Frequently Asked Questions in Civil service interview

Dear Aspiring Officers, Through this chapter, I have discussed around 100 commonly asked questions related to various aspects of the Personality Test that candidates are interested to know. Before we go any further, I want to bring to your attention that you must know that these are possible answers to these questions but they are not the only answers. During different circumstances, you can make necessary changes to these answers.

Q: Do I need any special preparation for the personality test?

Answer: Certainly the answer is yes. Many times, I wonder why this is one of the questions that tops the list of commonly asked questions by many aspiring executives. If this stage of the examination was so unimportant or useless then why would it have been conducted in the first place by the Union Public Service Commission, the apex recruiting agency of the country. This is, in fact, an important phase and it tests parameters which have not actually been tested during the first two phases. This criterion is a test of your personality. Therefore, there is no doubt that you should prepare for the personality test, which is colloquially called interview, with full dedication and dedication.

Question: What is the right time to start this preparation?

Answer: Please refer to the heading “When to start preparation” on page no.

Question: Do I need to take leave from my job/institute to prepare for the Personality Test or can I continue my preparation simultaneously?

Answer: While Preliminary and Mains examinations require intensive and long study, on the contrary, the nature and requirements of personality test are completely different. Firstly, here you have to devote less time as compared to the previous exam and secondly, there is no need to sit and prepare for a long time. To prepare for personality test, it is important that you keep your senses alert for every learning opportunity.

You do not have to focus only on knowledge but there are also some aspects which you can do only during your office hours and on the means of transport to and from there. However, if it is possible for you, you can also take leave. But keep in mind that it is mandatory for you to take leave before the last few days of the exam. This is even more important if you come to Delhi from another city. Therefore, you should prepare a plan accordingly.

Question: I am very busy in the office. Due to which I get very little time for preparation. I can’t even apply for leave. How do I prepare?

Answer: You should always keep in mind that there are two aspects of preparation, the amount of time available to you and the quality of time given by you for preparation. Let us first discuss the time available. As you said earlier that you have abundance of time but friends, I have experienced that the actual lack of time is not as much as we think. Please refer to the chapter “Time Saving Formula” on page no. This will prove to be very helpful for you.

The second aspect relates to the quality of time. It has two dimensions. First read carefully and with concentration. Second, decide your priorities regarding preparation steps. Also, when you plan your preparation according to page number, complete the most important things first and gradually move towards less important topics. In this way you will be able to study more in less time.

Question: This is called personality test. I have heard from many eminent people that personality development or change in it is a long process and it is not possible in a few days. Therefore, this means that there is no benefit in preparing a few months before the exam. Please explain this contradiction.

Answer: Your statement is absolutely right that personality building is a part of a long process and its development is not possible within a few days. But answer my one question. What do you mean by “long process of time”?” This “time period” spans several months and these months include a number of subsequent days. Hence, it can be said that these days have a contribution in building your personality. You still have several days before your personality test. So why don’t you consider that even if only to a small extent, you can bring about changes in your personality during these days.

Friends, you have to understand that some aspects of your personality are completely ingrained in your nature and these cannot possibly be changed or they can be changed only through tireless efforts.

Possible, which cannot be done during this short period. But apart from this, there are some small aspects of your personality which you have never paid attention to with your conscious mind. In which it is possible to make changes easily. Secondly, new characteristics and qualities can also be added to your personality. Therefore, I think that this question has now been resolved and these few months can also prove to be meaningful in the improvement and development of your personality.

Question: Which areas and subjects should I prepare for?

Answer: Please refer to “Sources of Preparation” chapter on page no.

Question: What qualities and characteristics does the board look for in a candidate?

Answer: Please refer to the chapter “Qualities required in a candidate” on page no.

Question: Please let me know some do’s and don’ts for strict compliance

Answer: Please refer to the chapter “Dos, Don’ts” on page no.

Question: Which mode of transport should I use to appear in the personality test?

Answer: If you have your own personal vehicle, this is the best option. But this may not be possible for many aspiring officers in Delhi. So you can go by a cab or auto. Of these two, cab should be given priority. You should not travel by public transport, especially bus.

Question: Can we make any changes in our Personality Test Board?

Answer: You are completely incapable of doing anything regarding your board. You will know about this

It is given just a few minutes before the actual exam begins. So don’t waste your energy on this topic.

Question: It is often said that some boards are very strict in nature and they do not give marks easily. Is it true ?

Answer: If I have to answer this with an open mind then I would say yes because the principle of subjectivity definitely applies here and due to this logic it could be that different boards adopt different methods for giving marks. The logical conclusion that can be drawn from this is that some boards may seem tough but these so-called tough boards are not “set out to harm you or make you fail.” It just means that their criteria for judging you may be a little more strict.

But as I have said earlier, we are incapable of doing anything about it, so why waste time on this discussion. However, it is very important that you

Have information about these and personality. You should also try to find out who asks questions related to which subject and area. This can definitely help you a little in your preparation.

Dear, can we prepare according to different boards?

Matar: Yes, it is possible to some extent. This can be done by keeping in mind the profile of the board members. You can discuss with successful candidates and your teachers and find out their method of asking questions.

Question: Is maintaining integrity before the board the best policy?

Answer: Yes, it would indeed be appropriate to do so. The board members are very experienced and intelligent and there is a high possibility that they will catch any lies of yours.

Question: Should we answer every question truthfully during the interview?

Answer: Yes. 99 percent of your questions should be answered keeping the truth in mind. The truth can be hidden a little in the answers to some questions but a complete lie should never be told during such questions.

Come. Let us try to understand this through an example. Often the priority of state cadre for IAS and IPS is different and states with poor law and order are kept lower in the priority list of IPS. You may naturally be asked whether you are afraid of accepting challenges and difficult situations such as military force and rebellion.

Friends, here you can hide your real thoughts to a great extent. Here you can tell the board that you have kept the states with poor law and order down because you prefer investigative work to the work done by the police. Remember that investigation, law and order, suppression of insurgency, anti-terrorist operations are some of the different but important functions performed by the police and it is normal that you are more interested towards one or the other aspect of the police department. . Therefore, with a little cleverness you can cover your point but it should be done carefully.

Question: Can I cheat the board in any way during the interview?

Answer: If you want to ax your own feet, you can do so. Throughout this book I have laid special emphasis on the fact that you should never try to fool the board or play any kind of trick with it. Your interview journey can end there.

Question: Is it correct that the information filled in the Detailed Application Form (DAF) forms the basis of questions?

Answer: Yes, it is absolutely correct. For more information on this subject, please refer page no. Chapter “How to fill Detailed Application Form (DAF)”.

Question: Is it necessary to fill information about your interests?

Answer: You should make every effort to fill some information in this column. But keep in mind that the information filled is genuine. If you do not fill this column, it gives a wrong impression.

Question: I have no interest to fill in this column. What should I do ?

Answer: Adopting any interest is not a difficult task. Let me tell you the solution. Ask yourself what you like to do during your free time, you can write this in your diary. For example, maybe during your free time you like watching TV or surfing the Internet or hanging out with friends. You can write some of these. Only the language of writing should be intelligent and it should be somewhat organized. For example, if you like watching TV, you can write “watching TV” and also write channels related to environment and biodiversity or music channels. It is possible that the board may not ask any questions on these because it is a very common thing. But instead of leaving this column blank, it would be better to write something in it.

Question: Can I write about one of my interests that I have given up now?

Answer: If you have had some interest earlier but now you are not pursuing it, there is no harm in writing about it. You can argue that due to exam preparation or any other reason you are not able to pay active attention to this.

Question: Can I mention some of my very simple interests, for example reading, or singing, or watching TV, etc.

Answer: If you have nothing to write about and in fact, this general interest is your real interest then you can mention it. Just keep in mind that your writing language should be intelligent and it should be written in a somewhat organized manner. To do this, you should give a little more detail about your interest.

Question: Since I don’t have any specific activity to show my interest, can I lie here?

Answer: Lying about your interests, giving false descriptions etc. are a danger to yourself.

It will be like giving. You should avoid doing this. It is better to leave the column empty than to give false information.

Question: Can I try to mention one of my different and unique interests?

Matter: Yes, if it is your genuine interest then you can mention this different and unique interest. In fact, it is always better to write something different from others. Just keep one thing in mind that during the personality test, you will have to prove the authenticity of your interest by answering questions about it.

Question: Can any good interest be adopted for interview?

Answer: In my view, it will be difficult to do this in this short period. But if you understand that during this time you can develop interest in some activity and prepare fully for it, then it will be fine. But extreme caution should be taken while doing this.

Question: Is it necessary to indicate Indian Administrative Service as your first option?

Answer: No, it is not mandatory to indicate Indian Administrative Service as your first choice. In fact, there has now been an increase in candidates writing other services as their first choice. But keep in mind that whatever service you write down as your first service, you should be able to give a complete explanation for it during the interview.

Question: Can I write IPS/IFS/IRS service as first option?

Answer: Yes, you can do this but again you have to keep in mind that whatever service you write as your first service, you should be able to give a complete explanation for it during the interview.

Question: Often people say that if I write IRS service as the first option then it will send a message to the board that I am doing it for money. Is it true ?

Answer: Chances are that whoever suggested this to you. He himself may have such feelings. This is completely wrong. Often such sentiments arise because the service involves taxes and a lot of financial aspects. Secondly, there are more opportunities for corruption for a corrupt official. In other words, there is a huge field available to indulge in corruption. Therefore, only such people worry about this matter. If you chose the IRS as the first option, there must be a reason behind it. You just have to mention those reasons. For example, your educational background or someone who inspires you in a similar service.

I have placed IPS/IFS/IRS quite low in the order of preference. Is this It is wrong ?

Answer: No, it is not wrong but you should know the reasons for the decision taken.

Question: Would it be appropriate not to mention all the services in the option list?

Answer: However, there is no restriction on doing so by the Union Public Service Commission. But, I would recommend you not to miss any service from the list. If you don’t want to participate in a service, you can always opt out later. But do not remove any service from your list because it is possible that some board member is associated with this service or has a special place in his mind towards this service. So in this way, you may unnecessarily transmit the wrong message to the board.

Question: Do I need to know about each and every service filled in the option list?

Answer: Yes, even if you do not have in-depth knowledge about each service, it would still be better for you to have at least basic knowledge about each service.

Question: I have been preparing for the Civil Services Examination for the last three years but I have not been able to pass this examination even once. I am not doing any job or higher education. What should I answer to this question?

Answer: I would suggest you not to let this thought create too much turmoil in your mind. There are many examples related to the preparation of this exam, where the candidates have failed many times in some way before becoming successful. So you are no exception.

In my opinion, you need to pay more attention to the question “What do you think are the reasons for your failure so far”? If you are able to give a satisfactory answer to this question, it means that you are aware of your shortcomings and will continue to make efforts to overcome them.

Question: I am appearing in the personality test in my first attempt. Will I get any additional benefits from this?

Answer: As per the rules, there is no such provision. Even the board members will not give it any special importance. But, of course, it makes a pretty good first impression, across the board.

Question: Do the board members have any bias towards men and women?

Answer: No, it does not happen like this at all.

Question: What kind of newspapers and magazines should I read?

Jaatr. You must read at least 02 national level newspapers. Must read The Hindu newspaper. Also, if you want, you can also read The Times of India, or Hindustan Times or Indian Express. If your background is in business subjects then you must try to read at least one business newspaper every day.

Magazines are as important as newspapers. I would like to draw your attention to one important aspect that while preparing for personality test, you should not pay too much attention to the general knowledge based magazines of current affairs available for other competitive exams.

It can help you in your preliminary and main examination but not during personality test because it contains more facts and less analysis. Also, the articles presented in it are not written by analysts. Therefore, I recommend you to national level magazines like The Outlook, The India Today, The Week, The Sunday Indian, Frontline, Governance Now. )

Would recommend reading etc.

Question: For what period should newspapers be read?

Answer: You should start your preparation by studying newspapers and continue this habit till the morning of the personality test.

Question: Are the magazines available for general competitive examination, which we have been reading for a long time, not sufficient for this preparation?

Answer: No, doing this is not enough and the answer to this has already been given through the previous question?

Question: Is it necessary to watch TV for preparation?

Answer: Television has great importance in the preparation of personality test. It may not be important during preliminary and main examination but during personality test television is not only important but I would like to say that sometimes it is more important than newspapers and magazines.

Question: What kind of programs should I watch on TV?

Answer: Please refer to the chapter ‘Television” on page no.

Question: I have often heard people saying that we should be cautious about newspapers, magazines and television news because they have hidden agendas. Is this correct? Answer: It is an open secret that almost all media houses have some inclination in some form or the other.

Have orientation. When I talk about this orientation, I do not necessarily mean any negative inclination, nor do I mean to say that they do this willingly or that they have such orientation/inclination to fulfill their evil purposes, so you only have this in mind. I want to bring out the point that it is essential for every human being to have this fire of orientation while describing every such news, the quantity of which can be more or less. The presence of this orientation in thinking is to accept the values in which they believe, hence it cannot be called wrong in any way.

Therefore, you should be aware of which media house or journalist believes in which ideology and its analysis should be understood in the same perspective. For example, if you read a newspaper whose editorial board believes in socialist ideology, you can see this influence of orientation in the articles they write on topics like liberalization, investment in retail, etc. This will help you in developing correct, unbiased and biased thinking.

Question: Would you like to tell me some other sources for my preparation?

Answer: Internet, general books, discussion with successful candidates and subject experts can be some other diverse sources of your preparation. Please read the chapter on page number to get detailed information.

Refer to “Different Sources of Your Preparation”.

Question: Should I write notes from newspapers?

Answer: Although, I do not suggest you to write notes traditionally for the preparation of personality test, still I would like to say that whatever you read, write down the special points, main facts and figures in order in your “Diary Friend”. Dress up.

Question: Is there any special importance of internet during preparation?

Answer: The scope of the Internet is limitless and infinite. For an aspiring officer who is tech savvy and proficient and accustomed to using the Internet, the Internet can, in fact, replace every other medium such as newspapers, magazines and television. Other aspiring officers who are not very proficient in the use of technology can use the internet to get the information they need. This is especially useful for preparing the personal curriculum vitae to be filled in your Detailed Application Form (DAF).

Apart from this, there are many social networking sites where many other aspiring officers from other states of the country share their experiences. You can also try to be a part of such a group.

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