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Valuable tips to crack UPSC personality test! - 13-Apr-2017
Joining the prestigious Indian Civil-Services has been a cherished dream for decades, for millions of young aspirants.
The year long, three stage selection process called the Civil-Services examination conducted by the UPSC, culminates with the personality test or the interview.
With nearly 275 marks (out of 2025) in the fray, the personality test represents the make or break stage for the nearly 3000 aspirants who are able to reach this final gateway. Understandably,every candidate endeavours to give her/his all; for what is at stake is not only the past years of arduous effort but the prospect of joining an esteemed service with diverse and promising career.
However, preparation for the personality test and particularly for the personal profile, remains a perplexing issue for many.
How much should I prepare? Do I also need to revise my optional subject/the subject of graduation? Can I be asked about my last job, where I only had a short stint of less than a year? Being an engineering graduate from IIT, will my switch over to the generalist stream be perceived negatively? What all should I prepare from the State of my domicile? What questions are they going to ask about my hobby? If singing/dancing is my hobby then would they ask me to actually sing/dance? What should I say if they ask me as to what have I been doing in the past five years since my graduation; when since then, I have only been preparing for this examination and reached interview stage for the first time?
These are some befuddling doubts and queries which repeatedly nag the aspirants.
Here are some pointers which would be helpful in preparing for the personal profile and also in tackling some of the aforesaid unremitting and lurking fears. But first things first. What does the ambit of personal profile entail? This includes the entire gamut of information which is furnished by the candidate in the detailed application form (DAF) submitted to the UPSC. This would range from one’s name and date of birth to the State of domicile, from current job to educational profile, from hobbies, interests and achievements to the family background and from the optional subject to the subjects of graduation.
The DAF is the only document about the candidate before the Board Members. Understandably, the poignant aspects of it are quite likely to catch their attention and culminate into a reasonable number of questions. Being akin to the home turf of an aspirant, there is a justifiable expectation of the Board that the aspirants would be prepared well on it. The queries from personal profile may initially be factual or ice breaking type questions, pertaining to hobbies and interest or even one’s name (particularly if it is uncommon). But later, questions to gauge critical thinking, analytical ability, views and opinion and thoughts of the candidates are invariably asked. The latter type of queries are often from the job experience of the candidates, challenges before the State of domicile, concurrent issues emanating/relating to one’s optional/graduation subject, reasons for switch from a technical/well paying job, or even from hobbies, interests and achievements section.
Previous job experience (if any) is one of the most crucial areas of preparation. It has the potential of engaging the interview panel in a discussion for a reasonable part of the interview and must be prepared well irrespective of one’s job tenure. Of course, if the association is greater than a year, then the expectations are more and mere superficial knowledge would not suffice. To begin with, understand the objectives and functions of the organization, its structure and hierarchy, its strengths and weakness, challenges before it and how to surmount them. More specifically one’s role, job content and its demand. The probability of questions emanating from this area become higher if the organization/its functioning has been in news in recent past.
Regarding the issue of switchover from a technical stream (viz, IIT/AIIMS, engineering field) or a high paying job (post an MBA); do remember that there is no debarment of such candidates in joining the civil-services. The oftcited argument of waste of knowledge or social resource due to joining of a generalist service by such specialists,is merely a clichéd argument. In the past also many professionals and technical personnel have joined the civil services and are likely to continue in the future. They are akin to a few bubbles in the large cauldron of professionals being churned out in this country. Do they result in any meaningful loss of technical/professional manpower to the society? Purge out any sense of guilt or trepidation that such qualification may be perceived negatively. Similarly, your reaching the interview stage after many failed attempts, is a reflection of your hard work and perseverance and not a cause for self- reproach.
Preparation about the State of domicile is an essential constituent of the personal profile and includes within its ambit information about the State, district, city/town of domicile or residence where you have stayed for a reasonable period in recent past. Questions are more likely to emanate from here if the state/district/city has been in news off late, has some poignant aspect,is known for its developmental work, or for lack of it, or for its unrealized potential. Questions can be factual viz. from social and cultural profile, geographical/historical aspects as well as analytical ones regarding uniqueness of the region, its strengths and weaknesses, challenges,problems and solutions. Go through the publications of National Book Trust(www.nbtindia.org) on different States and the state gazetteers which contain a wealth of information. Latest information on the state/district websites are also pretty helpful.
Hobby interests and achievements is yet another area which invariably give rise to a question or two. As such aspirants must not shy from indicating a hobby. Rather they should be very specific about the description of the hobby. Thus, instead of merely mentioning reading as a hobby, it is better to qualify it with reading; novels, magazines, short stories, fiction, etc. (or their combination). Such a description captures the attention of the reader a bit more while enabling one’s preparation to be more specific and narrower.
To prepare for hobbies ask yourself,as to what questions can be asked from this area. (say,what would you ask if you are an interviewer). Also ask a person who has expertise or experience in that field to help with framing of possible questions. Jot down 10-12 questions and prepare your answers. Further also ask yourself as to what queries can possibly emanate from your reply and then prepare on them. Do remember that Board is not likely to ask you to show case your talent (viz. sing, dance or display your philately collectionetc.) but test your awareness and depth of understanding about the subject. As such read books and articles related to your hobbies and interests. Your perspective should not merely be to gather information about the field but to have its analytical and holistic understanding.
Do not forget to prepare about your optional/graduation subject. You need not revise the entire subject again as you have already been tested on it in the Main examination. But one should revise the fundamentals and latest developments (if any) particularly of the topics which are related to concurrent issues.
Last but not the least, your answer must be sincere and honest. A fake veil of idealism (say; the reason for aspiring for civil services) will not see you through. But in case your idealism is genuine then your self-belief and sincerity will be your testimony. And yes,do not try to bluff the Board you will only be bluffing yourself.
---- Madhukar Kumar Bhagat, the author is an IRS officer and the author of the popular book ‘Civil Services Interview : How to Excel’, published by M/s McGraw Hill
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