How many stairs to the interview hall?

The most uncertain of them all, the most mysterious and the diciest of the three stages, the UPSC Interview as it is commonly called or the Personality Test is surely the most exciting and an experience of a lifetime. Also, it is the most misunderstood, least prepared for, least guided/ most misguided and often the most mishandled and mismanaged process. But?when rightly handled, it is surely the easiest and the most rewarding experience.

The interview is conducted by a panel of eminent experts. The nature of the interview is of a personality assessment as your command over various subjects has already been tested in the two written tests - preliminary and mains. Through the half-an-hour-or so interaction the panel will assess important traits like attitude, body language, hobbies, communication our of box thinking. Simply put, they want to see how complete are you as a human being?

If you look at the Gazette notification for both CSE and IFS’s ‘Personality Test’, this is what is mentioned: “The object of the interview is to assess the personal?suitability?of the candidate for a career in?public service?by a Board of competent and?unbiased?observers. The test is intended to?judge the mental calibre?of a candidate. In broad terms, this is really an assessment of?not only?his/her?intellectual?qualities?but?also?social traits?and his/her?interest?in current affairs. Some of the qualities to be judged are?mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, the balance of judgment, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion and leadership, intellectual and moral integrity”.

Many candidates have a misconception that the interview is a knowledge test. There is no definite right or wrong answer here. The interview panel just observes how clearly and confidently a candidate approaches a question. The panel doesn’t intend to check the knowledge of the candidates. Its job is to check the personality traits of the candidates. Another misconception is that the panel awards the marks subjectively; almost randomly. Especially the candidates who score low marks have a tendency to blame the interview board. Please remember that the members of the panel are highly objective. It is the candidate’s performance which decides the marks based on his/her personality traits.

The first impression in initial minutes that you make in this 20 to 30-minute exercise will determine the 'breaking the ice' welcome question. This could be intellectually innocuous but it sets the tone for what follows. The first impression depends upon your appearance and body language. While you cannot change your height or weight or looks, you can make sure you are well groomed and exude a quiet confidence. Short deep breathing exercises are highly recommended when you are waiting for your turn.?Do engage in self-talk before entering the room. Motivate yourself about this being the best day of your life. It really works.

Some more general rules here. A great interview would be where you impress all the panel members; or anchor to the specialist. Use pause where it is due, you are under no obligation to answer instantly when the 'intellectual' question is a debatable one, which it could often be. Remember, your Bio is already before the Board; how you reply to the questions with conviction, how you hold on to your stand under pressure, how you manage contradictions when under stress will determine your score.

In the cruise stage, the panel seeks to see what you would do when faced with tricky policy alternatives on the job in the national interest. The panel will also test your gender sensitivity, and empathy towards the vulnerable sections of society. Government policy in a welfare state like India intensively deals with empathetic aspect of your personality. A flair for policy is also tested as this is what you will do all your life. You need to be aware of the latest trends - global, national, and regional - to satisfy the Board. Your answers need to be balanced with no political bias.

One of the strange questions asked to an aspirant during an IAS interview was how many numbers of stairs she climbed to reach the interview hall. While it may sound queer, the interview panel is often known to pose such questions to check mental alertness. While this question is just an example but the general sense that you should derive from this is to be aware of all your surroundings. While you may not be completely sure of everything that is happening around them, being mentally alert in your daily routine will go a long way in helping you during UPSC interview.

And lastly, the most important part. The panel is very much interested in knowing whether a candidate has an Indian or Regional attitude. You are not representing your State or Union Territory here. You should not spend their time memorising large amount of facts and figures. Rather, spend time knowing the other side of any issue. For example, if a question is related to the Cauvery water issue, a candidate from Tamil Nadu is expected to consider the issues of the farmers of Karnataka and a candidate from Karnataka is expected to empathize with the farmers of Tamil Nadu. You should take a balanced approach to every issue rather than a parochial approach. For example, a candidate belonging to Punjab candidate should read about the problems of Haryana farmers and the construction of SYL Canal rather than learning about the problems of Punjabi farmers alone.

Be confident. Be honest. Smile a lot. Show positivity in your language and body language. Answer every question from all India perspective. Don’t forget to use the phrases ‘our country’ or ‘our nation’ in your answers. Just remember, the interview board is looking for candidates who are politically neutral, honest, patriotic, broad-minded, sensitive to the needs of others and have concern for weaker sections of the society.

Published first time https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/features/how-many-stairs-to-the-interview-hall-851203