IAS interview is the most crucial and final step in the UPSC exam. Do not consider it like a normal exam phase that tests your knowledge.
Here, the panel members test your true personality. How to be successful in the IAS interview? This blog post brings you a list of tips and tricks. Have a look at them!
Develop A Good Personality
Did you know? The interview stage is popularly referred as the personality test. The name itself helps you to guess the importance.
Remember, the UPSC interview is not like a cross-examination. They do not focus on testing the candidate’s academic knowledge. The UPSC board analyses you from a totally different perspective.
From the interview stage, the UPSC panel members gauge your personality and behavior. In fact, they look up to your qualities. They are looking out for the candidates who best fit the position of an IAS officer.
Even the minute action you take on the interview day matters a lot. The smallest body movements, eye contact, and sitting posture are also taken into consideration.
The way you answer all their questions helps them to judge your attitude. As a whole, they take an overview of your personality during the interview session.
How to crack the personality test with the best score? The first step is to develop an impressive personality. You should look diligent and appealing to the eyes of panel members.
In other words, look like an eminent civil servant. Prove in your statements that you can accomplish the duties of an IAS officer successfully. Some of the impressive traits include:
- Mental Alertness
- Social Assimilation
- Focused Approach to solve critical problems
- Moral Integrity
- Define Personal Interests
- Honesty
- Socioeconomic Awareness
- Leadership Skills
Look at the above decision-making factors. I have mentioned only a few. There are many more factors the UPSC board expect from the candidate.
Prove through your answers and personality that you own the above factors. Your smartness comes into the picture! Now, you know how to impress the board members.
Excellent Mental Alertness
During the interview phase, the panel members test your mental alertness. Let me give you an example. How many steps did you climb to come here?
One of the candidates had to face this question from an interviewer. Do you feel it strange? No worries! The interview panel asks this type of questions too often.
They want to check the way you answer such questions. Always the smart answers are appreciated. Their main aim is to check the presence of mind.
The above question is one such example. When you enter the interview exam hall, keep these things in mind. Actively observe your surrounding area. Just be cautious and leave the rest to your inner conscience.
Of course, you cannot be a robot and keep your attention on everything around you. But, make it a practice. Just be alert and active. It will not come in one day. You should practice it daily and make it a habit.
Start with this attitude from the first day of preparation. It definitely helps you in the long run. I will give you one simple idea. Try to link different concepts on the common base.
Build a relationship between different things. Let us assume that you have read a new story. Now, try to interlink the important concepts. It provides you the comprehensive knowledge.
Always remember, the interview panel is not interested to test your knowledge level. All they want is your presence of mind. The questions might seem to be very simple.
How smartly you can answer those simple questions? Will you make it complicated? Do you go blank? They just observe the way you handle unexpected questions.
Social Behavior
Keeping this in mind, it is possible to get a good score in the interview phase.
Cultivating the right social behavior is the next immediate matter of concern.
How do you develop? Do remember that you are going to be an IAS officer. Prepare your mindset in a similar fashion.
Once you get the appointment letter, you are a responsible identity of Indian Government. So, how should you build the attitude? You are going to deal with high-level professionals. Are you prepared for it?
How have you planned to interact with state dignitaries from different departments? It is not an easy task. Talking to such a group of high profile people demands certain social etiquettes.
In addition, you should be aware of all the recent protocols and policies. Learn how to express your body language as a government official. The interview panel carefully observes and then judge your capacity.
Decide how will you be greeting the interview board members. Maintain the best leadership qualities and interpersonal skills. Keeping this in mind, it is possible to get a good score in the interview phase.
Active Listening Skills
The interview process of UPSC is not meant to test your knowledge. As I explained already, they check your personality skills. Do you own the required set of skills?
If your answer is no, continue reading. It is natural to be nervous on the day of the interview. As a result, you might not listen to the panel members. All of a sudden, you have to face the unexpected question.
At this point of time, you end up answering something irrelevant. This happens if you have a poor listening ability. So, the first step is to pay attention and listen to the question properly.
Secondly, understand the question as expected and then give your answer. Take a few minutes before starting your answer. In this time, organize the points well.
Stop being in urgency! Listen to the question completely. The candidates try to answer in the midway itself. It is really a bad habit. Do not assume and give answers.
Many a times, the questions asked contain the direct clue. It is up to your smartness to analyze and answer. Thus, you have to cultivate the habit of listening actively. Avoid tension and excitement in the interview hall.
Think Logically And Answer
Through the interview round, the board panel members want to test your logical thinking ability. How good are you in providing logical answers?
They just do not care even if you have limited knowledge. How well can you manage to provide a satisfactory answer with limited information? You cannot be prepared for everything at every point of time.
As an IAS officer, how will you deal with a variety of problems? You need to solve hundreds of issues. All of them do not fall under your comfort zone. But still, you need to solve the problems in a quick manner.
It is possible only through logical thinking with a perfect situation analysis. In UPSC exam, try to sound practical while presenting the answers.
Focus On Current Affairs
Once you finish the mains exam, studying the current affairs portion will not come to an end. You might have cleared the UPSC mains exam stage. You still have to face the interview round.
UPSC gives a lot of importance to general awareness, current issues, and socio-political situations. You need this knowledge in all the stages of examination.
Keep yourself updated about the recent happenings around. The interview panel includes members from different departments. You just cannot guess the question they intend to ask.
Practice Intelligent Conversation
I have already mentioned that the interview stage is a kind of personality test. In fact, it can be referred to as an intelligent conversation. Exchange your practical views with the interviewer.
This is the feeling expressed by the majority of past IAS toppers. So, you are made to undergo a purposeful conversation. Your mental quality is checked from a different perspective.
How can you prepare for this kind of test? I have got a simple idea. Practice intelligent conversations with your friends, mentors, parents, and other family members.
With practice, you will get used to the pattern of answering as expected by UPSC board. Most importantly, try to have dialogues about the socio-economic issues of the country. It is the most expected question in the interview stage.
Think like an IAS officer. Answer in such a way as if you are trying to solve the problems of the public. It will definitely find a path to success.
Be Honest
Being honest while answering keeps you in a high position. All the interview panel members possess years of experience. They can easily identify your honesty and integrity.
Please do not overthink or assume the impact even before answering. Present them logically and leave the rest to God. Do not treat them as questions.
Instead, think that the panel members are seeking your opinion about a certain topic. So, put your honest opinion in front of them. On the other hand, it increases the chances of getting selected for a civil servant post.
Conclusion
Here is the list of top 8 tips you can use to crack the UPSC interview successfully. Above all, make sure you exhibit the original thoughts in front of the panelist.
