UPSC Interview Detailed Guide-Tips on DAF Preparation

Introduction to CS(PT)

You might have seen Anubhav Bassi’s funny UPSC Interview Promo for Aspirant series on Amazon Prime! If you are preparing for the UPSC civil services exam, you might be wondering;

• What is the difference between the interview and the personality test?
• Why UPSC writes ‘CSPT’ for UPSC Interview?
• What kind of questions are asked and how to prepare for them?

The UPSC interview is “the final nail in the coffin” for UPSC aspirants. Boosting score in Interview can definitely help to improve overall ranking and as matter of fact, 1 mark can change your cadre and services!

In this blogpost, I will try to answer these questions and share some tips and strategies that can help you understand UPSC Interview in better way.

What is the UPSC Interview?

The UPSC interview, also known as the personality test, is the third and final stage of the civil services exam. It is conducted by a board of five members(forming aexpert panel), one of whom is the chairman, who is a member of the UPSC. The interview usually lasts for about 30-35 minutes and carries 275 marks out of the total 2025 marks. If you prepare well, you can definitely score 170+ marks in this stage.

The main objective of the interview is to assess your personal suitability for a career in public service. Please remember that this is not a test of your knowledge, but a test of your personality, attitude, aptitude, and mental abilities. The interview board will evaluate your mental alertness, critical thinking, logical reasoning, communication skills, leadership qualities, social awareness, ethical values, and overall outlook.

What is the difference between the UPSC Interview and the Personality Test?

The UPSC interview and the personality test are essentially the same thing. However, some people use the term personality test to emphasize the fact that the interview is not a mere question-answer session, but a holistic assessment of your personality. The term interview, on the other hand, implies a formal and structured interaction between the candidate and the board.

The UPSC itself uses the term personality test(CSPT) in its official notification and website. However, you can use either term interchangeably without any confusion. But remember that it’s a ‘Personality Test’ not a ‘interrogation’.

What kind of questions are asked in the UPSC Interview?

The questions asked in the UPSC interview can vary from board to board and candidate to candidate. There is no fixed syllabus or pattern for the interview. However, some of the common sources of questions are asked from:

DAF Based Questions

Your detailed application form (DAF), which contains your personal, educational, professional, and extracurricular details. You should be well-versed with everything you have mentioned in your DAF, especially your hobbies, achievements, extra curricular activities, and optional subject. Start researching on every aspect, from meaning of your name to a particular service preference.

Academic Background & Subject Specialisation

You should have a basic understanding of your graduation (and post-graduation subjects, if any) along with your optional subject. You should also be able to relate your subject knowledge with current happening around the word and practical solutions that can help streghten governance.

Jobs/Professional Career

UPSC Board wants to know you better! They wants to know about your previous job, any challenges you face and how did you overcome those? In nutshell, they wants to check;

1. What did you learned? Can you work in team and lead team if necessary?
2. Your attitude towards any job. Were you happy or sad in previous job?
3. Do you have a learning aptitude or not?
4. Can you work in under pressure & challenging environment?

You can highlight how your experiences have shaped your skills and perspectives, aligning them with the qualities required for a good civil servant.

About your Region & Locality

Your home state, district, and town. You should know the history, geography, culture, economy, politics, and social issues of your home state and region. For example-

1. Khap Panchyats, Child Marriages(Social)
2. Issue of poverty & Development(Economy)
3. Historical Figure or place, monument in your state
4. Power tussle between Governor and Chief Minister(Polity)
5. Good Governance Initiative & Policy implementation

Basically, you should also be aware of the recent developments and achievements of your state and district.

Current affairs and general awareness

You should be updated with the national and international events shaping global politics and matter shaping India’s interest. You should also have an opinion and perspective on these issues and be able to justify them with facts and logic. You don’t need to be a good diplomat for this, but having a balanced articulation will definitely get you more marks!

Situational and hypothetical questions

You might be asked to deal with a hypothetical scenario or a case study related to administration, governance, ethics, or public policy. You should be able to analyze the situation, break it down, identify the stakeholders, weigh the pros and cons of possible line of action, and suggest a practical and rational solution.

You don’t need to tell anything different, just apply knowledge of whatever you’ve studied in Polity, Governance and adhering to constitutional values with ethics and morality.

How to prepare for the UPSC Interview?

The UPSC interview is not something that can be prepared overnight, it can’t be cooked. It requires a well-rounded approach that goes beyond the traditional study of subjects. You should take a consistent effort to develop your personality, communication skills, and common sense.

As a engineer or doctor, you might be familiar with “Fake it, till you make it”. You might try to do that, but you can’t make it very well with people sitting in front of you, who have 40-50 years of knowledge!

That being said, you can definitely improve few thing;

1. Be polite & humble in your approach.
2. Don’t take anything on your ego.
3. Have a learning aptitude.
4. Say sorry, if you don’t know.

Some Tips and Strategies for UPSC Interview Preparation

Following tips can help you prepare for the UPSC interview;

First Know and Understand Yourself

This is “the” most important part of your Interview preparation and cool thing is, you try to look into yourself. Introspect about your strengths, weaknesses, and experiences.

In this interview preparation phase;

1. You’ll see your past journey.
2. You’ll see your own personality.
3. You’ll also realise the importance of hobby and how you’ve been detached from it since you began preparing for Civil Services.

Just relax! And be prepared for questions about your hobbies, and interests.

Revise your DAF and optional subject thoroughly.

You should be able to explain and justify everything you have written in your DAF, as well as answer any questions related to your optional subject.

Read newspapers and magazines regularly.

You should be aware of the current affairs and general knowledge topics that are important for the civil services. You should also develop your own opinion and perspective on these topics and be able to express them clearly and confidently.

Watch mock interviews and videos of previous toppers.

You can get an idea of the type and level of questions asked in the interview, as well as the expectations and feedback of the board members. You can also learn from the mistakes and best practices of the previous candidates and improve your own performance.

Practice with friends, family, or mentors

You can conduct mock interviews with your friends, family, or mentors who can give you honest and constructive feedback. You can also join online or offline platforms where you can interact with other aspirants and experts and get tips and guidance.

But don’t take all the feedback too seriously. Instead work on areas, which you feel are most important!

Work on your body language, voice modulation, and presentation skills.

You should be able to communicate your thoughts and ideas effectively and convincingly. You should also maintain a positive and polite attitude, eye contact, posture, and gestures. You should avoid fidgeting, stammering, or being nervous or arrogant.

Stay Calm and Composed

Maintain a calm and composed mindset during the interview. Listen carefully to the questions asked, take your to gather thoughts before answering and then answer properly.

UPSC Interview Process

The UPSC Personality Test usually about 30-35 minutes long. It is conducted in a formal (podium like) setting, and the panel members ask a wide range of questions to assess the candidate’s personality, and suitability for the civil services.

The questions can cover a variety of topics, including current affairs, general awareness, ethical dilemmas, and situational analysis. The asked by panel members are meant to test the candidate’s decision-making abilities and problem-solving skills, on different situation.

It is important to note that the UPSC Personality Test is not an elimination round. The panel members want you succeed. Your knowledge has been already tested in UPSC Prelims & Mains Exam. It is an opportunity for you to showcase your strengths, ability, and personality traits. The panel members are looking for candidates who have a balanced perspective, good articulation skills, and the ability to think critically.

Tips for UPSC Interview

In general you need to have a common sense and decent personality. Here are some additional tips to help you make a good impression during your UPSC Interview;

Be Honest

Answer questions truthfully and confidently. Do not try to fabricate information or provide false answers. If you’re supporting or providing any arguments, you need to have good authentic sources to back you point.

Have Empathy

Have empathy towards social issues, particularly towards vulnerable groups like tribes, minority or physically disabled. Also, just don’t get more emotional. They will check your Emotional Quotient. Thus you should have a balanced perspective and a genuine concern for the social justice.

Be Well-Groomed

You can have a saree or bleazer, whichever you’re comfortable in and maintain a professional look. This boost your confidence automatically!

Get all important Documents

Get all the important documents and keep it in the file/zip. Some important documents to consider-

1. One Identity proof, like Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, Passport or Driving License.
2. Minimum 2 Passport size photos.
3. Keep you Interview Call/letter or Hall ticket.
4. Important Academic documents like Class 10th, 12th Marksheet, UG (andPG, if any) Degree Certificates.
5. If you’re in final year and you didn’t received college degree certificate, don’t worry. You can submit them later by providing a written undertaking.

If you lost any document, or unable you to submit any document, just don’t get panic. Focus on your Interview. UPSC provides you time-frame within which you can produce original documents.

Be Positive

Maintain a positive attitude throughout the interview. Avoid negative comments or criticism. If you can Pay attention to your body language and maintain eye contact with the panel members naturally, then only focus on these thing. You can’t change yourself in such a short time, so just let it go.

Instead you can focus on-

1. Listening every question carefully.
2. Your answer and articulation.

Ask Questions

Towards the end of the interview, Interview board may give you an opportunity to ask questions. You don’t need to prepare some questions in advance to show your interest and curiosity. They will easily get this. Instead, if you have guanine question that came up during Interview process and are related with interactions you had with Interview Board; you can definitely ask them. It’s okay, even if you don’t ask question.

Conclusion

The UPSC interview is a crucial and decisive stage of the civil services exam. It is not a test of your knowledge, but a test of your personality. You should be prepared for any kind of question and situation that the board might throw at you. You should also be confident, honest, humble, and respectful.

Remember, the interview is not a one-way interrogation, but a two-way conversation. You should be able to engage with the board and impress them with your personality and potential. I hope this blogpost has given you some insights and tips on how to prepare for the UPSC interview. I wish you all the best for your exam and your future. Thank you for reading this post. 😊