What is the importance of mock interviews for UPSC?

The UPSC CSE interview is the third and final stage in your dream of becoming a civil servant. If you have reached this stage, then it means that you possess knowledge that serves as the bedrock of your future civil service. Contrary to popular belief, the interview is not the arena where the panel is going to further test your knowledge. UPSC mentions that ”The Interview/Personality Test is not intended to be a test either of the specialized or general knowledge of the candidates which has been already tested through their written papers”.

This is where the mock interviews come into play. By recreating what the Board does to assess an aspirant, preparations are made to reenact the same in a mock interview. But the difference here is that extensive feedback is given to the aspirant so that they can correct their mistakes and appear in front of the actual UPSC Board for better results. Usually, an aspirant would concentrate more on the general knowledge to impress the Board. Even if the aspirant manages to factually answer the questions, the Board would award marks based on your 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.

How do we manage to produce toppers continuously? 

Now, let’s see how we prepare an aspirant to get the best marks every single time. It gives me immense satisfaction to say that we cover every step to make sure that each aspirant appears in front of the Board with the qualities they want in an ideal civil servant. Our entire team after countless discussions curated a process that has become the bedrock of our Interview Program. Below given are the highlights of our program.

1. Theme-based Group Discussion Covering Contemporary Issues- Not only does this improve your knowledge of current issues, but it would also help you overcome any stage fear or communication issues slowly. By starting with a group discussion, we are setting the stage for an aspirant to become more confident in the way they present their views.
2. Personalized SWOT Analysis and generation of questions based on DAF- By making a SWOT analysis(Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) of your profile and generating questions based on your DAF(Detailed Application Form), you will be ready for most of the questions that the Board is going to ask you. Questions that are asked to test you come from your life itself, and hence the DAF is something you have to focus on and that’s what we are here for.
3. Grooming your personality & Enhancing your verbal and non–verbal communication skills – The Interview/Personality Test is intended to judge the mental caliber of a candidate. In broad terms, this is an assessment of not only intellectual qualities but also social traits. Your personality comes into play while the Board decides your interview marks and that is why we focus on grooming your personality to match that of a civil servant. For example, the tonality of how you speak should not be overpowering nor arrogant, but gentle and confident. Individuals who sit up straighter are more likely to see themselves as having great leadership qualities, according to studies, whereas those with hunched postures are more prone to be easily stressed.
4. One-to-one Opinion Alignment Sessions and DAF Specific Discussion with Mr. Israel Jebasingh (IAS-2004) and Mr. Rangarajan (IAS-2005)- To clear any doubts you have on your DAF or anything related to the interview, this session may be used.
5. Optional-based questions and State-Specific Issues Support- To help you answer questions based on your options and any burning topic that has been in news from the state you were born/settled in.
6. 1000 plus Questions and Answers from DAF will be given to you to prepare for The Final Interview- This would help you understand how questions are asked from the DAF by the Board.
7. Managing your Stress Level- As blood and sweat have been poured over the years for this exam, it is completely natural if your stress level goes up. We do not wish to let go of any aspirants if they feel stressed/low.
8. Guidance sessions with those who have scored 200+ in the Interview- You will be guided by those who have managed to score 200+ in the interview.
9. Warm-up Mini-Mocks & Full-Fledged Mock Boards with High-Ranking, Senior Civil Servants- We start with mini mocks to slowly prepare you for a full-fledged Mock Board that is just like a UPSC Board. The Full-fledged Board will be headed by a senior/retired civil servant and they will be assessing you during the mock sessions and give their insights and tips after the mock interview is over.

As you can see, the Interview is the stage where UPSC is assessing your personality and what matters is that you have to start looking into yourself. You have given months for this exam and now you have almost reached the finish line. The final hurdle is where the panel looks into you instead of any knowledge that you have amassed so far and asks questions about you that you haven’t thought of. All we do at our program is to hold a mirror in front of you and help you know yourself and make yourself the civil servant that this country deserves. I wish you the very best for your final hurdle.