interview. Even if you think that any of the
questions has been awkward, stay calm. Again, as
said earlier, your answers should precise. No
unnecessary chatter at all. It will not take you
anywhere. No long introductions and no
diversions from what is being asked should
accompany your answer. And do not defend your
opinions if they are getting illogical. Be
logical and fair. Also, it is advisable not to
generalize. Avoid any kind of unnecessary and
informal expressions including as you know,
everybody knows etc. Besides, look positive,
keep a positive expression on your face, but do
not smile unnecessarily.
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Civil Service Interview Venue It is conducted at
the UPSC Office at Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road,
New Delhi. There are multiple boards that are
headed by a Chairperson and the members. The
contact details of the UPSC office are given
below Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Dholpur House, Shajhan Road New Delhi 110-069
Website www.upsc.gov.in If the candidates find
it difficult to fill in the on-line application
form, they may seek help from the Official UPSC
facilitation counter. You may also call
telephone no. 011-23389366 / Fax No. 011-23387310
on any of the working days within the working
hours. Besides, if the candidates seek any
further guidance/clarification/information etc.,
they should approach UPSCs Facilitation Counter,
C Gate at the Campus or call the numbers given
below on the working days in between 10 Am to 5
Pm. 011-23385271, 011-23381125, 011-23098543 Elit
e IAS Academy supports in DAF filling Analysis.
For detail Call 7065202020 or Email
info_at_eliteais.in