#upsc interview

Some interesting questions and events.

UPSC CSE interview is one of those events that have reached a level that is almost of mythological and folklore proportions. By which I mean that talk to anyone and all of them have a version of their own about the thing from how to go about it to what happens in an UPSC CSE interview.

I gave 2 attempts and having faced the board twice, getting a decent score twice and a rank, twice, I think I can tell you a bit more than hearsay.

UPSC CSE interviews are very famous for being unpredictable and can easily surprise you. They are truly based on a syllabus which covers “everything under the sun and beyond.” I had a similar experience, as in, some of the questions asked to me were truly out of this world and beyond my expectations. In both my interviews, I was asked certain questions, though completely understandable and legitimate, I was not expecting. One of them was, the very first question. Having given many mocks, I was, like everyone, used to answering basic questions, from the background, education, family, past experience etc at the beginning and only after that does the board get into the details of the DAF. But, to my absolute surprise, the very first question asked to me, was, in my first interview was, “Tell me Gandhiji’s economic philosophy in one word”. Now, it might seem tough even in a written exam but to have it as your opening question on the day of your actual personality test was just something else. Imagine expecting a question like, “Tell me the meaning of your name” or “Why did you go to IIT if it was IAS you wanted” or “What are your hobbies” and getting this instead.

I was surely in a state of shock for exactly 3–4 seconds, I did regain my senses and took a deep breath and smiled. Having studied Gandhiji and his philosophy in my preparation, I gave the answer and they were satisfied with it. Now, the question is perfectly legitimate and the interviewer had many reasons to ask it, from Political Science being my optional to Reading being my hobby, from Gandhiji having a profound impact on almost every aspect of Indian existence to this being an UPSC CSE interview and Gandhiji’s value being a driving force of all public services and much more. But, it was still a surprise for a first question.

But this made me ready for just anything.

I clearly remember that in my second attempt, one gentleman from the North East, he himself told me later in the interview, asked me around 25 questions on football, it being the sport I have loved and played and also mentioned in the DAF. He asked me questions like, “Who were the finalists in the World Cup held in 1974?”, “Who is credited with inventing Tiki-Taka?” etc This was such an amazing and fulfilling spell as I was prepared for all of this, and not just because of the interview but being a football lover I have over the years read so much about football that these questions were a pleasure for me to answer.

Another instant from the interview which comes to my mind was from my second attempt, but a brief background first. The Chairman of my interview board was Shri B.S. Bassi, IPS (Retd.) and it was a coincidence that the chairman of my first interview board was also him. Now, it happens rarely but it does. He had given me good marks the last time so as soon as I entered the room, I gave a slight sigh of relief, as human nature would have anyone doing it. I still wonder sometimes if he recognised me but that look he gave did say, “oh, I have seen home before.” But, I can’t say it for certain. So, I sat down and after the chairman and a few others have asked their questions, I was asked, “Can you name a few Polymers used in Space?”. Now, Polymer Science is my graduation subject and so this was not a big deal. But, I took a pause to recollect my thoughts, as I didn’t want to just blurt out the first few names that came into my mind. But as I was naming them and their use, Bassi sir intervened, “Come in, that’s not used in space, that’s not good enough for Earth”, apparently referring to one of the polymers I named. Now, when your interview is going smoothly and suddenly you have the chairman intervene, you know it’s not normal, that’s too him saying something which is against what you were saying, more reasons to get worried. But, I was confident and said, “Sir, I am sure that it is used in space exploration vehicles.” He said, “okay, if you are sure then I might be wrong.” I am sure that he was testing if I was confident about what I was speaking and how early do I give up on my answer, a factual one, from my field of study. Anyways, it went well and he gave me good marks in my second interview as well.

An article about the mistakes generally made in the first attempt.

Having done it, I guess I can try to explain what goes wrong.

UPSC CSE is one exam which if not the most difficult to crack it is the most difficult to understand and figure out, that’s where the problem starts.

I have always maintained and I always tell my friends, juniors, aspirants that your first attempt is your best attempt and the best chance at this examination. Why? Well for starters, one is at least very excited by the fact that he is beginning something new and fresh, that he will read so many diverse books(book lovers think that way), that he will soon become an IAS or an IPS or an IFS etc, that soon everyone will be proud of them, and many more such thoughts make you work hard, at least at the beginning.

But, there are certain things which if not done properly, make this exam very tough to crack, specially in first attempt, they are:

1- Failure at time management:

UPSC CSE requires you to make a very compact time table, at least for the initial phase of say 4–5 months and follow it religiously. You must not think that your regular day, with hours on social media, a few with your friends, a few episodes of your favourite TV series etc will leave you time, absolutely not.

Aspirants fail to adhere to their time tables and thus, they fail to meet the deadlines they themselves make and this has a negative effect on their mind.

2- Piling up the work:

Even when aspirants do meet their time targets to study 7,8,9 hours a day, they often fail to meet the targets of the topics they wanted to cover. What happens next, they decide to do this one topic tomorrow with tomorrow’ topics, which never happens.

3- Prelims or Mains or Both?:

This is one of the very basic problems, faced by beginners. That they can’t make out if they have to first cover prelims or take mains simultaneously.

If one looks at the syllabus, it’s very similar for both prelims and mains, but, the demands are very different. Mains is a subjective exam and needs both depth and breadth in your knowledge, with an answering ability that allows you to say what the question asks in a very lucid and to the point manner, in a very simple language. While prelims is an objective paper, it needs practice at solving questions as much as mains, this fact is many times ignored by the students. It is not completely their fault either, coaching institutions have though made all the hullabaloo around prelims and mains test series, but in fact forgot prelims, which needs question solving as much. One needs to be in the mode, which aspirants often ignore.

4- Too Many opinions, too many plans and too many changes:

Hoarding books by asking about them from various toppers, teachers, fellow aspirants is one of the biggest problems. Students end up having multiple books, notes, sources for the same topic and they are then confused how to go about finishing them.

This is not only a waste of time and money but also harms them psychologically, to see a pile of undone work and books is a pressure of different sort, it is a constant reminder of the fact that you have not done so much.

This is not needed at all, just follow one source for one topic, that’s it.

Another issue is that too many opinions and strategies are available. I have always said that one must discover their own strategy, they can listen to all but not try and incorporate everything and be like all.

5- Patience, patience, patience my boy!:

This exam is a test of patience. Don’t expect results over night, it might take some time when you start scoring say 120 in prelims GS paper 1, so, be patient. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Don’t be disheartened, people fall and fall again, only to rise stronger.

6- Losing your Life:

Another crucial aspect is that one might go to an extreme of cutting himself of from everyone and everything but must not cut themselves from their own selves. They must take some time out to nourish their body and soul, develop a hobby and give some time to it.

It refreshes your mind and keeps you motivated.

7- Bad Luck:

This exam is also very much about good luck favouring you. The subjective nature of mains and the interview leaves a lot on luck and one can never be sure about their strategy or any planning. Many a times you get the lowest marks in the paper you thought you did the best at, many a times you get low marks in interview when you get more in written than many others and miss out, many times Prelims is such that it’s all but a guessing game after an extent, so, work hard to negate this factor as much as possible but it is there.

8- Bad advice/ Wrong Guidance:

I got some of it as well, when a teacher told me that you don’t need to join any test series for mains, for your optional and you will get the highest marks the way you were writing anyways, I took it, didn’t get a second opinion and had to pay the price and got a much lower rank than I could’ve gotten in my first attempt.

Another bad advice I got was that handwriting does not matter at all, and all that matters is that you finish the paper. Ridiculous, basic common sense would say otherwise.

THIS IS WHAT MOST PEOPLE MISS OUT ON, IN THEIR FIRST ATTEMPT. BUT THIS IS NOT ABOUT GLORIFYING THOSE QHO GET THROUGH IN FIRST ATTEMPT. ONE THING MUST BE CLEAR, FIRST OR LAST, ALL ARE EQUAL AND YOUR ATTEMPT SAYS NOTHING ABOUT YOUR ABILITY.

Everything has a dark side.

Interesting question and one which I can take on.

So let’s see, here it goes:

1- LUCK MATTERS: Yes, no matter how hard you study sometimes luck does screw you up, you can only work harder the next time to increase your chances and make luck’s role minimal. Also, you can always make yourself lucky.

2- HARD WORK PAYS, SOONER OR LATER, MAYBE VERY LATE BUT NOT TOO LATE: Might sound opposite to what I said in point 1, but then, hard work will surely pay, remember, you can only even blame your luck when you have done a certain level of hard work.

3- NOT AN IQ TEST: This exam is not an IQ test and is more concerned with your common sense, patience and perseverance. Also, to all those people from so called “normal colleges”, you might even have a better chance than the IIT folks as you don’t have the burden of expectations.

4- SUBJECTIVITY AT ITS BEST OR SHOULD I SAY WORST: No one knows on what basis are marks given in mains or the personality test, it’s all a guess work and the one who comes the closest, succeeds. But yes, with practice, you can develop the skills to meet the hidden demands.

5- THERE MIGHT BE SOME BIASES.

6- HIGHLY UNPREDICTABLE: It is probably known to all that it is perhaps the most unpredictable exam ever and anywhere. You can never be sure about anything, more so in your interview, they can ask you about anything, yes, literally anything. But, confidence and calm will help you overcome this unpredictability.

7- UPSC ASPIRANT IS NOT EQUAL TO GENIUS: A lot of people fool around, many instances of even marriage and high dowry, which is absolutely wrong under any circumstances, have also come up. That does not mean a genius can go around doing any of this. But the fact that you have given or cleared an exam does not make you a genius.

8- LUST FOR POWER AND MONEY IS THE MAIN ATTRACTION FOR MANY: This is sad but true, many and there are a large number of exceptions to this, yes, many are trying for an UPSC exam for money and power, this is mainly because the image of bureaucracy has not changed over the years even when it has contributed tremendously to the cause of nation building.

9- WASTED YEARS: Sadly, due to failure of the system to provide jobs, the obsolete selection processes of other exams and many other reasons, people waste the prime of their youth running after this one exam. This is a national disaster, which occurs every year and needs some urgent attention.

10- LIFE AS AN ASPIRANT IS NOT EASY: I was lucky not to experience this but many batchmates and seniors have told me. Life is hell after a point of time specially if your parents and others are non supportive, you are alone in this battle. This is also a reason that the psychology of a successful candidate post this phase is affected in such a way that he/she might lose the sympathy towards others and treats them the way they were treated as aspirants.

All said, this exam is still the most fair and rewarding exam in the country. It is also a gateway to the finest opportunities you would have to serve the nation. It is also, in the end, worth all the trouble.

Preparing for the UPSC Prelims 2026 within six months may seem challenging, but with the right strategy, discipline, and guidance, it is absolutely achievable. The key lies in smart planning, focused revision, regular testing, and balanced preparation for both GS and CSAT.

This 6-month study plan is designed for aspirants who want a clear roadmap, whether they are beginners or repeaters, and especially for those preparing with or without the support of a UPSC Coaching Institute in Bangalore.

Understanding the UPSC Prelims Structure

Before diving into preparation, aspirants must clearly understand what UPSC Prelims demands.

UPSC Prelims Consists of:

General Studies Paper I (GS):

History

Polity

Geography

Economy

Environment & Ecology

Science & Technology

Current Affairs

General Studies Paper II (CSAT – Qualifying):

Comprehension

Logical Reasoning

Basic Numeracy

Data Interpretation (Minimum 33% required to qualify)

Ignoring CSAT is a common mistake; therefore, timely practice or joining CSAT Classes for UPSC is highly recommended.

Month 1 & 2: Foundation Building Phase

The first two months are crucial for building conceptual clarity.

Key Focus Areas:

NCERTs (Class 6–12) for:

History

Geography

Polity

Economy

Science

Standard reference books

Daily newspaper reading

Monthly current affairs magazine

Study Strategy:

Study 8–10 hours daily

Focus on understanding concepts, not rote learning

Make short, revision-friendly notes

Start CSAT basics:

Percentages

Ratios

Reading comprehension

Many aspirants prefer enrolling in a UPSC Coaching Institute in Bangalore during this phase to gain structured guidance, expert explanations, and syllabus clarity.

Month 3: Syllabus Completion & Sectional Tests

By the third month, the focus should shift toward syllabus completion and practice.

Key Focus Areas:

Environment & Ecology

Indian Economy (advanced concepts)

Indian Polity revision

Current affairs of the last 8–10 months

Practice Strategy:

Start sectional mock tests

Analyze mistakes topic-wise

Identify weak areas

Increase CSAT practice to 3–4 days per week

If CSAT feels difficult, enrolling in CSAT Classes for UPSC at this stage helps build confidence and speed.

Month 4: Revision + Full-Length Mock Tests

This phase is about strengthening what you have studied.

Focus Areas:

First complete revision of all GS subjects

Previous Year Questions (last 20–25 years)

Current affairs integration with static subjects

Mock Test Strategy:

Attempt 2–3 full-length tests per week

Focus on:

Accuracy

Question selection

Time management

Maintain an error notebook

Mentorship from a reputed UPSC Coaching Institute in Bangalore can be extremely valuable in analyzing performance and fine-tuning strategy.

Month 5: Weak Area Improvement & Second Revision

This is the most important phase for improving scores.

Focus Areas:

Polity, Economy, Environment (high-weightage subjects)

Frequently repeated UPSC themes

CSAT speed and accuracy

Key Actions:

Revise notes multiple times

Avoid new sources

Improve elimination techniques

Attempt CSAT mocks regularly

Aspirants attending CSAT Classes for UPSC often find this phase helpful in clearing the qualifying paper comfortably.

Month 6: Final Revision & Exam Readiness

The last month should be calm, focused, and revision-oriented.

Final Month Strategy:

Revise short notes only

Revise current affairs (last 12 months)

Practice limited mock tests

Focus on CSAT formulas and comprehension

Maintain physical and mental health

Avoid information overload during this phase.

Suggested Daily Study Schedule

Static Subjects: 4–5 hours

Current Affairs: 1.5–2 hours

Revision: 2 hours

CSAT Practice: 1–1.5 hours

Consistency matters more than long study hours.

Role of Coaching & CSAT Preparation

A good UPSC Coaching Institute in Bangalore offers:

Structured study plans

Expert faculty guidance

Regular test series

Performance evaluation

Peer learning environment

Similarly, dedicated CSAT Classes for UPSC ensure:

Strong fundamentals

Improved speed and accuracy

Confidence in qualifying Paper II

Final Thoughts

Education News: यूपीएससी सिविल सेवा परीक्षा में साक्षात्कार एक निर्णायक चरण है। इस दौरान अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल केवल ज्ञान नहीं परखते। ये सवाल उम्मीदवार की तार्किक क्षमता और सोचने के तरीके की जांच करते हैं। ऐसे ही पांच चुनौतीपूर्ण प्रश्नों के बारे में जानकारी यहां दी गई है। इन प्रश्नों का उद्देश्य रटी-रटाई जानकारी को जांचना नहीं होता। इंटरव्यू पैनल उम्मीदवार की मौलिक सोच और समस्या समाधान के…

Education News: यूपीएससी सिविल सेवा परीक्षा में साक्षात्कार एक निर्णायक चरण है। इस दौरान अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले सवाल केवल ज्ञान नहीं परखते। ये सवाल उम्मीदवार की तार्किक क्षमता और सोचने के तरीके की जांच करते हैं। ऐसे ही पांच चुनौतीपूर्ण प्रश्नों के बारे में जानकारी यहां दी गई है। इन प्रश्नों का उद्देश्य रटी-रटाई जानकारी को जांचना नहीं होता। इंटरव्यू पैनल उम्मीदवार की मौलिक सोच और समस्या समाधान के…

The UPSC Personality Test which is often referred to as the UPSC Interview is not a test of knowledge but a test of personality, poise and perspective. It’s the final stage that separates a candidate from their dream of joining the civil services. Out of 275 marks, every mark counts and what you bring to the table isn’t just facts. it’s yourself.

The UPSC interview preparation stage is crucial for candidates aspiring to join India’s civil services. Officially called the "Personality Test," this phase assesses not just knowledge but also personality traits, decision-making skills, and emotional intelligence. Here’s an insight into what UPSC interviewers look for in a candidate.

1) Clarity of Thought 

One of the first traits interviewers evaluate is clarity of thought. Candidates are expected to articulate their ideas logically and concisely. This is especially important when answering opinion-based questions or explaining viewpoints on current affairs. Ambiguity or beating around the bush may suggest a lack of preparedness. 

2) Confidence and Composure 

The UPSC interview panel observes how well a candidate handles pressure. Confidence, without crossing into arrogance, is a key attribute. Maintaining composure while answering tricky or controversial questions demonstrates the candidate's ability to remain calm under stress—a vital skill for civil servants. 

3) Knowledge Beyond Academics 

While academic knowledge is a foundation, the panel expects candidates to have a well-rounded awareness of various subjects, especially current affairs. Topics like governance, economics, international relations, and social issues often come up. Staying updated during your UPSC interview preparation can significantly improve your performance. 

4) Decision-Making Skills 

Civil servants frequently face challenging situations requiring quick and sound decisions. The interview panel assesses a candidate's ability to think on their feet and provide pragmatic solutions to hypothetical scenarios. These questions are designed to evaluate critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities. 

5) Ethics and Integrity 

UPSC places a high value on ethical conduct and integrity. Interviewers may present ethical dilemmas to gauge the candidate’s moral compass. Answers that reflect honesty and adherence to principles leave a strong impression on the panel. 

6) Communication Skills 

Effective communication is essential for public administration. The ability to express ideas clearly, listen attentively, and respond appropriately reflects good interpersonal skills. Practicing mock interviews as part of your UPSC interview preparation can help refine these abilities. 

7) Alignment with Civil Service Values 

Lastly, interviewers look for candidates whose personality aligns with the ideals of public service—humility, empathy, and dedication to the nation. These qualities often shine through in personal anecdotes or responses about life goals. 

Conclusion