UPSC Interview: 16 Golden Tips for Success

In the final stage of the UPSC exams, the interview can change your life. Scoring high marks can make crucial differences with fellow candidates in less than 30 minutes. The interview round is the deciding factor for rank holders. Let us go through some golden tips for success in a UPSC interview.

 

Prepare in Advance for the UPSC interview

Most aspirants wait for the UPSC’s interview results, wasting precious time. Hence, it is imperative to prepare well in advance for the interview. Ranking high in the interview depends on personality, confidence, and positive attitude apart from knowledge, so it makes sense to polish your personality as early as possible.

 

Do A Self Assessment

It is easy for us to forget how limited our knowledge is. We know so much about the world around us, but we do not explore the world inside ourselves. Try to build up a sort of in-depth knowledge of yourself. The more you think you know about your needs and wants, the easier it will be to interact with others. Taking personality assessment quizzes will reveal what you need to work on or overcome to succeed in the UPSC interview.

 

Revise details of your bio-data 

UPSC Interview questions based on the biodata of the candidate form a crucial part of the process. The UPSC Board members will likely ask questions about hobbies, education, work experience, and service preferences. Hence, prepare answers to personal questions in advance. The only way to avoid blunders is by revising your CV and points.

 

Be Positive and Relaxed

Stay away from negativity, myths, and rumours about the UPSC interview. Even if you fare poorly in previous interviews, face the next with a positive attitude. Stay focused on your strong points and stop worrying about things beyond your control. 

 

 Be Serious 

UPSC interview is the deciding factor for aspirants. Hence face it seriously. Go through accounts of successful Civil Services rank holders and remember the tips shared by them. Showing a respectful demeanour towards the board members will reflect your personality in good light. Do not be flippant in answering the questions, and never underestimate the board members.

 

Work on Your Self-confidence

Taking personality tests improves your self-confidence. Prepare answers to probable UPSC interview questions and be confident without going overboard. The secret to impressing the board members rests in understanding that the line between self-confidence and arrogance is very narrow.

 

Do Not Lie during the UPSC interview

You can ruin your career if you resort to lying. Creating fake certificates or presenting fake facts on your CV will end your career even before it begins. The board members are experienced and knowledgeable. Do not try to impress them with lies. You need not answer everything correctly. If you do not know the answer to questions, admit it calmly.

 

Body Language and Communication 

Take care to balance your words through your body language. Wrong gestures will indicate negative signs. Start working on improving your vocabulary and word usage for the UPSC interview. Fumbling during the personality test will cost you precious minutes, and you may fail to express your ideas. To improve communication skills, watch Competition Care videos on body language and news channels.

 

Be Concise in answering UPSC interview queries

Answering questions with unnecessary details will not impress anyone. Practice delivering crisp, concise, and to-the-point answers. Learn to lace your answers with relevant statements. 

 

Reading Newspapers Help

Staying informed about current affairs will go a long way to getting good marks. Board members might test your interest in current affairs during the interview process. Make it a point to skim through the headlines of the main stories of at least one newspaper on the day.

 

Learn to Answer Questions on Hobbies

Board members ask questions about hobbies to put candidates at ease right at the start. If you answer confidently about your hobby, it reflects good points of your personality. It also sets the mood for the rest of the UPSC interview process.

 

Revise Your Optional Subject before the UPSC interview

You cannot afford to go wrong on any questions about your optional subject. Hence, prepare and revise thoroughly. The panel members expect aspirants to have extensive knowledge of graduation subjects.

 

Give unbiased views

Be careful in answering direct questions on controversial topics. Your views should be balanced and without bias. When you take a stand, justify your answers impartially. Prepare answers to controversial current news. Remember to avoid giving sweeping generalizations without solid facts.

 

Know Your District and State

Questions on your home state and district are part of the process. Hence, revise details about your State, brush up on your understanding of the community issues of your city and think up solutions to problems.

 

Dress neatly in formal for the UPSC interview

Dressing right reflects good sense for any occasion. However, it is better to dress formally for interviews. You should select your dress according to the season and comfort. Wearing expensive suits or flashy dresses is not the choice for an interview. Keep in mind that you should be comfortable, confident, and neat in your dressing style.

 

Do A Re-check 

You cannot be too careful. Hence, it is better to verify all certificates and related papers in advance. Read all related instructions and calculate the time needed to reach the venue.