According to currently employed IAS officials, aspirants should carefully plan out their responses for the DAF in order to remain calm during the real interview.
Civil Services Examination-2023 interviews are being carried by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). A Detailed Application Form (DAF), which asks for details about the applicants’ personal and professional lives. They must filled out by all candidates who took the personality test.
The CSE Mains score determines whether a candidate will be on the list, but the interview has a significant influence on their rank and determines their service assignment. According to currently employed IAS officials, aspirants should carefully plan out their responses for the DAF in order to remain calm during the real interview.
“Most of your interview time spent discussing the information you provide in the DAFs. The interview panel assumes that you took a conscious decision to divulge your personal information in the DAF and hence expects you to defend, analyse, and elaborate on every piece of information provided,” Jitin Yadav, a West Bengal cadre IAS officer said.
The chairman and five other interviewers are waiting for a candidate when he walks into the interview room. A candidate seated across from them, and his DAF is the sole source of information about him. Consequently, it is necessary and important for applicants to be truthful in their responses.
interview experience of candidates :
“The DAF has information regarding your cultural and educational background, professional history, experiences, hobbies, and interests. It is basically a summary of who you are. Your answers need to be authentic and practical as theoretical answers won’t work. The practical answers should be based on your experiences as the board is looking for practical solutions for the problems. Also, you shouldn’t boast about anything,” said Vinayak Narwade, an IAS officer from the Karnataka cadre.
Narwade secured 212 out of 275 in the UPSC CSE interview. He recollects the most of the questions in his interview were related to his professional qualification.
According to civil servants, if an applicant is working at the time of the interview or has previously worked but left, they should be ready to answer inquiries about their job duties and responsibilities, the company’s history, and their reasons for leaving, among other things.
IAS Sweta Mohanty described her interview experience, stating, “In my first UPSC interview, I asked questions on my native state of Odisha and its history. I was rather anxious when I appeared before the interview panel for the first time. That’s why I quickly forgot several crucial historical details.
Understand your state’s geography :
The panel may inquire about information related to one’s hometown and state’s geography and history in addition to academic credentials. “It’s critical to stay current on both recent and historical happenings in one’s home state. You can also questioned about the reasons for your relocation and the location of the city. If you have studied in locations outside of your state or birthplace, Yadav said.
Civil employees think that being honest is the key to answering questions from this portion of the DAF, which is one of the toughest to prepare for.
“One of the aspirants I met with had indicated gardening as his passion in the DAF,” Yadav stated. Coincidentally, one of the interview panel members had the same passion. He accompanied him to the garden area to test his gardening expertise. As a result, anything you discuss in the DAF should thoroughly prepared to be justified during the interview.”
IPS Ashmita Chavan, a Kerala cadre officer who stated ‘playing Sudoku’ as a pastime. He was quizz on the game. “The panellist interested in playing the game as a pastime since ‘people play it as a Sunday newspaper game,’ stated one board member. I was quizz on the hidden triple, the 45 rule, and whether Sudoku may have many solutions. I knew the answers to the most of the questions, but the usage of zero questions fooled me. “With such questions, the board mostly examines your honesty in your responses. Because applicants frequently list exotic hobbies only to look educated,” Chavan explained.