Tips to Prepare DAF Section for CSE Interview

DAF, which stands for Detailed Application Form, is a very crucial document, and it defines everything from the career of a candidate to their posting. Hence, extra care should be given while filling the DAF. Here we have discussed the very nitty-gritty of the same.

What details are to be filled in Detailed Application Form?

• Candidates who have been declared qualified in the written part of the Examination have to first get themselves registered before filling up the online Detailed Application Form (DAF) at the website www.upsc.gov.in.
• Under online Detailed Application form i.e., DAF, a qualified candidate has to provide information regarding his/her background such as home state, academics, etc. Along with their background details, candidate has to provide service and cadre preferences.

Interview board specifically asks questions about home state. Therefore, what to prepare with respect to home state?

• Home state refers to state from where candidate originally belongs to. Candidate should preferably focus on history, geography, culture, speciality, present issues and challenges of home state and district.
• Along with the home state, candidate should also possess basic knowledge about present place of residence or place where he/she is working/ or worked most recently.

With respect to your academic background, which aspects need to be paid attention?

• Revise very basic about the subject of your graduation, especially if not in touch with sometime.
• If you have not done well in your academic past or even work-profile wise, then accept it honestly before the interview board, without blaming any situation or family conditions, etc.
• Do say that you are a fast learner and have been trying to improve your-self. The fact that you are appearing before the interview board despite poor academic performance in the past, bears a testimony of your hard work and resolve.

If you are working, which aspects should be prepared with respect to work profile?

• Thoroughly prepare about each and every aspect of your previous and present job profiles and work experience, in case you have worked or are working at present.

What should be kept in mind if you have any gap year?

• Prepare an answer for gap year, between year of graduation/post-graduation and the present year (when you are appearing for interview), in case not working.

What should be your stand to the board, if you were asked about not clearing the exam and future plan?

• Prepare an answer for a situation what would you do in case of not being able to clear this examination. Take this question positively and answer with firmness.

What to be kept in mind regarding Optional paper and General Studies?

• Make a list of standard books of the optional paper you have and have a cursory glance of such books.
• Do not name notes of any coaching institute as the study material for preparing optional paper and general studies before the interview board.

Which topics and areas should be prepared for interview?

• Prepare a list of topics which needs opinion-based approach preferably on current issues as such questions can turn your interview in either ways.
• While explaining on any issues do not keep your responses factual before the board. Try to keep it analytical and well thought-off, as a budding bureaucrat would be expected to do.
• Read some good books written by contemporary socio-economic; socio-political as well as contemporary historians, authors and thinkers, which can help in developing your thought process. For instance, Gurucharan Das, Ruchir Sharma, Abhijit Banerjee, Ramchandra Guha, Adam Tooze, etc. In case there is paucity of time, then read short summary about their works on internet.

What points should be kept in mind while opting for service preferences?

• Basis or ground on which Service preferences are indicated in DAF should be prepared well so that you can reasonably justify the same.
• For instance, if opted for IFS/IPS/IRS as first option, then prepare a well-thought out response to justify that choice.

How and what to prepare for the hobbies/ interest section of DAF?

• Hobbies, interest, etc. as indicated in DAF to be thoroughly prepared.
• For instance, if playing Chess is the hobby, then prepare about origin of chess; different types of moves (Cessilian Defense); terminologies; famous male and female players in world and India; current world champion; Indian junior champions; different tournaments of chess in India and in the world; why chess is not included in Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth, etc.
• Do not indicate interests and hobbies in your DAF, just for the heck of mentioning it. It can seriously ruin your interview, if you get caught before the board. In case if you have done, then thoroughly prepare all of them.
• Talk humbly about your achievements and hobbies. You may have mentioned some hobbies in the form without serious background in them, but before the interview it would be useful to pick up some basic info on the hobby.

What should be your body language while entering, leaving and in between the interview time?

• When you enter, first greet the Chairman and then rest of the board. If there is a lady member, then greet her first.
• Sit on the chair only after the interview board has asked you to take your seat.
• Sit in an erect posture and try to keep your face calm and cheerful. Practise it daily with your friends and colleagues.
• Do not over concentrate on your hand and gesture that whether it is appropriate or not while you are giving interview before the board. This may divert your attention and you may look nervous and a restless person to the board.
• Too much concentration on your body language and gesture shall not affect quality of your answer as all the time in your interview you would be thinking about it, rather than concentrating on the quality of your response. So develop a balance during the mock interviews.
• Do not fidget or throw your hands around, or shake your head. Less amount of movement does not mean you should sit unnaturally stiff. Your posture should be attentive and relaxed at the same time. Do not crouch/bend forward or place your hands on the table.

What personality traits should be shown to the interview board?

• Learn art of keeping yourself cheerful and lively. Try to stay fit and undertake some physical exercise, meditation, yoga, running, walking, etc. which will enhance the aura of your personality.
• Identify traits a good bureaucrat is expected to have. Try to inculcate them in your personality so that it naturally comes out in the interview.
• Be rational in your answer before the interview board and try to come out as a person who tries to solve problem and has innovative thinking.
• Read some best practices of governance in the country as well as in the world. Quoting them will add more weight to your responses before the interview board.
• You need to show the best qualities which you have before the board.
• In case if you are asked to rate yourself in terms of your integrity, then rate it 10/10.
• Do not show your biases, such as along caste-lines, communal-lines, political parties, etc.
• Do not get too friendly with the board.
• Avoid hard stance as well as over-generalisations about contentious issues.
• Avoid seeking sympathy of the board on the ground of poor family conditions, coming from a backward region of the country, etc.
• Do not show yourself as a person who has lot of regrets about himself/herself in life.

How to utilise mock interviews?

• Attend each mock interview in a well-dressed and same manner as you would go on your actual date of interview. This will keep you acclimatised with the process.
• At least try to take 3-4 mock interviews from different institutes, so that you have a chance to get different set of opinions about your performance.

What should be kept in mind if you are not fluent in any language as medium to communicate?

• Language is only a medium of expression, what exactly matters how logical one person is in giving answers. So, do not get nervous if not fluent in language. Take your time and express yourself rationally before the interview board.

How to respond to various situations in interview board?

• In case of any tricky question or situation, one gets trapped before the board, follow an approach which sticks to rule-book and Indian Constitution.
• Be humble in your approach.
• You can say “Sorry Sir, I am not able to recollect” for any factual question board has asked you.
• In case you have given a wrong response and board has pointed it out, then thank the board member who has pointed that out and gently revise your response.
• While your interview is going on, if Chairman or some member goes out, then do not panic, you keep calm and continue with your good performance.
• Try to avoid idealistic approach and idealistic answers before the interview board.
• Do not get stubborn, in case a board member points out any inaccuracy in your response.
• Even you have failed to answer most of the questions in the start of your interview itself, hold your nerves and wait for the right moment to bounce back.

Some Other Points which You Need to Focus

• Board Members: There are generally 5 members at the board with the Chairperson seated at the center. Enter confidently and greet the Chairperson, who will probably welcome you, and pleasantly nod at other members. Wait till you are asked to sit.
• Intelligent listening is the mantra, and for this maintaining eye contact is very important. You should not glare but all the same appear attentive and do not glance at other members, it can be very distracting for the interviewer. However, if some other member asks you anything, look at that member and answer and turn back to the first - this is what we do in normal attentive listening.
• Cut your answer short to the required patience shown by the member talking to you. They usually like to talk more, so listen carefully and think for a few seconds before you start answering the question. This will show that you are organising your thoughts in mind before starting to speak.
• Leave some room for difference in opinion. Do take a stand, but do not look adamant or unwilling to appreciate the board's opinion.
• Use couple of words from the question while answering any question. It shows you have listened to the question carefully. But at the same time limit the use the technical jargon.
• Listen very carefully. Come to the central issue of the enquiry immediately. Wild guessing or speculation is a complete no.
• Do not start evaluating your performance while still in the interview. Even if you have committed mistakes in the beginning, do not think that you have already lost the game. They are looking for warm, sensitive respectful and attentive youngsters. They know you are good or you would not have come so far.
• Say less to convey more. Less is more these days as per the minimalist creed. Argue logically and generalise correctly. Do not try to read too much between the lines.
• Remember, while answering any question, what is easy to see is easy to miss. We often tend to miss the obvious and go for some non-crucial aspect of the subject.
• Get up to leave only when the Chairperson asks you to, not because you think everyone has asked a question. Similarly, even if someone has not asked a question and the Chairperson asks you to leave then please leave. Some members do not ask questions at all, due to various reasons like limited time.
• Before leaving, politely thank the Chairperson and nod at the others politely. Avoid saying "Have a good day sir". A "Thank you Sir/Madam" is enough.