New Delhi: Timeline reached out to a UPSC candidate who appeared for the personality test held recently and shared some insights and glimpses of the inside experience and exposure with us. The UPSC 2024 interviews are going on which started in January and will end in April 2025.

The rationale of the candidate behind sharing the interview experience is to reach out to those candidates who are appearing for the UPSC personality test for the first time and sitting in far-flung areas without much exposure to the true information and exposure inside the interview hall.

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(The name and the identity of the aspirant are not revealed here.)

Q1. Tell us something about your board.

Ans. My board was very cordial and supportive. Dr. Dinesh Dasa sir was the chairman. He made sure to make me feel comfortable.

Q2. How was your experience when you entered the room.. were you nervous or what… did the board try to make you comfortable?

Ans. I was nervous while waiting outside the room, but not when I entered the room. A bit of prep talk with my self helped a lot. The board did try to make me feel comfortable by greeting me back with smiles.

Q3. How many members were there on the board, and how they started the interview?

Ans. There were five members on the board. They greeted me back and told me to sit down and be comfortable before starting the interview straight away with a question without asking for an introduction.

Q4. What was the first question they asked?

Ans. The first question was, ” It has been observed that many civil servants leave their jobs to join some big company in a foreign country. Do you think people will keep doing it?”

Q5. From which areas they asked most of the questions, and did you expect these questions to be asked of you?

Ans. Most of the questions asked were from my DAF (Detailed Application Form) only, especially from my optional subject, i.e., Urdu literature. I did expect a few of them to be asked in the interview.

Q6. How did you feel while you were answering their questions? Do they feel satisfied most of the time, or do they counter you?

Ans. I was happy while answering most of the questions because they were from my domain. I would like to think that the board was satisfied with most of my answers as they were smiling throughout the interview, but then again, you never know what they feel about your answers. Some counter-questions were also there, especially from a lady member, but they were manageable.

Q7. Did you appear for the mock interviews, and how they shaped your preparation for the final UPSC interview?

Ans. I did appear for a few mocks. They helped to boost my confidence and to structure my answers in a better way.

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Q8. Do you find any similarities between Mock interviews or differences between the UPSC interview and the board?

Ans. The real interview was very different from any of the mocks that I had given. The board was more cordial and helpful, and there was negligible grilling.

Q9. How much time did your interview take, and what do you expect from the board?

Ans. My interview went on for around 45 minutes. I honestly do not expect anything from the board, as you can never be the judge of your performance. You may end up getting 200+ even when you feel like your interview didn’t go well.

Q10. Any suggestions or messages you would like to give to those candidates appearing for the interview in this attempt?

Ans. Stay calm, focused, and confident. These are the biggest assets you will be carrying with you in that room. Do not bluff, no matter what. Stay true to yourself, and do not try to be someone else. Lastly, enjoy the process as you’ve earned it, and not many get to experience this.