Post 1:

This is what is known about the current situation for interview calls
(collated data) :
1. The number of candidates to be summoned for interview will be about twice the
number of vacancies to be filled.
2. The interview will carry 275 marks (with no minimum qualifying marks).
3. Cutoffs for CSM 2013: General - 564/1750
4. Total vacancies this year (all categories combined) : 1364
5. Therefore expected interview calls : about 2730 (about 1300 for GCs)
6. The candidate will be interviewed by a Board who will have before them a record
of his career.
7. He will be asked questions on matters of general interest. The interview test is
not intended to be a test either of the specialised or general knowledge of the
candidates which has been already tested through their written papers.
8. The object of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate
for a career in public service by a Board of competent and unbiased observers. The
test is intended to judge the mental calibre of a candidate. In broad terms this is
really an assessment of not only his intellectual qualities but also social
traits and his interest in current affairs.
Some of the qualities to be judged are :
-

mental alertness,
critical powers of assimilation,
clear and logical exposition,
balance of judgement,
variety and depth of interest,
ability for social cohesion and leadership,
intellectual and moral integrity.

9. The technique of the interview is not that of a strict cross-examination but of a

natural, though directed and purposive conversation which is intended to
reveal the mental qualities of the candidate.
10. Candidates are expected to have taken an intelligent interest not only in their

special subjects of academic study but also in the events which are happening
around them both within and outside their own State or Country as well as in
modern currents of thought and in new discoveries which should rouse
the curiosity of well educated youth.
11. Important old threads :
[Discussion] Interview - Procedures, Certificates and
Logistics :http://forumias.com/discussion/3668/discussion-interview-procedurescertificates-and-logistics/p1
Interview 2014 Transcripts and
Experiences : http://forumias.com/discussion/3923/interview-2014-transcripts-andexperiences/p1
- Next : What to prepare / study now (based on this and DAF)
- Fellow Mods requested to add / modify these posts if they need to add anything.
Post 2:
What to study / focus on (trying to be exhaustive - bear with me) :
From the notification :
1. Record of his career : Your academic background. Special subjects of academic
study.
2. Matters of general interest / Current affairs : "Events which are happening
around them both within and outside their own Country." Don't stop reading and
revising the news.
3. Home state data / news : "Events which are happening around them both
within and outside their own State"
4. Modern currents of thought and new discoveries which should rouse the curiosity
of well educated youth.
From the DAF :
5. About the UPSC
6. Meaning of your name / parents' name
7. About your city, district, state

8. Year of birth
9. Marriage (if applicable)
10. Reason for the choice of medium and optional
11. Parents' professions (details)
12. Places you or your parents originally belong to
13. Your school(s), class 10 and +2 boards
14. About subjects learnt (all your life)
15. About marks obtained - why so high or low?
16. Your graduation (or PG) stream and subject of choice
17. Subjects read in graduation or (PG)
18. Your college and university
19. Your past and present employers
20. Why you wish to quit your profession
21. Prizes and medals won
22. Sports or lack thereof
23. Position of leadership in college
24. Hobbies / ECAs
25. Choice of home state
26. State / cadre preference
27. Service preference
28. Would you join a specific service or not if allotted? Why, wrt your current job.
29. Past recruitment by UPSC

30. Age and shots

From past transcripts :
31. GS - IV (Ethics) syllabus in details
32. GS - III as well as political ideologies in details
-listen to debates specially on rajya sabha Tv if no Tv then listen to news on AIR and
spotlight news
-while listening try nt to just pick up what the debator is saying but also think what
would be your answer
-make a list of issues from now onwards for interview, if no energy then you can join
some interview coaching esp vajiram
-try to discuss with one or two friends
-LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST YOU GOTTO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, NOW IT WONT JUST
APPEAR ALL OF A SUDDEN HENCE DISCUSSION WITH FRIENDS
- no one can be spontaneous if he/she has a burden on head, now for us it can be
either expectations, gf, marraige etc. Try to face them rather than getting bogged
by them.
After reading many interview scripts written by aspirants, I have reached to the
following conclusion:
1. Interview is very random. It may depend upon new headline which appeared in
recent newspaper, it may depend upon the person who have appeared before you
in front of the board and it may very well depend upon the mood of the interview
board.
2. Every word in DAF is worth of running your whole interview around it. So DAF
should be minutely scrutinized and researched.
The only solution is that you have to CALM DOWN yourself during the process.That
is important because then only you can listen carefully,analyse properly and answer
accurately.