{"id":61995,"date":"2020-06-07T14:54:06","date_gmt":"2020-06-07T09:24:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=61995"},"modified":"2020-07-06T10:56:20","modified_gmt":"2020-07-06T05:26:20","slug":"get-the-interviewmantra-from-divyanshu-singal-rank-13-ifos-mgp-copies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/get-the-interviewmantra-from-divyanshu-singal-rank-13-ifos-mgp-copies\/","title":{"rendered":"Get THE #interviewmantra from Divyanshu Singal Rank 13 | IFoS + MGP copies"},"content":{"rendered":"
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We are glad to share the strategy followed by Divyanshu Singal Rank 13 | IFoS. He has achieved this amazing feat at the age of 22. Forumias team congratulates him from our \u2665 for this achievement.<\/span><\/p>\n

He has extensively shared about his interview preparation and strategies. We thank Divyanshu for taking the time out and answering our long list of questions. We sincerely hope the aspirants will find it useful for their upcoming interviews.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Personality\/Profile<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Hello everyone! I am Divyanshu Singal from Sriganganagar District of Rajasthan. I did my schooling from BSF Senior Secondary School, Sriganganagar. Then, I pursued B.Sc. (Hons.) and M.Sc. in Mathematics from Hindu College, University of Delhi.<\/div>\n

This was my first attempt at the IFoS examination. My optionals were Mathematics and Forestry. After my post-graduation, I was preparing full time for CSE\/IFoS only<\/p>\n

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Preliminary examination <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Since you cleared IFoS, you would have pretty good marks in Prelims. Please mention your strategy and books\/notes did you referred to for General Studies and CSAT?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

GS (strategy and books)<\/h5>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Topic<\/td>\nResource<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
History Ancient<\/td>\nVajiram Notes, Old NCERT (India\u2019s Ancient Past)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
History Medieval<\/td>\nVajiram Notes, New NCERT (Themes of India History – II)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
History Modern (Freedom Struggle)<\/td>\nVajiram Notes, Spectrum<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Culture<\/td>\nVajiram Notes, New NCERT (Fine Arts), Nitin Singhania\u2019s notes. (Didn\u2019t study last 2 sources rigorously)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Polity (static + current affairs)<\/td>\nVajiram Notes, Laxmikanth, Vision CA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Economy (static + current affairs)<\/td>\nVajiram Notes, 11th<\/sup> NCERT (Macro), Vision CA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Science (static + current affairs)<\/td>\nVajiram Notes, Vision CA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Environment (static + current affairs)<\/td>\nVajiram Notes, Shankar IAS book, Vision CA<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Geography(Physical +Indian+World)<\/td>\nVajiram Notes, Geography NCERTs (all 4 new), For some topics, I also referred to PMF-IAS for their explanation is very good<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Current affairs<\/td>\nVision CA and The Hindu; I did a lot of reading from the internet for various topics. If I didn\u2019t understand any term\/topic completely, I used to google it and read about it and even make notes on Evernote. This was one thing that helped me a lot in both prelims and mains because it expanded my knowledge base and conceptual clarity substantially.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
CSAT (strategy and books)<\/h5>\n

STRATEGY:<\/strong> I had good command over Mathematics and English already so I didn\u2019t prepare for CSAT. I just attempted 2-3 test papers and previous year question papers to check whether I was doing fine.<\/p>\n

How Many questions did you attempt in GS? How many did you get right?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Attempted \u2013 85; Correct (expected) – 70<\/p>\n

What do you think is the optimal number of questions to attempt in prelims? Do you advise accuracy or maximum attempts?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The balance would be different for different persons. One should try attempting multiple full-length tests to see where one is good at \u2013 accuracy or guess-work and then decide accordingly.<\/p>\n

If you had to prepare again would you change your strategy in any way?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

No<\/p>\n

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Main Examination<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Did you join any classes for your mains preparation? If yes, then how useful did you find them?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

None<\/p>\n

How important is answer writing? What was your style of answer writing?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Answer writing is especially important. We have to practice it so well that we may become almost mechanical with it. Answer writing style can be different for different persons. I would suggest going for a good mains test series. When one prepares for Civil Services mains, it is adequate for IFOS mains as well.<\/p>\n

How many questions did you attempt? What strategy did you follow for main examination in the examination hall?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Attempt all the questions even if you have very little idea about a few of them. Don\u2019t write complete rubbish but try to write whatever you know that is related to the question asked. The examiner would give you at least 1-2 marks in a 10 marker and one would be happy to take them.<\/p>\n

If you had to prepare again would you change your strategy in any way?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Just one area. I would have focused more on Forestry. English and Optional subjects should be anybody\u2019s main focus areas. In GK, you can do reasonably fine with the preparation for CSE mains itself.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0<\/strong>Interview<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

How did you prepare for the interview? Did you attend any mocks?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I attended one mock at Samkalp IAS coaching center. A detailed strategy is given below.<\/p>\n

Which Interview Board did you face?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

M. Sathiyavathy Ma\u2019am.<\/p>\n

Please share your entire interview like what was asked and what was your reply? Were you able to answer all the questions?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I politely said “I am sorry, I don’t know” to any questions that I didn’t have an answer for. It\u2019s better, to be honest than to forge answers to deceive the board because you simply can\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\u00a0What qualities do you think are being tested in the Interview? Some strict Do\u2019s and Don\u2019ts for the Interview for aspirants and Interview candidates?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

#Dress up well. It shows that you\u2019re giving importance to the occasion.<\/p>\n

#Be very careful with what you say. One can\u2019t lie one\u2019s way out of the interview.<\/p>\n

#Honesty is the best policy. If you don\u2019t know something, politely refuse. But, you should be able to justify any stand taken.<\/p>\n

#It\u2019s not a corporate interview. They are not hiring a salesperson or marketing agent. Don\u2019t act like one.<\/p>\n

# Do not take stress before PT. Be relaxed. You may even skip studying anything from the day before (do read a newspaper, though). Going with a clear mind helps.<\/p>\n

Do you thing marks in school or college and the job experience can impact one\u2019s score in the Interview?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

#One should be honest and able to justify one\u2019s experience. If you performed poorly in school\/college, then you should explain why. There\u2019s no harm in saying that earlier you were not serious with your studies but later realized its importance, or earlier you were not hardworking, or you were more interested in sports then, or whatever your reason is. If you performed well, then they would expect you to be good at your subject. They\u2019re unlikely to ask such a question unless your performance was exceptionally poor or exceptionally good.<\/p>\n

#For instance, in my IFS interview, I was asked why I did not go for a career in Mathematics despite performing excellently in my graduation.<\/p>\n

#So marks, per se, don\u2019t matter. You performed excellently in school and college, but reach your 1st<\/sup> interview in 4th<\/sup> attempt. This could have a negative impact.<\/p>\n

#On the other hand, if despite poor marks earlier, you reach till interview in, say, 1st<\/sup> or 2nd<\/sup> attempt, then it shows your ability to work upon yourself and improve. It would have a positive impact.<\/p>\n

#Similarly, they expect you to have taken an intelligent interest in your job. They can (and quite likely, will) ask you questions regarding your job profile, how it relates to\/is useful for the service(s) you\u2019re applying for, or why you want to leave your job etc.<\/p>\n

Please tell us in detail about your interview preparation<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Interview, or the personality test (PT) as the UPSC calls it, is often the most dreaded stage for many candidates. Even if one scores very well in mains examination, a poor score in PT can drop one\u2019s rank drastically.<\/p>\n

PT shouldn\u2019t be seen as a standalone stage. In a way, we start preparing for it from the beginning. A good knowledge base, conceptual clarity, opinion-formation, and analytical skills are all part of one\u2019s personality. We begin working on these the day we start our preparation for CSE\/IFSE itself.<\/p>\n

My Preparation for PT<\/strong><\/h5>\n

After the mains result came out, I shifted to Delhi. I was very confused as to what to do and what not to. So, I met 2-3 mentors from various institutes who guided me for the interview. Their one-on-one guidance was quite useful for I got an overview of what was required in the PT. Three days before the Interview, I also appeared for a mock at Samkalp IAS institute. It mentally prepared me for the real test and their feedback helped me improve in certain areas and made me feel confident.<\/p>\n

Although PT is unpredictable, we can prepare for it and anticipate certain questions. We need not know everything; nobody does.<\/em> However, there are certain questions that you are definitely expected to answer. For instance, one should be able to justify why one is going into this service, why not other avenues, when you decided to prepare for it or why not pursue higher studies in your own field (like Mathematics in my case) etc.<\/p>\n

I also tried to frame various questions<\/em> related to my DAF and prepared their answers. For example, my home state is Rajasthan. So, I prepared national parks, sanctuaries, forest cover, major flora, and fauna, etc. I also started seeing current and legacy issues with the viewpoint of a Forest service officer. For instance, reasons for conflict between tribal welfare and development, ethical attributes expected of an IFS officer, balancing environment and growth etc. Then, I also prepared possible questions from my hobby\/interests\/positions-of-leadership etc.<\/p>\n

I also tried to revise<\/strong> some topics from environment and Forestry but they were all futile in the interview. This is not to imply that you should not prepare them; the idea is that not answering a factual question is not a deal-breaker. However, you should be able to answer any analytical or opinion-based question.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Interview Day<\/h5>\n

I was nervous and excited at the same time because I had got this opportunity in my first attempt itself but I was grossly underprepared as per my expectations. However, I tried to let go of the inhibitions<\/strong> before going for PT before the board of Ms. Sathiyavathy Ma\u2019am. Contrary to the fear psychosis in some places, the board was extremely cordial. Despite my not knowing multiple questions, none of the members seemed angry, agitated, or disappointed.<\/p>\n

The questions were simple and straightforward (like the carbon tax, Paris treaty, what does withdrawal of USA from climate agreement means, etc). It\u2019s a test of personality and not knowledge. So, the approach to answers, demeanor, and thinking style, etc. are more crucial. Don\u2019t be artificial<\/span>, be genuine<\/span>!<\/em> The same is true for Civil Services Interview as well though the questions and discussion in IFS interview are focused more around the environment, climate, forests, etc rather than general socioeconomic issues.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t enter the interview room with any preconceived notion about the board or about yourself. Free yourself of all prejudices. Don\u2019t judge yourself; you\u2019ll most likely end up underestimating yourself. That you\u2019ve reached this level is in itself a proof of your capability.You should go with the intent of enjoying the process and not ending\/completing it. Be confident, smiling, and positive. Nobody wants to be greeted with an annoyed and angry face, not even you \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

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#LessonsLearned<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Few things I would like to share with the aspirants that I have found to be useful.<\/p>\n

#Never carry the baggage of past<\/strong>, anywhere in life, not just in UPSC. Don\u2019t worry that you didn\u2019t study well in the previous 3 months or in a particular week or that you wasted the last few days. Everybody does; even I did. I couldn\u2019t study for a month after CSE mains when I had just 2 months in total before IFoS mains. I was very restless in November thinking that I wasted such a golden opportunity, but I firmly decided to give my best and worked very hard for the remaining time and got my name in the final list.<\/p>\n

#At any stage or any point, no matter how unprepared you think you are or how much time you wasted, you should give your best henceforth<\/strong>. I was afraid that I won\u2019t even qualify for IFoS mains examination due to my poor performance in Forestry optional. But, it was more than compensated by a better performance in other papers and PT.<\/p>\n

#Past is gone and the future is anyway beyond your control, no matter what you think or do. The present is all you have<\/strong>. Make the best of it. Always.<\/p>\n

P.S. <\/strong>I was fortunate to have my friend Mayank Meghwal (IFS 2018, AIR 83)<\/a>\u00a0 who could guide me. To the aspirants out there, who are seeking guidance, I am always available for you, just an email away. You can reach me at divyanshusingal@outlook.com<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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Mr Divyanshu Singal was a student of Forumias MGP- which is a mentor based mains test series . You can download his MGP copies down below.<\/p>\n

Divyanshu Singal Forumias mains test series copy 1<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

Divyanshu Singal Forumias mains test series copy 2<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

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ForumIAS has launched MGP for 2021. You can read download the brochure here<\/strong><\/a> and read about it and enroll here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

We have also launched\u00a0\u00a0Essay Test Series\u00a0 for Mains 2020\u00a0<\/a> and MGP for Mains 2020<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Interview preparation can be made easy by following the tips shared by Rank 13 in this article.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":62765,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,20,9,15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-61995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interview-preparation","category-motivation","category-public","category-toppers-story","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/11951277-5635-4819-9bdc-90e9dd1cddfe.jpg?fit=1280%2C960&ssl=1","views":{"total":5110,"cached_at":1612328642},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61995","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61995"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61995\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/62765"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61995"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61995"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61995"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}