IAS INTERVIEW TIPS: by IAS Topper Ann Mary George

Important tips by Ann Mary who scored 193 marks (70%) in her UPSC interview. 

She got selected in IFS.

About IAS Interview

DAF is the foundation on which your interview is built. Prepare each word in the DAF thoroughly. Give them interesting hooks in the DAF to ask upon. Otherwise they will ask random questions which cannot be prepared for. But do not write anything false because if they catch it, that’s the end of the game.

Be abreast of all recent events. Listen to AIR news at 9pm and read at least 2 newspapers and develop a rational and balanced point of view on these topics.

Pay special attention to international events or nations being visited by PM.

Record all the mocks that you give and come home and listen to your own answers. You will be able to identify mistakes yourself. Go for at least one mock in which they give you video feedback. You get to see our own facial expressions and body language that we are not aware of.

During the Interview

Enter with a smile. You can ask the staff outside the room if there is a lady member in the panel and in which side she is sitting. So, you can be prepared to greet the board in the right order.

Let them complete the question. Pause and then reply. It shows that you have appreciated the question well.

Give reasons for your views. This can display your rational thought process.

Take permission before guessing.

Accept the fact that you may not be able to answer all questions in an interview. Here, Sanjeev Kabeer sir’s (Career Quest Institute) analogy of interview to a cricket match is worth mentioning. There will be some balls in which u have to just defend the wicket, some in which you can hit a six and even others which you can get a run or two. It is all about understanding the nature of the question and answering accordingly.

So, it doesn’t matter how many “I don’t know” you say but it’s important that you say it in the right spirit and don’t get disheartened. (As told to insightsias)

Wish you all the best!

About IAS Interview coaching:

Career quest has helped me in the most crucial phase of my journey to success-the interview. I joined CQ after Civil Services Main Exam-2016. 

The detailed orientation regarding the different aspects of interview-posture, timing, structuring the answer, accepting your ignorance with grace etc. gave me an in-depth idea regarding interview preparation.

Though many people tell that interview is all about luck, I feel there is a lot to be prepared for interview. Unlike written exams, the interview is a personality test rather than knowledge test. So, it involves questions that you may not be able to answer. 

Here, Sanjeev Kabeer sir’s analogy of interview to a cricket match is praiseworthy. There will be some balls in which u have to just defend the wicket, some in which you can hit a six and even others which you can get a run or two. It is all about understanding the nature of the question and answering accordingly.

Kabeer Sir’s vast experience in interview guidance is worth noting because all other coaching centres just let u take a mock, while sir takes into consideration each and every aspect of the interview. He helps us to prepare for questions from our hobbies to home state to cadre preference in a comprehensive manner. 

This helped me to refine my answers in the final interview.

Thank you sir. I wish success to all aspirants and am sure that CQ will help them just the way it did for me.

Ann Mary George, IFS (Indian Foreign Service)

Kerala, (AIR-123, CSE-2016)

Ann Mary George IFS Interview Tips & Strategy

Important tips by Ann Mary who scored 193 marks (70%) in her UPSC interview. 

She got selected in IFS.

About IAS Interview

DAF is the foundation on which your interview is built. Prepare each word in the DAF thoroughly. Give them interesting hooks in the DAF to ask upon. Otherwise they will ask random questions which cannot be prepared for. But do not write anything false because if they catch it, that’s the end of the game.

Be abreast of all recent events. Listen to AIR news at 9pm and read at least 2 newspapers and develop a rational and balanced point of view on these topics.

Pay special attention to international events or nations being visited by PM.

Record all the mocks that you give and come home and listen to your own answers. You will be able to identify mistakes yourself. Go for at least one mock in which they give you video feedback. You get to see our own facial expressions and body language that we are not aware of.

During the Interview

Enter with a smile. You can ask the staff outside the room if there is a lady member in the panel and in which side she is sitting. So, you can be prepared to greet the board in the right order.

Let them complete the question. Pause and then reply. It shows that you have appreciated the question well.

Give reasons for your views. This can display your rational thought process.

Take permission before guessing.

Accept the fact that you may not be able to answer all questions in an interview. Here, Sanjeev Kabeer sir’s (Career Quest Institute) analogy of interview to a cricket match is worth mentioning. There will be some balls in which u have to just defend the wicket, some in which you can hit a six and even others which you can get a run or two. It is all about understanding the nature of the question and answering accordingly.

So, it doesn’t matter how many “I don’t know” you say but it’s important that you say it in the right spirit and don’t get disheartened. (As told to insightsias)

Wish you all the best!

About IAS Interview coaching:

Career quest has helped me in the most crucial phase of my journey to success-the interview. I joined CQ after Civil Services Main Exam-2016. 

The detailed orientation regarding the different aspects of interview-posture, timing, structuring the answer, accepting your ignorance with grace etc. gave me an in-depth idea regarding interview preparation.

Though many people tell that interview is all about luck, I feel there is a lot to be prepared for interview. Unlike written exams, the interview is a personality test rather than knowledge test. So, it involves questions that you may not be able to answer. 

Here, Sanjeev Kabeer sir’s analogy of interview to a cricket match is praiseworthy. There will be some balls in which u have to just defend the wicket, some in which you can hit a six and even others which you can get a run or two. It is all about understanding the nature of the question and answering accordingly.

Kabeer Sir’s vast experience in interview guidance is worth noting because all other coaching centres just let u take a mock, while sir takes into consideration each and every aspect of the interview. He helps us to prepare for questions from our hobbies to home state to cadre preference in a comprehensive manner. 

This helped me to refine my answers in the final interview.

Thank you sir. I wish success to all aspirants and am sure that CQ will help them just the way it did for me.

Ann Mary George, IFS (Indian Foreign Service)

Kerala, (AIR-123, CSE-2016)

DO'S AND DON'TS FOR CANDIDATES COMING TO APPEAR FOR INTERVIEW IN UPSC FOR IAS, IFOS, IES AND OTHER EXAMS

DO's: To bring along

1) Matriculation Certificate (in original)

2) Qualification Certificates (in original)

(In case degree has not been awarded till the closing date, the candidates can bring Provisional Certificate alongwith a certificate from the College/University that the degree has not yet been awarded).

3) Experience certificate issued by the appointing authorities clearly indicating dates (from and to alongwith Pay-scales) on Letter Head or duly stamped by the Competent Authority.

4) SC/ST/OBC/PH/Ex-Serviceman certificate in proper format (Copy of OBC declaration in case the caste is included in the Central OBC list recently)

5) Bring your call letter

6) In case of change of name, bring a certificate as per the prescribed format by the Commission alongwith copy of gazette notification

7) 3 copies of your recent photograph (passport size 5 cm X 7 cm) signed by you in ink on the front only

8) Any other condition* (i.e. in case of Ex-Serviceman, Govt. Servant, Certificate from competent authority).

9) Photocopies of all the relevant certificates/documents.

( For more details please refer to Summon Letter)

DON'TS:

1) Not to bring Mobile phones/pagers or any other electronic device

(For detailed information please visit www.upsc.gov.in)

How To Prepare For IAS Interview?

You may call it interview but the more appropriate term is the personality test. This is the third and the final stage of the civil services examination. This 300 marks test, may not be of the qualifying nature, is very crucial in putting your rank up or down the final list. Therefore one should take this final step very seriously.

Those who are expecting an interview call, have already been started the preparation for this final lap. To give you the exact idea of this process ‘Career Quest’ talked to some senior IAS officers and some successful candidates of Civil services examination. They provide us some useful tips. We are thankful to all of them. Our this endeavour, we hope, will further strengthen your preparation.
Wish you all the best !

The interview shouldn’t normally require any extra preparation other than being aware of issues and especially those related to one’s home state. Bio-data is also important topic.

One should prepare his Bio-data, Home-state/town, Socio-Economic-Political problems of India, options subjects and subjects of graduation/post-graduation, hobbies.

Personality Development Programme and some mock interview sessions are extremely helpful.

One should be prepared on the information mentioned in the Bio-data.

While facing the interview Board, the most important attributes that count are : calmness and smile on the face, natural tone and expression.

One needs to be honest and say sorry if not sure about any fact.

Asked yourself why I wanted to join Civil Services? Why did I leave a good career or job (If any)? Work on your Bio-data and try to make as far away question as possible.

The interview depends upon with what frame of mind one appears before the Interview panel.

Be confident, Interview is not question-answer session, in real sense it is purposeful conversation. Speak freely during the interview.

Make short notes of all the current events in the preceding six months.

You have to concentrate on the following areas :

1) Background including education, family etc.

2) Home state/dist.

3) Subjects studied at graduation/post-graduation level.

4) Hobbies & interests.

5) About India and World. (Social-Political- Economic).

Frankly, speaking, it is impossible to improve your personality with a week or fifteen days, whether you study specially for it or not. But it is fact that everyone taking the personality test prepares for it rather diligently.

Personality test also means you have to dress well in a formal outfit, but again there is no hard and fast rule about it.

It is very useful to join a good Mock-Interview sessions.

We made out stand very clear on contentious issues so that we might not be trapped in by the board.

It is very important to think about immediate issues and problems systematically and give cogent and unambiguous answers during the interview, and the essential requirements for these are familiarity with a wide range of issues, clarity of thought and a systematic, though not rigid, outlining of the various features and aspects in involved, together with atleast some original, convincing arguments.

Excessive emphasis on coaching mars candidates easiness and makes him over cautious.

The interest/hobbies indicated should be genuine.

Tensions and excitements have to be channelised to a creative expression and accommodative answers.

One should not be too rigid or too soft regarding his opinions. It is better to be on the side of flexibility rather than that of rigidity.

Article By - Sanjeev Kabeer, Director, Career Quest Education, Delhi

You may contact him for a mock interview session at Delhi

Phone: 09811299811 Email: s.kabeer@rediffmail.com