How important is the Interview test?

While filling in the application form for the Civil Services Preliminary and Main examination, candidates are also asked to fill in their preferences for their appointment in various services once they qualify.

According to statistical results, people who score more than 60% enjoy a huge possibility getting into the service of their own choice, once they qualify in the interview.

About 90% of the candidates, who qualify for the interview, score around the range of 55%. If you are able to score more than 58%, it is quite likely that you would be appointed in a Class I service.

Confidence, self-assurance, tact and diplomacy play a key role for a successful interview test. The selectors in the interview panel analyse the thought process of the candidates and their ability and presence of mind to tackle tricky questions with diplomacy, without provoking controversies or attacking a particular section of a society with prejudice or racist remarks.

Candidates can score well in the interview if they keep themselves updated about the core socio-economic issues, foreign relations and current affairs of our country and converse about the relevant issues with clarity of expression.

Rules for choosing optional subjects for the Main examination

A candidate is eligible to choose an optional subject that he has not studied during the graduation or post graduation level. In addition, candidates can write the exam in English or any of the 22 languages listed in the Eighth schedule of the Indian constitution.

However, a student cannot write different papers of the Civil Services Main Examination in different languages.

Candidates are required to choose two optional subjects of their choice for the main examination. However, the following combinations of optional subjects are not allowed.

1. Agriculture and Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science.
2. Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science and Medical Science.
3. Anthropology and Sociology.
4. Commerce & Accountancy and Management.
5. Management and Public Administration.
6. Mathematics and Statistics.
7. Of the Engineering subjects, viz., Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering – not more than one subject.
8. Political Science & International Relations and Public Administration.
9. Two literature subjects cannot be opted together. Only one of them can be chosen.

Besides, the candidate can also opt for taking the interview in the same national language that he has chosen to write in the Main examination.