Tips to crack your BPSC Interview on the First Attempt

The BPSC interview round is the final and the most important stage of a BPSC exam. Candidates who are preparing for this exam have to go through three main stages i.e. Prelims, Mains and Interview. Now, you can easily practice and prepare for your prelims and mains exam with the help of BPSC online course and other study materials. However, preparing for your interview round is the most challenging part that you have to face in the BPSC exam. 

Many candidates are nervous on the day of their interview as some of them lack communication skills while some are in a state of fear and anxiety. You must understand that cracking your interview round is not an overnight task. You need to plan and prepare beforehand as the interview round can be tricky. You need a proper approach to ace this round. Hence, we have curated some tips from previous year’s BPSC toppers which will give you an insight into your interview preparation. So dive into this article to know more about the BPSC preparation for the interview process. 

How to Ace your BPSC Interview Round? Tips by BPSC Toppers 

The interview round carries 120 marks in the BPSC exam. Candidates need to score maximum marks in this round to clear the BPSC exam and turn their vision of working in the state PCS into reality. This round assesses a candidate’s personality, awareness related to various issues in the State & India and identifies how well they fit into the job profile. 

The first step to prepare for the interview round is to plan and note down the topics and questions that you feel are important. There are various topics that you should be aware of and you need to answer each question related to these topics confidently. There are five major areas from which the interviewers can ask questions i.e. Current affairs, Bihar specific questions, Optional paper, Situational questions/random questions and HR questions. 

Let’s take a look at each of these areas one by one

Current Affairs - Questions related to Current affairs are of utmost importance in the BPSC exam interview. Here, the interviewers will ask about certain events and happenings of Bihar and India. So you need to be well aware of these kinds of questions. To ace this area, you should develop a habit of reading news on a daily basis. 

Bihar Related Questions - As you are appearing for the Bihar state PCS, it’s obvious that you need to give special attention to Bihar-related questions. Be aware of the historical background, culture, economy, agriculture, etc related to Bihar. 

Optional paper - You need to choose your optional paper in the BPSC mains very carefully as questions related to this paper will be surely asked in the interview round. Unlike prelims and mains, where you only need to learn general studies, this paper is purely based on your choice.

If you are having trouble in general studies then you can opt for the BPSC GS course however in case of optional paper, you need to learn all the concepts on your own. The interviewers will ask a variety of questions related to the optional paper such as what made you choose this paper, case studies, your favorite areas, etc. 

Situational/Random Questions - The questions asked in this area can be uncertain and you need to think on the spot to answer such questions. The interviewers can make up any situation and ask how would you tackle such situations. These kinds of questions are generally tricky but you need to be calm, composed and think positively rather than feel pressured. These questions can throw you out of track if not handled properly so the key here is to remain calm and think. 

HR questions - The questions asked in this section include your educational qualification, Hobbies, job experience, strengths and weaknesses, responsibilities handled, etc. The motive behind asking such questions is to get to know you better. 

Apart from the above-mentioned questions, the interviewers will observe your personality, seating posture and your confidence throughout the entire interview round. Your BPSC preparation should be in a full-fledged manner to ace this round as there will be 4-5 panelists who are present during the interview. Each interviewer has its own set of questions which you need to answer with full focus and concentration. 

Candidates can also take the help of mock interviews to practice for this round before the exam. Do not take this round lightly as it will be the deciding factor and your gateway for the state PCS. One last thing that candidates should remember is to avoid talking in bookish language. Add your personal opinion and back it up with facts and figures to make your point strong and to leave a good impression on the interviewers. 

To conclude, the BPSC exam is just around the corner, so you need to gear up for your exam. Practice speaking and reading English Newspapers on a daily basis. Work on your communication skills as it will help you crack your interview round easily. Pay attention to Bihar-related issues and events and enroll in mock interviews and online courses if required. All the best!