Civil Services Main exam and Interview

Civil Services Main exam and Interview




The main examination of the Indian Civil Services consists of nine papers. The first paper carries 300 marks and is an Indian language the candidate chooses. The second paper is English, of 300 marks while the third paper is an essay paper of 200 marks.

Papers four and five are of general studies and is 300 marks each while papers six to nine are on two subjects the candidate chooses. Each subject is of 300 marks, and spans two papers each. The candidate has three hours to answer each paper while the total marks here are 2000.

The optional subjects the candidate can choose from are Agriculture, Botany, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Economics, Civil Engineering, Geology, Geography, Chemistry, Indian History, Political Science, Law, Botany, Electrical Engineering, Commerce, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, Philosophy, Zoology, Public Administration, Medical Science and Sociology.

The interview

The interview of the Civil Services exam is also called a personality test that tests the overall personality of the candidate. It carries 300 marks and is not always a question answer session. The board members may ask anything during the interview to find out more about your personality.

If you don’t know the answer to any question, don’t hesitate to say ‘I don’t know Sir/Mam’. Say this confidently, with some cheerfulness as your intelligence levels have already been thoroughly tested in the preliminary and main exams.

Break up of questions

The interview is more of a natural and purposeful conversation and not a cross examination. It’s better to keep a photocopy of the form you fill for the main examination handy.

This is because most of the initial questions of the interview like your educational background, the meaning of your name, hobbies, your professional experience, etc come from this form. About 70% of the questions are based on your bio-data, 20 questions on your subject and 10% on current affairs. This is why you should be abreast with whatever happens in and outside the country.

If your home place has anything of historical importance or of tourist interest, its better to prepare on it. If you seem to be more of a bookworm to the interviewer, your chances for selection are considerably reduced. It is only if you show an all round personality do you have a better chance at passing the interview.

It’s always better to hold a few mock interviews for practice, with 4-5 other people before your actual interview. Have friends grill you so that you can confidently face the board.

Dress code

Make sure you dress well for the interview. Wear ironed, comfortable clothes of light colors, preferably white. Men should wear a light colored shirt and dark pants, with a tie if possible while women are best in a sari or salwar kameez. Wear convenient, polished, black or brown footwear. Remember that the first impression is always the best impression so create a positive impression at the interview.

You have to reach your interview about half an hour early so that you have time to relax. Knock before entering the board room, greet the members and don’t sit down till asked to do so. Lady members should be greeted first and all board members thanked before leaving the room. Be cool, transparent, truthful and predictable throughout the interview and don’t give hasty replies or be too argumentative with your answers.

Career options and remuneration with civil services exam

Career options and remuneration with civil services exam
Posted on Aug-19-2012



The civil services exam is one of the most respected competitive exams conducted in India. Thousands of people attempt these examinations with the hope of getting a government job to serve their country.
The reason for this is that the civil services exam provides great career options based on the marks the candidate gets in the prelims and main exams, and of course, the interview. It is based on these marks that the candidate is recruited in various services like the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Foreign Service, various departments like Post and Telegraph and Finance and so on.
A job in any of these disciplines gives the candidate power in the country. Candidates are ensured promotions on a timely basis, if they serve their country well. With these promotions, the candidate experiences an automatic increase in their privileges.
Why people look for civil services career options
The selected candidates are first put through short training sessions at an academic staff college that is associated with the candidate’s allocated service. The greatest and the most popular reason for people to seek a career in the civil service is its job security.
Another popular reason for a civil services career is the special facilities associated with the job. Candidates who get jobs in the civil services experience special facilities like telephone and transport facilities, subsidized accommodation, leave travel concession and medical benefits. The last reason for people to opt for a job in the civil services is the satisfaction they experience while they participate in the development of their country.
Remuneration
There are fixes salary grades for Civil Servants. The range of salaries of this staff is usually divided into Junior Officers who earn about 22,000Rs, Senior Officers who earn about 29,000 Rs., Junior Administrative Grade Officers who earn about 29,500 Rs., Selection Grade officers who earn about 34,000 Rs., Additional Secretaries who earn about 48,000 Rs. and the Secretary or Cabinet Secretary who earn about 30,000Rs. per month. While this is a generic approximation of remuneration for various jobs, the different branches of different services have different pay scales.
Additional benefits
Besides all these remunerations, salaried civil service servants receive various additional benefits like City compensatory allowance, Leave Travel Allowance, Dearness Allowance, Medical and subsidized housing.
Even though the salary of a person in the civil services may not be as much as the salary of a person working in a private company, the additional allowances and intangibles make up for all this.
In addition to all this, as a government employee, you are assured the job security associated with a governmental job. Once you manage to get yourself into the government job sphere, you can well expect to remain there for some time.

11 tips for IAS aspirants

11 tips for IAS aspirants
Posted on May 24, 2010 by admin| 553 Comments


The Civil services is a very rewarding exam that promises great career options and remuneration. To successfully face and complete the ordeal of the preliminary and main examinations of the Civil Services Exam, and face the interview, here are some tips IAS aspirants find useful to them.
1. First and foremost, you have to be very particular about the subject you choose for your prelims. This is an objective type paper, so choose scoring subjects like Maths, History and Geography. Additionally, the subject you choose should be one that has various books, reading material and guidance you can use while preparing for the exam.

2. General knowledge will be of great help in your prelims. So read newspapers, books like the Competition Success magazines, watch TV news and as many knowledgeable quiz shows like KBC as possible.

3. Remember that book knowledge is not important at the interview stage. If you reach this stage, be ready for questions like the number of steps you took to reach the interview place, and the color of the wall behind you.

4. Your personality decides your selection. So ensure you are medically fit for the examination, especially if you aim for a career in the IPS.

5. Improving your communication skills help you as IFS aspirants have to be well versed in at least one foreign language. So it’s better to learn French or German if you plan to answer the Civil Services Exam.

6. While the interview is held in the month of April or May the following year of the exam, its call is usually sent in the month of March or April.

7. Put on your best dress and attitude for the interview as the interviewers always keep a lookout for candidates with a well-adjusted personality and one who has social traits, integrity and leadership traits. All this is because it is only these type of people who are best fitted for a job in the Indian Civil Services and who succeed at these exams.

8. When you attend an interview, remember that the number of candidates called for the interview is usually twice the number of available vacancies.

9. Remember that the whole selection process for the civil services take a year or rather 18 months.

10. You have to not only do well at the prelims and main examinations, but also at the interview as it is the combined marks of the exams and interview that determine the final placement.

11. If you get a high position in the exam, you have a say in the choice of service. Otherwise, you have to accept whatever is offered to you. The other alternative you have is to make another attempt as you are permitted a maximum of four attempts at the exam. However if you opt for this, you will have to start from the start, and first attempt the prelims.

With the help of these tips, you will be able to perform better at the Civil Services exam, and thus have a better chance at getting better jobs with better remunerations.