Gear up for the IAS interview

 

Sometimes 2-3 marks less in the interview can lead to a huge change in final rankings that will

determine the service, the cadre and the status of the aspirant for a lifetime.

Civil Services aspirants ar

e ready to take the crucial step in fulfilment of their life ambition. The

interview process, one of the most important components of the Civil Services Examinations, is

now on. Thousands are competing for the 900 positions this year.

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, trainers say high marks in the main examination

and the interview are a common feature of all toppers, and a few marks extra in the

interview

can make a difference of more than 10 ranks.

V. Gopala Krishna of Brain Tree, which trains aspirants, says sometimes two or three marks less

in the interview can lead to a huge change in the final rankings, making a massive difference

between get

ting into the IAS, IPS or the IRS. In short, it will determine the service, the cadre and

the status of the aspirant for a lifetime.

There are quite a few candidates who scraped through the main examination but found a place

on the merit list with very hi

gh marks in the interview.

Is the Civil Services interview the same as a private sector interview? No, says Mr. Gopala

Krishna. “It is wrong to assume all interviews are species of the same genus. The Civil Services

interview is designed and directed towards testing the “governmental attitude” of the

prospective aspirant.

Questions asked in the interview range from the personal bio

-

data of the candidate to the

academic background, current affairs and personal interests. Sometimes, the interview can lead

to

a new area of questions depending on how the candidate responds. When the areas are so

vast and current affairs are so dynamic, how does one prepare for the interview?

Five sections

Mr. Gopala Krishna says it will be better to divide the preparation into

five broad sections—personal, academic, optional subjects, current affairs, and hobbies. “You have to extrapolate

and list out the probable questions and then prepare suitable answers for them.”

A common mistake candidates make is the casual approach, w

hich the board does not tolerate.

Explaining such an attitude, Mr. Gopala Krishna says that once a candidate was asked “What is

Hyderabad known for? The prompt answer was “The Chalta hai attitude”. On being prodded

further he said “Hyderabadi Biryani”. “Hyderabad is known for many other achievements. A

better answer would have been the achievements of Ronald Ross or the Osmania University as

the first university in India to introduce vernacular languages as a medium of instruction. Such

answers display maturity and seriousness, whereas the former reflect a non-serious approach.” 

 

No one expects the candidate to know all the answers, but it will be perfectly reasonable to

expect the future Civil Servant to be honest. Therefore, if one does not know the answe

r he

should politely tell the board about it.

 

Courtesy: The Hindu

 

How to Prepare for Civil Services

Civil Service is a branch of governmental service where people are employed only on the basis of their professional merit, proved by a competitive examination. Civil Service Examination is held annually in India by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for recruiting people to the Civil Services of the Government of India.

 

Preparation Tips for Civil Services Exam

Tip #1
There is no one particular defined way of studying. But one can always make their studies effective by following a schedule which suits their brain type rather than following stereotypical ways.

Tip #2
Such type of examinations where the clearing expectancy is very low stress is likely to come. Despite of such facts, candidates should keep their mind calm and stress-free so that they are able to give their 100% to the preparation.

Tip #3
The Civil Service Examination is a two phase exam for which a lot of theoretical subjects have to be studied. So making notes proves to a good idea. One can makes notes side by side with studying or after the topic is finished. The former method helps to revise the important points later from the condensed notes easily and the latter helps in memorizing what is studied, by writing it down..

Tip #4
The two phases of the examination consists of the two papers in the prelims and nine papers in the mains followed by a personality test (interview). Candidates must choose their subjects carefully only after taking an overview of the syllabus which they can study with full concentration.

Tip #5
General knowledge and awareness is a must for the Civil Services examination so the students planning to appear for it should strictly follow one national newspaper and magazine to keep them updated with the happening in and around the world.

Tip #6
Since there is a lot to study and remember and it is proved that the memory is most active at the beginning and end of studying sessions than in the middle, one should take short breaks in order to memorize more..

Tip #7
It is advisable to try and finish the course a month before the exams so that there is sufficient time to revise. Since the course is vast revision is very important but it should be free from any panic.

Tip #8
Once the syllabus is completed the sample papers should be practiced that too a lot. Practicing sample papers gives you an idea of your accuracy level along with your speed.

Tip #9
Not to forget, time management is one technique which needs to be mastered by the CSE aspirant. The candidate should manage time in a way that all questions are attempted with maximum accuracy rate which can only be done by practicing a lot of mock papers.

Tip #10
Though one has to study really hard, one must not forget the importance of a good attentive impressive personality which helps the candidate in the interview.