After successfully clearing the UPSC CSE prelims and mains, aspirants often struggle at the interview stage, which evaluates personality traits through speaking skills and critical thinking.

IPS Lakshay Pandey and IAS Jitin Yadav shared useful tips on Quora and Twitter, respectively, about what aspirants should avoid during the personality test.

1. Do not lie or bluff. It’s either you know the answer or you do not. Remember, the board has interviewed many students.

2. Do not use casual slang. Avoid phrases like “you know”, “ya”, “obviously”, and “hmm”.

3. Do not be arrogant. Be ready to accept your mistakes and learn from them. There will be times when panel members would tell you the answer.

4. Do not rush your answers. Take time to understand the question before responding.

5. Avoid bias in your answers. Your statements should not be against women or marginalised groups.

6. Don’t appear overly desperate for selection. Maintain professional behaviour rather than being swayed by emotions.

7. It’s normal to be unable to answer all factual questions. Expect a range of queries, including some you might not know the answers to.

8. Always allow the interview board members to lead the conversation. Allow board members to interrupt you, but never interrupt any board member.