Top 50 IAS (UPSC) Interview Questions With Answers

Indian Administrative Service (IAS) interviews require good preparation and confidence. An interview in a brief. High spikes. Big reward. Even some coercion too. if you are not prepared. No refusal, no stand by – but you are barely home free. The offer letter means you are qualified. The interview is where you contest. 

Chances are, the interviewer may throw short-term and long-term aims and substantial strengths and weaknesses into the blend. Of course, there is the common question, “Tell me about yourself?” You know the connotation. You can achieve success only through hard work and preparation.

This is a comprehensive list, and by going through these questions, you will be able to approach your IAS interview with a good idea of what to anticipate. 

To start with, let us revise the top 50 IAS interview questions, which are asked most often. Go through the following questions which will help you to crack the interview.

Top 50 IAS Interview Questions

Go through these 50 IAS interview questions which will help you to track the interview.

Question 1-Tell me about yourself?

Speak about yourself like name, qualification and previous job profile, etc.

Question 2-Tell me about your strength and weakness?

This question will help to buff your skills. Firstly, recognize your strength and tell about your experience, skills, knowledge, and abilities. Then when you are going to tell you about your weaknesses you must answer positively. For example, you can tell like you hate lying, disloyalty, etc.

Question 3-Give a brief description of your hobbies?

You have to talk about the hobby so you must think well about your hobby and then give an answer politely.

Question 4-In the next 5 years from now, where do you wish to see yourself?

Do not forget that you are there to connect to that organization; your plans must be structured as you are going to connect to the organization for a long time and show your commitment to the interview.

Question 5-What did you learn from your blunders?

Everyone makes mistakes but there are only some people who really realize their mistakes and do not repeat their mistakes, I am also one of those persons.

Question 6-How much hard work have you done on your UPSC knowledge last year?

You must have to incorporate improvements that can be mentioned as positive self-improvements and also show your fancy in learning by listing hobbies that are non-work related.

Question 7-Why did you leave your previous job?

You may answer like this; you did not get a good chance to prove yourself or you want to countenance a new challenge. Show your attentiveness in the job profile for which you are giving an interview.

Question 8-Why do you want to join Civil Services?

This question is asked for checking your earnestness and your inclination. Interviewers get a good idea about the frame of mind of the applicant by scrutinizing his response.

Question 9-If you were the Collector or Superintendent of Police of Ajmer, Rajasthan, what would you do after the bomb blast in the city?

Some contextual questions like this are asked by the interviewers to examine your presence of mind. So, you must evolve a logical and foreseen thinker mind to countenance the IAS interview.

Question 10-What are your goals?

Speak about your aims and goals of life, what you desire to do after becoming an IAS Officer, what alterations you want to do to the national environment, and how you will manufacture them.

Question 11-To whom and to what do you credit your success?

To my father, who inculcated the joy of serving others and developed the aspiration for joining the Civil Services in me. To my mother, who is a role model to me, being a triumphant woman both in the professional and personal front despite the tremendous destitutions she faced.

To my husband, who encouraged me by his sensitivity to the persecuted and made me stronger to countenance the challenges that life has to offer. To my teachers, who made this learning process amusing, and to my friends who stood by me in the difficult times.

Question 12-Why did you choose Civil Services as a career?

I selected it for three reasons: To bring the change I desire to see in the world; the job offers the likelihood of huge satisfaction and the assortment of job assignments.

Question 13-How should one evaluate oneself before deciding to choose Civil Services as a career?

If you have a deep longing to serve and you derive contentment from non-monetary incentives, this is the precise path for you.

Question 14-When did you deliberately start your preparation for this examination?

In my final year of college.

Question 15-When should one ideally start the preparation process?

At least one year before the exam.

Question 16-It is said that the Civil Services examination needs constant and sustained hard work. How did you keep yourself persistently motivated? What was your source of inspiration?

Learning is fun and if one sups the joy of learning new things, it can make the exam preparation a consummated exercise irrespective of results. For instance, when I learned how and why the winds blow, earthquakes and volcanoes occur, why the third battle of Panipat fought, how the poverty line is calculated, etc, it gave me great joy. Secondly, this exam is a means to a big end. When one visualizes the joy of living the dream of becoming a civil servant, the endured hard work one has to put in becomes endurable.

Question 17-In your opinion, how pivotal is the selection of an Optional subject for success in the examination?

It is quite pivotal. Unless one has the bent for the subject it is very difficult to transcend in it.

Question 18-What should be the criteria for opting for them and how should one go about it? Should one choose the subjects studied at college or go for new ones?

The criteria should be based on the following: Interest, aptitude, availability of reading material, and guidance.

The factors for one opting optional other than her or his graduation subjects are the wideness of the CSE syllabus, uncertain scoring pattern, and dearth of aptitude in the subject. If this is not the case, then one should definitely choose graduation subjects and cash in on the ease and experience.

Question 19- What are the areas in GS Paper I and II in the Main examination in which the applicant can score marks easily?

With the changing pattern of exams, it is really hard to describe the scoring areas.

Question 20- Did you make any mistakes during your preparations?

In the search for perfection, I squandered a lot of time. I did not take the 2008 attempt as I was not instantly ready to go through this exam process all over again.

Question 21-How many hours do you spend in the preparations regularly?

According to me, there is no standard prescription. The only thing that should be kept in mind is the fecund study and smart job.

Question 22-What is more dominant for this exam, intelligence, or hard work?

Intelligence plus hard work is smart work.

Question 23- Do candidates with a technical background have an advantage over general students?

According to me, an intelligent, aware, and inquisitive person from any field should stand a good chance.

Question 24-Where did you practice for the examination? Does the place of practice or preparation matter?

I did most of my preparation from Delhi. The place of preparation matters to the extent that quality guidance and access to civil service-related books are available.

Question 25- If I go away with your sister, what would you do?

For my sister, I cannot find the right bridesmaid like you.

Question 26-Adarsh and Anupam two twins born in May, but their birthday is in June | How is that possible?

May is a place name.

Question 27- If you got up in the morning and came to know that you are pregnant then what will you do first?

I’ll be euphoric and to go first foremost husband will share this news.

Question 28- How can a man stay alive for up to 8 days without sleep?

A man sleeps at night, then what you need to bed in the day.

Question 29- Peacock is a bird who does not lay eggs, then how are peacock’s children born?

The female peacock eggs, not the male peacock.

Question 30- Can you name Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday 3 successive days without taking their name?

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.

Question 31- How do you leave a raw egg on a solid surface, it does not crack?

The egg will not disturb the Solid surface; you can take leave.

Question 32-A cat has three children, a cat named Their January, February, and March. What is the name of the cat?

The answer is in the question. A cat named is ‘What.’

Question 33- What will be 4 and 5, if 2 is a company and 3 is the crowd.

4 and 5 there are always 9.

Question 34-What looks like half an apple?

The second half apple.

Question 35- A murderer was sentenced to death. Shown three rooms. The first room is on fire with the second guns with the murderer in the and the third tiger, who had not eaten for three years. What should he opt for?

Room number 3, because the tiger would have died in 3 years because of hungriness.

Question 36- 8 people take 10 hours to build a wall-mounted, how many days it would take to 4 people.

No need to make it now since the wall has already made 8 people in 10 hours.

Question 37-If you have 3 apples and 4 oranges in one hand, on the contrary, 4 apples and 3 oranges, then what do you have?

Colossal hands.

Question 38- How can you lift an elephant with one hand?

It is not a big deal, since you will never find an elephant with one hand.

Question 39- In which State is the Bay of Bengal?

In the liquid state.

Question 40-If you throw a red stone into the blue sea, then what will happen?

The stone will be wet and will drown.

Question 41-James Bond without a parachute after jumping from Aeroplane, is alive, how?

Because the airplane was on the runway.

Question 42-Tell me about yourself? or Give a brief introduction about yourself.

This is probably the most standard question asked in nearly every interview and not only for civil services exams. If you are asked this question, you can start by giving a brief background of your family, personal information, academic qualification, and professional engagements. The information should be accurate and to the point without any ambivalences, when compared to the resume or information you have already provided to them.

Question 43-Why do you want to become an IAS Officer?

This is another standard IAS interview question that applicants face which is pointed at bringing out not only the applicants’ aims as an IAS officer but also designates the clarity of thought in these regards. Although considered to be a common question, this is one of the most major ones, as it gives a short overview to the panelists about your passion, aims, interests, and the motivation that has propelled you up to this point to join the civil services. Therefore, it is advised that applicants do some preliminary preparation for this question.

Question 44- Tell me about your positive and negative strengths.

While academic knowledge and eccentric mental alertness are the key components that form the basic tenets of an IAS officer, honesty and integrity are also equally important. This question is generally posed by the IAS interview panel to not only understand your strengths and weaknesses but also to assess how honest you are to them. Aspirants should keep in mind that the IAS interview panel consists of subject matter experts, who have vast experience. So be honest with them.

Question 45- How can you drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking?

Concrete floors are very hard to crack!

Question 46-What will you do if I run away with your sister?

I would be very happy, as I will not be able to find a better match for my sister than you.

Explanation: This question is asked to test the eccentric sense of humor and also the positive mindset of the applicant.

Question 47- The interviewer ordered a cup of coffee for the applicant. Coffee arrived and was kept before the applicant. What is before you?

Alphabet ‘T’ comes before ‘U’ and hence T is before U.

Question 48- What happened when the wheel was invented?

The applicant who got selected answered ‘It caused a revolution’.

Explanation: The applicant used ‘Pun’ and personification figures of speech to devolve eccentric answers. The answer has two levels to it, wherein prima facie, it devolves the basic function of a wheel, which is to revolve. On an intense level, the invention of the wheel guided to the basic foundation of mechanics causes a revolution changing the world and technology as we know now. Thus, the argument of revolution also stands true.

Question 49- You are going in your car on a wild, stormy night, it is raining laboriously when suddenly you pass by a bus stop, and you see 3 people waiting for a bus: An old lady who appears as if she is about to die; an old friend who once saved your life and the perfect partner you have been contemplating about. Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing very well that there could only be 1 passenger in your car?

The applicant, who cracked this interview with this question said, he would give the car to his friend and tell him to drive the old lady to the hospital, while he waits at the bus stop with his perfect partner.

Question 50- What if one morning you woke up & found that you were pregnant? (it was asked to a female candidate)

I would be very happy, take a leave and celebrate the good news with my husband.

Explanation: This was asked to test how the applicant reacts to some shocking news. In short, such answers show your positive bend of mind to the IAS interview team.

Things to Consider while going for an IAS Interview

Prepare Answers for IAS Interview Questions

Remember the center things while getting ready responses for IAS interview questions. You should connect your critical qualities with their center things to portray your program fit. By and by, during this cycle remember to plan critical questions for your interviewers. The questions ought to be contemplative and ought to uncover your advantage in the business college.

Practice the IAS interview Questions

 The appropriate responses ought to be genuine so when you talk before the interviewers you don’t sound over the heart. The most ideal path is to request that somebody do a fake IAS interview with you. Ensure you record the interview to measure your outward appearances while speaking.

Dress Appropriately

This appears to be so direct and evident to the greater part of us, yet to other people. very much let us simply state they are needed to get familiar with the idea of a reasonable business dress.

Try not to be amazed in the event that you are dressed well then your interviewer. Your interviewers interview many applicants every year and are most likely not going to wear a tailored suit each and every day. Wear something that causes you to feel sure and furthermore agreeable enough that your focus won’t go amiss.

Prepare and Practice

Prior to going to the interview practice well and be readied. Nothing is sorer for an interviewer than going through 30 minutes in a room with somebody who has not set up by any means. Set aside the effort to look into basic interview questions.

Work on noting them with your reprisal. For what reason did you particularly pick this school? What is it about the specific program that stands apart from you? How is this going to be well-suited with your own vocation points? How would you stand apart above other regular master’s level college candidates? Thus, don’t over-set up your answers.

Prepare Questions for your Interviewers

Prior to going for the interview be prepared with critical questions to solicit toward the end of the interview. This sort of meditative arrangement uncovers your premium in becoming familiar with common fit.

In the event that you realize your interviewer’s name early, do your examination. – find the person in question on LinkedIn for instance. Considering your interviewer’s profile will assist you with modifying your questions likewise. 

Conclusion

UPSC interview questions are designed to assess a candidate’s personality, knowledge, and problem-solving skills. They range from general knowledge and current affairs to situation-based queries. Excelling in these interviews requires thorough preparation, a calm demeanor, and the ability to think critically under pressure, aiming to identify well-rounded individuals for administrative positions.

FAQs

1: What kind of questions are asked in the IAS interview?

The IAS interview questions are a mix of personality test, general knowledge, current affairs, and situation-based questions. They aim to assess a candidate’s mental caliber, decision-making ability, and presence of mind, along with their depth of understanding of socio-economic issues and general awareness.

2: How should I prepare for the IAS interview?

Preparation for the IAS interview should focus on developing a strong foundation in your subject of choice, staying updated with current affairs, and improving your communication skills. Practice mock interviews, work on your body language, and learn to express your thoughts clearly and concisely. Reading newspapers, watching relevant news channels, and participating in discussion forums can also be beneficial.

3: Is there a specific dress code for the IAS interview?

While there is no specific dress code for the IAS interview, it is advisable to dress formally. Men can opt for a light-colored shirt and dark trousers, possibly with a tie, while women can choose a saree or a formal suit. The key is to look professional, comfortable, and neat.

4: How important is the IAS interview in the final selection?

The IAS interview is a crucial part of the selection process, carrying significant weight in the final ranking. It is designed to assess not just the intellectual qualities of the candidate but also their social traits and interest in current affairs. A good performance in the interview can substantially improve one’s chances of securing a top rank and getting into the desired service.