‘UPSC mock interviews are like rehearsals before finals, shouldn’t be missed’

“The goal of the UPSC Mock Interview is to assist a candidate in assessing his strengths and shortcomings prior to the UPSC personality test. It is like the rehearsals carried out before the actual performance,” Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer Jitin Yadav highlighted.

Why is it important to appear in mock interviews?

IAS Jitin Yadav explained that while one can thoroughly prepare themselves for the interview, they cannot self-analyze their performance. “The purpose of a UPSC interview is to assess a candidate’s personal suitability for a career in the public sector. The line of questions asked in the interview can be challenging, and it’s frequently framed in such a way that the candidates get perplexed. In such circumstances, a candidate may become apprehensive and ruin the entire interview. Mock interviews can help candidates dodge such situations,” Yadav elaborated.

“Appearing in mock interviews will provide a simulated environment like that of an actual UPSC interview and will help identify possible mistakes one could commit on the interview day. The feedback received from the mock interview panel also helps in improving the answering style, body language and voice modulation,” he further added.

Since each year, many aspirants appear in the UPSC Civil Services Interview for the first time, mock interviews will also guide a candidate on the possible questions that could be framed based on his/her Detailed Application Form (DAF).

How many mock interviews should an aspirant appear in?

“At least two to three mock interviews are recommended for those appearing in the Civil Services personality test. However, it largely depends on the interview date. If a candidate’s interview is scheduled after a month of mains result declaration, they can appear for four to five mocks,” Yadav pointed out.

He further explained that it is crucial that aspirants should maintain an interval of atleast a week between two mock interviews. “It is important to constructively work on the feedback received in a mock interview and spend the following week enhancing one’s performance. I will also recommend that candidates should not appear before the same mock interview panel each time but should explore his options to get varied feedback,” he emphasized.

However, he warned the candidates to consciously pick up the right feedback and not over-analyze the critiques and comments of the mock interviewers.

Should candidates already in service appear for mock interviews?

While the UPSC Civil Services interview might be the first one for many candidates, there are a few who are already in the allied services and reappear to get into the top services like – Indian Administrative Services (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Foreign Service (IFS).

As these candidates have already faced and qualified the interview before, there is an apprehension among them if they should appear for the mock interview again.

As per IAS Jitin Yadav, every year a candidate will face a different set of questions depending on the change in their professional trajectory. “If one in re-appearing for the interview, it is unlikely they will face the same questions again. In a year, new developments are added in the world and in certain cases in a candidate’s DAF as well. It is important that such candidates also appear in the interview to understand the probable questions as per the latest developments,” Jitin highlighted.