UPSC Civils Preparation

As we said in the earlier article, the appropriate strategy for Civil Services Interview Preparation (Part -1) would be to divide the expected questions into five broad areas. We shall look into these in detail here:

1. Personal : This could relate to your name, the district / village where you belong to, the political, economic, social, aspects of that place. Questions may also focus on why you would like to embark on a career in the government services? Here questions could be unsettling like “ Mr X with a similar background like yours has not been successful at the interview….. why do you think you will be successful ? One I.P.S officer has been killed and another has committed suicide recently…… do you still want to get into the service ?”

2. Academic : This relates to your basic educational qualifications. While, there could have been a long gap between your graduation and this Interview, you are expected to renew your knowledge regarding the core subjects of graduation and be able to answer the basic questions. Preparing for the academic area is more important for those candidates who have chosen different optionals for the examination.

3. Optionals : Normally, in-depth questions on the optionals are not asked based on the rationale that the candidate has already proved his mettle at the Main examination. However, since last year there have been a significant number of questions from the optionals also more so on optional like Anthropology.

4. Current Affairs: This could relate to any topic regional ( AP specific ) National or International. Reading the news paper daily, especially the editorials of National news papers is necessary.

5. Hobbies: You may be asked by the Interview board about your activities in your spare time. In case you do not have a hobby, be honest about it. In case you have one, be prepared for a few basic questions.
While these are conventional areas, that a candidate is expected to be prepared with before the Interview, in the last few years there has been a change in the nature of the questions. This change is consistent with the efforts of the UPSC to elicit the ‘real personality’ of the aspirant. Now, apart from the conventional areas the Interview board is assessing the personality of the aspirants by asking questions that bring about the behavioural, attitudinal and value based traits of the candidates. Typically some of the questions may be

i) What are your personal goals in life ?
ii) What are your strengths and weaknesses?
iii) What are you looking for in this job and why should you be selected for it?
iv) If you are given the choice to opt for the IFS, IAS, or IRS or Customs & Central Excise, which one would your prefer and why ?
v) In which region or state would you prefer to be posted ? What are the reasons for your choice ?
vi) What rewards do you expect from your career in the service you wish to opt for ?
vii) What contributions do you think you can make in the job you are hoping to take up?
viii) What would you like to see yourself doing five or six years form now ?
ix) What is it that will motivate you to put forth your best efforts ?
x) Do you treat work as a means of livelihood or what else ?
xi) If you heard an unpleasant rumor about a friend from other friends, what would be your reaction and how would you go about it ?
xii) If a boat in which you are traveling with your boss, an old friend an a loyal subordinate capsizes, which of the three would you try to save and why ?

It is advisable to be prepared to tackle such questions by writing down the answers and practicing them. Questions on current affairs will be issue based and will require the aspirant to take a stand.

Some of the important areas are :

1. Political Issues: 60 years of Independence – Achievements and Failures, Reports of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission, Pro’s and Con’s of Smaller states, Lok Pal Bill and the role of Civil Society, Panchayat raj, Recent Elections and their possible impact on the 2014 elections, Presidents rule Vs. Governors rule, Politics of Consensus Vs. Politics of confrontation, Anti terror bills, Other bills which have to be passed in the Parliament, Election Of President of India, Parliamentary Vs. Presidential forms of government.

2. Economic Issues : Economic melt down and its impact, NREGA – achievements and shortcomings, , financial inclusion, Micro Finance, All Flagship programmes of the Government , Approach Paper to the 12th Plan . Economic Survey report and Budget etc

3. Social Issues : Census and an analysis of the information that is coming up, For example; We have more telephones than toilets why is it and what does it indicate ? There are more nuclear families than joint families …… what does it indicate ? What would its impact be on the government ? Caste census Reservations for Women, Death penalty – should it be abolished, Euthanasia etc

4. International : India ‘s relations with its neighbors etc Elections in USA and its possible impact on India,

5. Issues related to the State : Distinctions of Hyderabad, Flagship programmes of the government – Jalayagnam, Rajiv Arogyashri, Indiramma programme, Demand for a separate state , State of the I.A.S in A.P etc.
Fine. Now comes the real situation. That is Board Room. What happens inside the Interview Board room. Let us know this from Part – 3 of the article. Here we discuss on the expectations of the Interview Board from the candidates and dos and dont’s from candidates perspective.

A mock interview is in progress: The question that I had asked the aspirant was; “You are an Engineer… Why did you choose Public Administration and Telugu literature as your optionals? The aspirant replied “My brother told me he would teach me Public Administration and since I come from town only books on Telugu Literature were available and hence I chose that subject. I told the aspirant that such answers would not be accepted by the board. The reply “If they don’t accept it it is there problem not mine…. Need less to say, the candidate got 0nly 30 % of the marks and never made it to the service. The moral of the story: in an interview it is not what you say it but how you say it is what is important.

In the 20 years I have seen many deserving candidates not making it; AND THEN COMING OUT WITH REASONS LIKE THE BOARD DID NOT LIKE ME….. OR THISCHAIRMAN DOES NOT GIVE MARKS. Most of the time, the candidate deserves the marks that he has got. The purpose of this article is to clarify many of the misgivings that people may have.

The results of the Civil Services Main examination were announced on the 1st of March.. About 2400 candidates have qualified at the All India level for the Interview. This is the one of highest in the last decade. Out of the 500+ candidates who appeared at the Mains examination from Andhra Pradesh about 125 candidates have successfully qualified for the Interview. THIS IS ALSO THE HIGHEST NUMBER IN THE LAST 10 YEARS.

The successful candidates now have to appear at the Personality Test to be conducted by the UPSC in New Delhi from March 19th, 2012. How important is the Personality Test or the Interview in the scheme of examination? Based on an analysis of the results of the previous years we can arrive at the following conclusions:

1. High marks in the Mains and high marks in the Interview are a common feature of all toppers.
2. A few marks extra in the Interview can make a difference of more than 10 ranks.
3. Some times 2 to 3 marks less in the Interview can lead to 3 to 4 ranks which are lower and can make the difference between getting into the IAS or the IPS or the IRS. In short, it will determine the service, the cadre and the status of the aspirant for a life time.

What are the areas that are asked in the Interview ? An Interview is a view between two people i.e., 1. The Interviewer or the Interview Board, 2. The Interviewee. This view has to be in ‘areas’ which are known both to the Interviewer and the Interviewee. If any one of them does not know the area there can be no view about it.

This leads us to the question – What are the areas known to the Interviewers or the Interview Board? The Interview board comprises a member of the Public Service Commission as Chairman and 6 to 8 members. They come from diverse backgrounds with experiences in different fields. Most of them would be in the age group 55 years+. Thus as a ‘group’ they have knowledge in almost all the possible areas. This could lead us to the conclusion that questions can be asked from almost any area.. How does one prepare for it ?

Next, let us come to the question “What does the Interviewee know ? This is based on the background of the Interviewee i.e., the ‘state’ which he belongs to, his educational qualification, his ‘work experience’, his hobbies and his extra curricular activities. Added to this is his interest in the affairs that affect his ‘State’, the ‘Country’ and the ‘World’ i.e., Current Affairs. He is also expected to know more about the current issues which relate to his background.

Thus, the view that is exchanged between the Interviewer and the Interviewee is based on primarily a background of the individual and his understanding of the Current Affairs. Thus, most of the questions would be from his background and his appreciation of the Current Affairs. You need appropriate strategy to deal with various questions, which is described in Part – 2 of the Article.

Fine. Now comes the real situation. That is Board Room. What happens inside the Interview Board room. Let us know this from Part – 3 of the article. Here we discuss on the expectations of the Interview Board from the candidates and dos and dont’s from candidates perspective.