Personality Test: My trysts with UPSC.

Personality Test: My trysts with UPSC.

My first tryst with a UPSC board for a Personality Test was in 2023 April, when I faced Dr.Manoj Soni Sir's board for the CSE Personality Test (PT). I had gone with little to no expectations. Some of my fellow candidates were visibly tensed in knowing we had Soni Sir's board. I was too dumb to even understand the importance of it. My preparation was lacking in a lot of ways but still I somehow mustered the courage to look alive and pleasant on that fateful day. I was the last but one to be interviewed and was asked questions mostly from my DAF. I felt my performance was below average. I also felt I had done a major blunder when I had left the room without the Chairaman telling me "your interview is over". He had said 'Thank you, and all the best' but nothing like 'your interview is over or you may leave now'. When I felt that he was implying me to leave, I just left. That haunted me till the day my marksheet came. But I still scored 195 that year, the very first time I faced a UPSC Board. I could not clear the exam in this rendezvous, since I scored abysmally low in my Optional and Ethics.

My second tryst with a UPSC board was in 2023 July, when I faced BB Swain Sir's board for my UPSC CAPF (AC) Personality Test (PT). The PT was to be held right between my preparation for Mains 2023, hence I devoted only 1 day for preparing for the PT. My DAF was almost completed, since in April 2023 I had appeared for the CSE PT. Hence revision happened quickly. But I hadn't had good understanding about the details of differnt forces. I had a broad idea, and was always filled with passion to serve the country must I be given an opportunity in the forces, however due to paucity of time, I couldn't do justice in preparing for the PT. I was asked questions from both my DAF and current affairs. The PT was a cordial experience, I heard the Chairman say "good" as I was leaving, just before me opening the door. I did not look back and quitely exited the room. On my way back and for the next few days I could only count the mistakes I felt I committed in the PT, rather than being put on ease based on the "good" I heard. However when the marksheet came, I scored 105, which also comes out to be about 70%, the same percentage of marks 195 is out of 275. In this tryst, I got recommended and secured AIR 59. I got alloted CRPF as my service.

My third tryst with a UPSC board was in March 2024, when I faced Suman Sharma ma'am's board for the CSE PT. My PT was in the second phase, and I had had ample time to prepare for it, but I was a bit complacent-to put it lightly-about the PT. My DAF was solid, I was more updated on current affairs than the first two PTs, I could speak better, and overall I felt like I was better prepared. There was self doubt always regarding my level of prep, but my friends who gave me an objective look at things reassured me that I was better prepared than the previous attempts. With this faith I went to UPSC Bhawan. As soon as we realised our Board, was Suman Sharma ma'am, someone joked that we could burn all the notes we prepared from our DAF. I just kept reading only them, despite this prognostication because I still thought DAF related questions will be asked. But the Cassandra was right, I was asked '0' questions from my DAF. It felt like the board only wanted to test my current affairs knowledge and opinion. I felt the conversation very intellectualy stimulating and cordial. I thought I'll get marks more or less similar to CSE PT 2023, if not more, particularly because of the perception that Soni Sir generally gives less marks.  However as the marksheet came, I scored 16 marks less than my CSE PT 2022, despite feeling better prepared. But such is the tryst with the Board, sometimes, it throws surprises. Fortuanately, I could clear the exam this time, despite scoring less in PT, with the same rank I secured in CAPF AC 2022. What I did for it, I will update in subsequent posts.