UPSC interview round is the one that is dreaded by most aspirants, this round not only tests their aptitude but also their personality, motives, and much more.
This stage of the exam is not just the toughest one but also you can score up to 200 marks in just 25-30 minutes which will impact your selection on a large scale.
What are the common mistakes UPSC aspirants make during their interviews?
- Never try to pretend anything or try to be someone else.
Pretending and lying is the worst mistake you can do because the interviewers are witty and are very experienced they sense this kind of thing from a mile and this will just lead you to a bad impression and nothing else.
Just try to be yourself and try to bring up your personality in such a way that is impressive and more importantly real, also keep in mind while filling up the DAF make it as real as possible so that it doesn’t go opposite to your interview.
- An individual’s body language should convey confidence; despite appearing to be a very side element, this is one of the first things anyone will notice and judge them on from the start.
- Starting from the very beginning, many aspirants take time to start their interview preparation as they think that interview preparation can be done after the mains, but that is a wrong notion and one should start taking up a lot of mock interviews and build their personality from the start to be confident and fully prepared by the time of the actual interview.
- Inappropriately dressed is the worst mistake or it could be considered a sin as well, it is a very important interview and you should dress properly as the dress code mentioned is formal.
- Optimism is another praiseworthy quality, this will not only make you stand out from the crowd but also will help you to lose your tension and it will have a great positive impact on the interview itself.
- Keep yourself updated general knowledge and current affairs are important in every step of the exam and also practice having an opinion on whatever topic you find good, as you are pretty much likely to be asked about any social reforms, acts, or any other political issues, where having a strong point of view and proper meaningful opinion is very important and by reading newspapers online articles, important tweets from various leaders will help you getting strong points and having great opinions.
Getting ready for UPSC interviews: Top 6 tips to excel in your interview.
- Generic answers
stop giving generic and boring answers to the questions asked, this lets the interviewers down, they have been taking a lot of interviews and they expect something different which gives them a reason to select you among so many other competitors
- Extremely Stubborn appeal
Extreme views are not always appreciated so try to form well-structured and not too biased answers to their questions. Try to bring out your personality in such a way that it is very real and you do not come out as an extremist.
- Importance of DAF
Go through the DAF properly if possible try to go through it multiple times so that there is no fumbling and confusion during the interview. Also remember all your career plans, and history goals properly so that you can answer each question with sheer confidence as at the end of the day for any interview “Confidence is the key”.
- Being confident and not being overboard
Aspirants should avoid being nervous in interviews, and to avoid this, they should take as many mock interviews as possible. They should also avoid being overconfident, which is non-appreciated and could lead to a direction that they are not comfortable with.
- Optionals are important
Do not take your optional subjects for granted, you might get questions asked from your optional subject as well many aspirants stop learning about their options after mains.
- Do not lose your mind!
There are times when the interviewers try to confuse or deviate you with a trick question but do not change your opinion very often try to stick to your morals and belief but that doesn’t mean being stubborn if any suggestion seems to be legit and good try to consider it as well
DAF is a detailed application form provided to the students to know about their career, early education background, etc. This defines a lot about the student from their career prospects to their upcoming postings.
Students must fill in the form very carefully with complete relevance without lying as the interview round also has questions relevant to this form.
Try to keep the introduction relevant and crisp not too lengthy and unnecessary, and include your name, education, work experiences hobbies, and any other special attributes related to your personality.
Prepare your introduction well, as this is the sure-shot thing that is gonna be asked and one of the first things so fumbling and going blank is just not an option.
The CSE interview at UPSC is conducted in either English or Hindi.
If a candidate fails in the interview round even if the aspirant passes the prelims and mains round, the aspirant also has to start from the beginning of the next year.
