What UPSC Expects from an Aspirant?

Wirth respect to examination pattern/scheme, UPSC expects the following abilities from the aspirant (at different stages of the examination):

Prelims

• Clarity of Mind: In order to make a fair choice and serve the interests of society, a public servant must possess a mind that is highly clear in its thinking. Similar to this, the intellect must be sturdy and powerful enough to bear pressure and provide thoughtful answers to the queries.
• Speed: An administrator must make important choices quickly.
• Decision Making: An administrator's success is based on how many wise decisions he has been able to make in his life that have an impact on the nation and its citizens.
• Memory: Should be able to organise what is needed even in hazy circumstances.
• Focus: An administrator's intellect excels at concentration.
• Awareness: To make wise decisions, a civil servant must be informed of the times, their demands, and the technology and resources at their disposal. It is required of a civil servant to pay attention to what is going on around them and to remember it. Undoubtedly, such a mind would possess a wealth of knowledge and facts that he could draw from while making a decision. Such a mind would be progressive, logical, and always at work.

Mains

• Analytical Ability: The test of a good mind is how well it can analyse situations; a mind like this is more effective. Such thoughts are necessary for administrators.
• Novelty: When someone makes a decision to take a new action, society changes. An administrator's contribution to society and the nation is taking on new initiatives. If he is unable to do so, he is only allowed to play the manager who oversees the organisation of things.
• Proficiency in Expression/Language and Presentation: In the same way that a bee must collect nectar from numerous flowers in order to make honey, an aspirant must gather knowledge from a variety of sources in order to write effective answers in Main examination. A good administrator has to interact with a variety of people. If one lacks proficiency in language, he/she will not be able to govern people effectively.
• Brevity: Every day, civil servants must brief superiors verbally on a variety of topics. Additionally, they must submit files with comments. Long comments and excessive talking are indicators of a feeble mentality. An administrator is thought to be a guy of brevity.
• Integrity: It is not difficult to understand why a government worker should be morally upright, highly intelligent, and honest.

Do graduation subjects play a role in preparation? Yes Strong Base for UPSC Optional: Having a graduation subject as an optional is clearly a day zero advantage. You have a solid base when you start your preparation. Be mindful before choosing subjects in Graduation: Candidates should choose a subject that they are passionate about. The preferred choice should be a subject they can build a career around with skills that are relevant to the market. The UPSC exam can be tricky. In case it doesn’t work out, it will be the graduation subject that will help an aspirant kickstart the career. No Start from Scratch: It is a level playing field when you are competing for the Civil Services. The opportunities are equal and everyone has to begin near zero. A humanities student who studies Economics, History or Geography in graduation may have an upper hand at the initial head start but eventually, they have to read science and technology as well. Hence, it neutralises the effect for main preparation. Engineers opting for Humanities: There is no denying the fact that most optional toppers are from an engineering background (with humanity optional). This tells us that optional subjects can be prepared even if one is not graduating in that subject.

Interview

The objective of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public service. The test is intended to judge the mental calibre and overall personality of a candidate.

• In broad terms, this is really an assessment of not only his intellectual qualities but also social traits and his interest in current affairs. Some of the qualities to be judged are mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, balance of judgement, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion and leadership, intellectual and moral integrity.
• It is not intended to be a test either of the specialised or general knowledge of the candidates which has been already tested through the written papers.
• Candidates are expected to have taken an intelligent interest not only in their special subjects of academic study but also in the events which are happening around them both within and outside their own state or country as well as in modern currents of thought and in new discoveries which should rouse the curiosity of well-educated youth.

UPSC expects the following qualities from future bureaucrats –

• Respecting One’s Identity: Respect your culture, society and language to learn about your country and equip yourself before aspiring for civil service jobs.
• Quality of Knowledge rather than Quantity: A considerable percentage of science and engineering graduates who aspire for civil services prefer humanities as an optional subject. In that case, one has to go beyond peripheral knowledge to score high.

One has to study in-depth about his or her village, district, state and country before accumulating knowledge about the world.

Objectifying the UPSC Syllabus is Important. Why? Importance UPSC strictly adheres to the syllabus. Though, sometimes it seems like questions are asked from outside of the syllabus, they are actually in some ways related to it. So, before preparing for the exam, please read the syllabus very carefully. If possible, memorize the syllabus as – This will improve the interlinkages you build. When you read something in a newspaper or magazine, you will immediately see the link as to how it all fits together. You will quickly memorise it and apply it in reference to other concepts you may have already studied. Finding and using the interlinkages will help you perform better on the test. Additionally, it simplifies things for you. You'll be able to read the study material in a more constructive way once you understand how you'll use it later. Managing UPSC Syllabus First, let's acknowledge that the UPSC syllabus is extensive and calls for both diligent and smart study. Analysing previous year's test questions will help you identify your areas of strength and weakness as well as the subjects with which you are most familiar and those with which you struggle. Try to finish each subject before moving on, and then update your knowledge of current events every day by reading a national newspaper. Aim to complete your integrated preparation (for both the Preliminary and Mains) by the end of December so that you may comfortably prepare for the Preliminary examination. If possible, take a test series to identify your areas of strength and weakness. Set aside 2-3 months exclusively for preparation for the Prelims exam. Cover as many questions from previous years and model tests as you can. Make a thorough plan for which tasks you will finish first and which ones you will put off. Try to stick to your targets. Compartmentalize the syllabus into various small targets. And finish it off gradually. If planned meticulously, the syllabus can be finished off in a timely manner