Did you just clear the UPSC prelims and UPSC Mains? You are now closer than ever before to your UPSC dream. This guide can be the final platform, to help you with the UPSC interview, and how one should approach it. The Union Public Service Commission or UPSC conducts this exam in three phases, each presenting its unique set of challenges. In this blog, you can get an insight on each round with previous exam patterns and syllabus. Additionally, discover the set of UPSC interview questions with answers that will help prepare for the final hurdle.
Understanding the UPSC exam structure
UPSC Prelims
This is the Preliminary stage of UPSC. Its purpose is to test the General Knowledge of the candidates and filtrate the large pool of candidates for the next stage, UPSC Mains. This exam is relatively easier than the other two and consists of Objective-type questions in MCQ format. Candidates need to give two papers in a single day. Though its marks are exempted from the construction of the final merit list, it is the first step towards UPSC with very unpredictable cut-offs each year. Here is a summary of the UPSC prelims exam pattern –
| Paper name | Paper type | Total No. of Questions | Total Marks | Duration of exam | Negative Marking |
| General Studies Paper I | Objective(MCQ) | 100 | 200 | 2 hrs | Yes (⅓ for each incorrect answer |
| General Studies Paper II | Objective(MCQ) | 80 | 200 | 2 hrs | Yes (⅓ for each incorrect answer |
UPSC Mains
Those Candidates who qualify for the required cut-off in UPSC Prelims are eligible to appear in the UPSC Mains exam. It is the second and the longest round for selection in the UPSC examination.
This round is spanned across a set of 9 papers in 5 days. Marks obtained in this intensive round directly affect the final scorecard. Unlike UPSC mains, all questions are descriptive in this round with no negative marking or so. Here is the exam structure for UPSC Mains-
| Paper Name | Paper Type | Duration | Total Marks | Negative Marking |
| Compulsory Indian Language (Paper A) | Subjective | 3 hours | 300 | No |
| English (Paper B) | Subjective | 3 hours | 300 | No |
| Essay (Paper I) | Subjective | 3 hours | 300 | No |
| General Studies I (Paper II) | Subjective | 3 hours | 300 | No |
| General Studies II (Paper III) | Subjective | 3 hours | 300 | No |
| General Studies III (Paper IV) | Subjective | 3 hours | 300 | No |
| General Studies IV (Paper V) | Subjective | 3 hours | 300 | No |
| Optional I (Paper VI) | Subjective | 3 hours | 300 | No |
| Optional II (Paper VII) | Subjective | 3 hours | 300 | No |
UPSC Interview Structure
This is the last and final stage, with all your hard work and dedication boiling down to this interview. The marks given in the interview aren’t biased based on one’s performance in the Prelims or Mains rounds. It is a completely new experience where one is required to show confidence and proper communication. We will get on to UPSC interview questions with answers, but before that let us understand the structure of the Interview process-
| Exam name | Duration | Total Marks | Subjects |
| UPSC interview | Generally lasts about 20 minutes | 275 | Testing of one’s personality, awareness, knowledge, IQ, judgment, moral sense and so on |
How many make it to the UPSC interview round?
Here is a list of the no. of candidates that make it to the UPSC interview round-
| Year | No. of Candidates that applied | No. of Candidates that made it to the Interview round | No. of Candidates that get selected for the post |
| 2022 | 11.5 Lakh (approximately) | 2529 | – |
| 2021 | 11 Lakh (approximately) | – | 761 |
| 2020 | 10.5 Lakh (approximately) | – | 796 |
| 2019 | 8 Lakh (approximately) | 2034 | 829 |
| 2018 | 10.6 Lakh (approximately) | 1992 | – |
| 2017 | 9.6 Lakh (approximately) | 2562 | 1056 |
| 2016 | 11.2 Lakh (approximately) | 2961 | – |
| 2015 | 9.4 Lakh (approximately) | 2797 | 1078 |
| 2014 | 9.4 Lakh (approximately) | 3308 | 1236 |
| 2013 | 7.7 Lakh (approximately) | 3001 | 1122 |
| 2012 | 5.5 Lakh (approximately) | 2674 | 998 |
| 2011 | 4.9 Lakh (approximately) | 2415 | 999 |
| 2010 | 5.4 Lakh (approximately) | 2589 | 965 |
| 2009 | 4.1 Lakh (approximately) | 2431 |
This shows how tough it is to get to the interview round with a success rate of 0.003% (on average). Thus, one must utilize this chance and give their best to get the job.
UPSC Interview: Confidence is a Key
UPSC interview is one of the toughest interviews in the world but that thought should not predominate over one’s confidence. Nor one should be boastful of clearing the UPSC prelims and UPSC Mains examination and head in with overconfidence. Candidates need to present who they are and what the preparation for Civil services has made them.
Many Candidates mistake the interview round to be majorly knowledge-based but that is not true. UPSC interview questions with their answers are a way of testing a candidate’s personality. One’s personality is tested from various angles by the interview panel, as they try to decipher the candidate. A few of the things to keep in mind are-
- Show who you are
This is the most true part of your personality. This encompasses many of the learning you received, your upbringing, values, approach to certain topics, and how you deal with social and moral issues as an individual and not necessarily as an aspirant.
- Have a real way of thinking
Try not to jump into a fictional world by losing the factual part. You should answer in a straightforward way related to the question asked and not lose perspective. If a question is asked in a manner “What would be the first thing you would do if you win the next general elections?” Don’t answer in a manner like “I would end communalism” or “I would end unemployment” but rather “I would give emphasis on reducing communalism” or “I would try to minimize the growing cases of unemployment”
- Try to have the correct information
A wise man once said that little knowledge is a dangerous thing. This phrase aptly fits here. The UPSC interview questions with answers can be seen as a set of intellectual conversations among brilliant minds.
Thus, it is very much advisable to try not to give any false information under the notion of trying to know everything. That sets up a bad impression in the minds of the interview panel. Rather just say “I don’t have much knowledge about this topic” if you have no idea about the question asked.
Some of the Common UPSC Interview Questions with Answers
The questions asked in a UPSC interview have a hidden aim behind them. This is mostly related to testing your personality as mentioned before. It is important to mention that there are no probable questions but rather a range of questions demanding different traits to answer.
Some of the UPSC interview questions with answers are given below:
- Questions on one’s background
Q. Why did you choose to pursue a career in Civil Services?
Ans: This is a question related to the background of the aspirant and his nature of motivation to do civil service. Many candidates leave their jobs as engineers or bankers to appear for the UPSC examination. The answer to this question should be straightforward and real. One should genuinely express his/her love for Civil Service and what motivates them to put in the hard work.
One must also explain why he/she left the previous job (if any) along with explaining the reasons behind doing UPSC.
- Questions to test one’s ethics and decision-making
Q. What would you do if you needed to decide whether to permit a rally of a Hindu Community festival in a Muslim-majority area on Eid or Muharram?
Ans: Questions such as this are to test your ethics and decision-making. When you are at such a powerful and responsible post, situations like these are you will deal with. In a country like India which is the largest democracy one shouldn’t forget the basic concepts of secularism and the right to freedom but you should also talk about the proper safety measures you would take to avoid conflicts and friction between the two communities. You shouldn’t be biased towards one community and do what would be the best in the given situation.
- Question on your strengths and weaknesses
Q. Tell us about your strengths and weaknesses.
Ans: You need to remember in mind that every person in this world has both strengths and weaknesses. Many Candidates hesitate to reveal their weaknesses. Talking about your weaknesses doesn’t demean you or make you more vulnerable. Rather be honest with your answer as it would mean you have the humbleness and courage to accept both your strengths and weaknesses.
- Questions on recent national or international topics
Q. Give us your thoughts on the Russia-Ukraine war.
Ans. Questions like these need preparation and knowledge to answer. On being asked, one needs to gather all the information he/she has and present it in an unbiased and factual way. Any personal opinion should not be presented factually but should be specified as an opinion.
These were some of the common range UPSC interview questions with answers and how one should approach them.
What goes behind the Preparation for the UPSC Interview
Preparation for the UPSC interview depends on various factors. It is not completely based on knowledge but also on your personality. The above-mentioned UPSC interview questions with answers show the same thing. Knowledge can be gained from a lot of sources, reading the daily newspaper as a habit is a fine start. Keeping knowledge about recent events from phone or news channels is also important.
Moreover, one can also watch the mockup UPSC interviews available on YouTube to get a feel of what is asked. A lot of hard work and dedication is put into the preparation of one of the toughest exams in the world, UPSC. And it is important to receive guidance from a reliable and experienced source. One such source is iQuanta, a premier coaching platform and the choice of many UPSC aspirants that molds your wit and determination into your Civil Service dream.
