Personality Test
Assessing Personal Suitability: The Personality Test
- The final stage of the UPSC Civil Services Examination is the Personality Test, where candidates face an interview conducted by a Board. During this interview, the Board reviews the candidate's career record and poses questions on matters of general interest. The objective is to assess the candidate's personal suitability for a career in public service.
Judging Mental Caliber and Social Traits
- The Personality Test aims to evaluate the candidate's mental caliber, encompassing intellectual qualities, social traits, and engagement with current affairs. The assessment includes qualities such as mental alertness, critical thinking, clear communication, balanced judgment, diverse interests, social cohesion, leadership abilities, intellectual integrity, and moral character.
Conversational Assessment Approach
- Unlike a strict cross-examination, the Personality Test adopts a conversational approach. It aims to reveal the candidate's mental qualities through natural yet directed conversations. The interaction seeks to uncover the candidate's depth of understanding, thought processes, and suitability for a career in public service.
Beyond Specialized Knowledge
- The Personality Test is not designed to assess specialized or general knowledge, which has already been evaluated through written papers. Instead, candidates are expected to demonstrate an intelligent interest in a wide range of subjects, including their academic disciplines, current events locally and globally, modern trends, and new discoveries. This expectation reflects the importance of curiosity and a broad-based understanding in well-educated individuals.
