Civil Engineering

(For both objective and conventional type papers)

Paper I
(1) Building Materials
Timber: Different types and species of structural timber, density-moisture relationship,
strength in different directions, defects, influence of defects on permissible stress,
preservation, dry and wet rots, codal provisions for design, lywood!
"ric#s: Types, $ndian %tandard classification, absorption, saturation factor, strength in
masonry, influence of mortar strength on masonry strength!
&ement: &ompounds of, different types, setting times, strength!
&ement 'ortar: $ngredients, proportions, water demand, mortars for plastering and
masonry!
&oncrete: $mportance of ()& *atio, strength, ingredients including admi+tures,
wor#ability, testing for strength, elasticity, non-destructive testing, mi+ design methods!
(2) Solid Mechanics
,lastic constants, stress, plane stress, 'ohr-s circle of stress, strains, plane strain, 'ohr-s
circle of strain, combined stress. ,lastic theories of failure. %imple bending, shear.
Torsion of circular and rectangular sections and simple members!
(3) Structural Analysis
/nalysis of determinate structures-different methods including graphical methods!
/nalysis of indeterminate s#eletal frames-moment distribution, slope-deflection, stiffness
and force methods, energy methods, 'uller-"reslau principle and application!
lastic analysis of indeterminate beams and simple frame shape factors!
() !esign o" Steel Structures
rinciples of wor#ing: stress method! Design of connections, simple members, "uilt-up
sections and frames! Design of $ndustrial roofs! rinciples of ultimate load design! Design
of simple members and frames!
(#) !esign o" Concrete and Masonry Structures
0imit state design for bending, shear, a+ial compression and combined forces! &odal
provisions for slabs, beams, walls and footings! (or#ing stress method of design of *!&!
members!
rinciples of pre-stressed concrete design, materials, methods of pre-stressing, losses!
Design of simple members and determinate structures! $ntroduction to pre-stressing of
indeterminate structures!
Design of bric# masonry as per $!%! &odes!
($) Construction Practice% Planning and Manage&ent Concreting E'uip&ent(
(eight "atcher, 'i+er, vibrator, batching plant, and concrete pump!
&ranes, hoists, lifting e1uipment! ,arthwor# e1uipment: ower shovel, hoe, do2er,
dumper, trailers and tractor, rollers, sheep foot rollers, pumps! &onstruction, lanning and
'anagement: "ar chart, lin#ed bar chart, wor#-brea# down structures, /ctivity-on-arrow
diagrams! &ritical path, probabilistic activity durations. ,vent based networ#s! ,*T
networ#. Time-cost study, crashing. *esource allocation!
Paper II
(1) (A) )luid Mechanics% *pen Channel )lo+% Pipe )lo+(
Fluid roperties, ressure, Thrust, "uoyancy, Flow 3inematics. $ntegration of flow
e1uations. Flow measurement. *elative motion. 'oment of momentum. 4iscosity,
"oundary layer and &ontrol, Drag, 0ift. Dimensional /nalysis, 'odeling, &avitation.
Flow oscillations. 'omentum and ,nergy principles in 5pen &hannel flow, Flow
controls, 6ydraulic jump, Flow sections and properties. 7ormal flow, 8radually varied
flow. %urges. Flow development and losses in pipe flows. 'easurements. %iphons.
%urges and (ater hammer. Delivery of ower. ipe networ#s!
(,) -ydraulic Machines and -ydropo+er(
&entrifugal pumps, types, performance parameters, scaling, pumps in parallel.
*eciprocating pumps, air vessels, performance parameters. 6ydraulic ram. 6ydraulic
turbines, types, performance parameters, controls, choice. ower houses, classification
and layout, storage, pondage, control of supply!
(2)(a) -ydrology(
6ydrological cycle, precipitation and related data analyses, ', unit and synthetic
hydrographs. ,vaporation and transpiration. Floods and their management. 'F.
%treams and their gauging. *iver morphology. *outing of floods. &apacity of *eservoirs!
(,) .ater /esources Engineering(
(ater resources of the globe. 'ulti-purpose uses of water. %oil-lant-(ater
relationships, irrigation systems, water demand assessment. %torages and their yields,
ground water yield and well hydraulics. (ater logging, drainage design. $rrigation
revenue. Design of rigid boundary canals, 0acey-s and Tractive force concepts in canal
design, lining of canals. %ediment transport in canals. 7on-overflow and overflow
sections of gravity dams and their design, ,nergy dissipaters and tail-water rating. Design
of head wor#s, distribution wor#s, falls, cross-drainage wor#s, outlets. *iver training!
Environ&ental Engineering
(3)(a) .ater Supply Engineering(
%ources of supply, yields, design of inta#es and conductors. ,stimation of demand. (ater
1uality standards. &ontrol of water-borne diseases. rimary and secondary treatment,
detailing and maintenance of treatment units. &onveyance and distribution systems of
treated water, lea#ages and control. *ural water supply. $nstitutional and industrial water
supply!
(,) .aste .ater Engineering(
9rban rain water disposal. %ystems of sewage collection and disposal. Design of sewers
and sewerage systems. pumping. &haracteristics of sewage and its treatment, Disposal of
products of sewage treatment, stream flow rejuvenation. $nstitutional and industrial
sewage management. lumbing %ystems. *ural and semi-urban sanitation!
(c) Solid .aste Manage&ent(
%ources, classification, collection and disposal. Design and 'anagement of landfills!
(d) Air and 0oise Pollution and Ecology(
%ources and effects of air pollution, monitoring of air pollution. 7oise pollution and
standards. ,cological chain and balance, ,nvironmental assessment!
() (A) Soil Mechanics(
roperties of soils, classification and inter-relationship. &ompaction behavior, methods of
compaction and their choice. ermeability and seepage, flow nets, $nverted filters.
&ompressibility and consolidation. %hearing resistance, stresses and failure. soil testing
in laboratory and in-situation! %tress path and applications. ,arth pressure theories, stress
distribution in soil. soil e+ploration, samplers, load tests, penetration tests!
(,) )oundation Engineering(
Types of foundations, %election criteria, bearing capacity, settlement, laboratory and field
tests. Types of piles and their design and layout! Foundations on e+pansive soils, swelling
and its prevention, foundation on swelling soils!
(#)(a) Surveying(
&lassification of surveys, scales, accuracy. 'easurement of distances-direct and indirect
methods. optical and electronic devices. 'easurement of directions, prismatic compass,
local attraction. Theodolites-types. 'easurement of elevations-%pirit and trigonometric
leveling. *elief representation. &ontours. Digital elevation modeling concept.
,stablishment of control by triangulations and traversing measurements and adjustment
of observations, computation of coordinates. Field astronomy, &oncept of global
positioning system. 'ap preparation by plane tabling and by photogrammetry. *emote-
sensing concepts, map substitutes!
(,) 1ransportation Engineering(
lanning of highway systems, alignment and geometric design, hori2ontal and vertical
curves, grade separation. 'aterials and construction methods for different surfaces and
maintenance. rinciples of pavement design. Drainage!
Traffic surveys. $ntersections, signaling. 'ass transit systems, accessibility, networ#ing!
Tunneling, alignment, methods of construction, disposal of muc#, drainage, lighting and
ventilation, traffic control, emergency management!
lanning of railway systems, terminology and designs, relating to gauge, trac#, controls,
transits, rolling stoc#, ractive power and trac# moderni2ation. 'aintenance. /ppurtenant
wor#s. &ontaineri2ation!
6arbors-layouts, shipping lanes, anchoring, location identification. 0ittoral transport with
erosion and deposition. %ounding methods. Dry and (et doc#s, components and
operations. Tidal data and analyses!
/irports-layout and orientation. *unway and ta+iway design and drainage management.
:oning laws. 4isual aids and air traffic control. 6elipads, hangers, service e1uipment!
1op
Mechanical Engineering
(For both objective and conventional type papers)
Paper I
(1) 1her&odyna&ics(
&ycles and $& ,ngines, "asic &oncepts, 5pen and &losed systems! 6eat and wor#!
:eroth, First and %econd 0aw, /pplication to non-Flow and Flow processes! ,ntropy,
/vailability, $rreversibility and Tds relations! &laperyron and real gas e1uations!
roperties of ideal gases and vapors, %tandard vapor, 8as power and *efrigeration
cycles! Two stage compressor! &-$ and %-$ ,ngines! re-ignition, Detonation and Diesel-
#noc#, Fuel injection and &arburation, %upercharging! Turbo-prop and *oc#et engines,
,ngine &ooling, ,mission and control, Fuel gas analysis, 'easurement of &alorific
values! &onventional and 7uclear fuels, ,lements of 7uclear power production!
(2) -eat 1rans"er and /e"rigeration and Air2conditioning(
'odes of heat transfer! 5ne-dimensional steady and unsteady conduction, &omposite
slab and ,1uivalent *esistance! 6eat dissipation from e+tended surfaces, 6eat
e+changers, 5verall heat transfer coefficient, ,mpirical correlations for heat transfer in
laminar and turbulent flows and for free and forced &onvection, Thermal boundary layer
over a flat plate! Fundamentals of diffusive and connective mass transfer, "lac# body and
basic concepts in *adiation, ,nclosure theory, %hape factor, 7etwor# analysis! 6eat
pump and *efrigeration cycles and systems, *efrigerants! &ondensers, ,vaporators and
,+pansion devices! sychrometry! &harts and application to air-conditioning! %ensible
heating and cooling! ,ffective temperature, comfort indices, 0oad calculations, %olar
refrigeration, controls, Duct design!
(3) )luid Mechanics(
roperties and classification of fluids, 'anometry, forces on immersed surfaces, &enter
of pressure, "uoyancy! ,lements of stability of floating bodies! 3inematics and
Dynamics!
$rrotational and! incompressible! $nviscid flow, 4elocity potential, ressure field and
forces on immersed bodies! "ernoulli-s e1uation! Fully developed flow through pipes!
ressure drops calculations! 'easurements of flow rate and ressure drop! ,lements of
boundary layer theory, $ntegral approach, 0aminar and turbulent flows, %eparations! Flow
over weirs and notches! 5pen channel flows, 6ydraulic jump! Dimensionless numbers,
Dimensional analysis, %imilitude and modeling! 5ne-dimensional isentropic flow,
7ormal shoc# wave, Flow through convergent-divergent ducts! 5bli1ue shoc#- wave,
*ayleigh and Fanno lines!
() )luid Machinery and Stea& 3enerators(
erformance, 5peration and control of hydraulic ump and impulse and reaction
turbines, %pecific speed, &lassification! ,nergy transfer, &oupling, ower transmission,
%team generators, Fire-tube and water-tube boilers! Flow of steam through 7o22les and
Diffusers, (etness and condensation! 4arious types of steam and gas Turbines, 4elocity
diagrams! artial admission! *eciprocating, &entrifugal and a+ial flow &ompressors,
'ulti- stage compression, role of 'ach 7umber, *eheat, *egeneration, ,fficiency,
8overnance!
Paper II
(#) 1heory o" Machines(
3inematic and dynamic analysis of planer mechanisms! &ams! 8ears and gear trains!
Flywheels! 8overnors! "alancing of rigid rotors and field balancing! "alancing of single
and multi-cylinder engines! 0inear vibration analysis of mechanical systems! &ritical
speeds and whirling of shafts /utomatic controls!
($) Machine !esign(
Design of ;oints: cotters, #eys, splines, welded joints, threaded fasteners, joints formed
by interference fits! Design of friction drives: couplings and clutches. belt and chain
drives, power screws!
Design of ower transmission systems: gears and gear drives shaft and a+le, wire ropes!
Design of bearings: hydrodynamics bearings and rolling element bearings!
(4) Strength o" Materials(
%tress and strain in two dimensions! rincipal stresses and strains, 'ohr-s construction,
linear elastic materials, isotropy and anisotropy, stress-strain relations, unia+ial loading.
thermal stresses! "eams: "ending moment and shear force diagram, bending stresses and
deflection of beams! %hear stress distribution! Torsion of shafts, helical springs!
&ombined stresses, thic#- and thin-walled pressure vessels! %truts and columns! %train
energy concepts arid theories of failure!
(5) Engineering Materials(
"asic concepts on structure of solids! &rystalline materials! Defects in crystalline
materials! Alloys and binary phase diagrams! %tructure and properties of common
engineering materials! 6eat treatment of steels! lastics, &eramics and composite
materials! &ommon applications of various materials!
(6) Production Engineering(
'etal Forming: "asic rinciples of forging, drawing and e+trusion. 6igh energy rate
forming. owder metallurgy!
'etal &asting: Die casting, investment casting, %hall 'olding, &entrifugal &asting, 8ating
and *ising design. melting furnaces!
Fabrication rocesses: rinciples of 8as, /rc, %hielded-arc (elding. /dvanced (elding
rocesses, (eldability. 'etallurgy of (elding!
'etal &utting: Turning, 'ethods of %crew roduction, Drilling, "oring, 'illing, 8ear
'anufacturing, roduction of flat surfaces, 8rinding and Finishing rocesses! &omputer
&ontrolled 'anufacturing %ystems-&7&, D7&, F'%, /utomation and *obotics!
&utting Tools 'aterials, Tool 8eometry, 'echanism of Tool (ear! Tool 0ife and
'achinability. 'easurement of cutting forces! ,conomics of 'achining! 9nconventional
'achining rocesses! ;igs and Fi+tures! Fits and tolerances! 'easurement of surface
te+ture, &omparators /lignment tests and reconditioning of 'achine Tools!
(17) Industrial Engineering(
roduction lanning and &ontrol: Forecasting-'oving average, e+ponential smoothing,
5perations scheduling. assembly line balancing, roduct development, "rea#-even
analysis, &apacity planning, ,*T and &'!
&ontrol 5perations: $nventory control-/"& analysis, ,5< model, 'aterials re1uirement
planning! ;ob design, ;ob standards, (or# measurement, <uality 'anagement 1uality
analysis and control! 5perations *esearch : 0inear rogramming 8raphical and %imple+
methods, Transportation and assignment models! %ingle server 1ueuing model!
4alue ,ngineering. 4alue analysis for cost)value!
,lements of &omputation:
&omputer 5rgani2ation, Flow charting, Features of &ommon &omputer languages-
F5*T*/7! D-"ase $$$! 0otus-=->-?, & and elementary programming!
1op
Electrical Engineering
(For both objective and conventional type papers)
Paper I
(1) E& 1heory(
,lectric and magnetic fields! 8auss- 0aw and /mpere-s 0aw! Fields in dielectrics,
conductors and magnetic materials! 'a+well-s e1uations! Time varying fields! lane
(ave propagation in di-electric and conducting media! Transmission lines!
(2) Electrical Materials(
"and Theory, &onductors, %emiconductors and $nsulators! %uper-conductivity! $nsulators
for electrical and electronic applications! 'agnetic materials! Ferro and ferri magnetism!
&eramics: roperties and applications! 6all effect and its applications! %pecial semi-
conductors!
(3) Electrical Circuits(
&ircuit-s elements! 3irchhoff -s 0aws! 'esh and nodal analysis! 7etwor# Theorems and
applications! 7atural response and forced response! Transient response and steady state
response for arbitrary inputs! roperties of networ#s in terms of poles and 2eros! Transfer
function! *esonant circuits! Three-phase circuits! =wo-port networ#s! ,lements of two
element networ# synthesis!
() Measure&ents and Instru&entation(
9nits and %tandards! ,rror analysis, measurement of current! 4oltage, power, ower-
factor and energy! $ndicating instruments! 'easurement of resistance, inductance,
capacitance and fre1uency! "ridge measurements! ,lectronic measuring instruments!
Digital voltmeter and fre1uency counter! Transducers and their applications to the
measurement of non-electrical 1uantities li#e temperature, pressure, flow-rate
displacement, acceleration, noise level, etc! Data ac1uisition systems! /)D and D)/
&onverters!
(#) Control Syste&s(
'athematical modeling of physical systems! "loc# diagrams and signal flow graphs and
their reduction! Time domain and fre1uency domain analysis of linear dynamical system!
,rrors for different types of inputs and stability criteria for feedbac# systems!
%tability analysis using *outh-6urwit2 array, 7y1uist plot and "ode plot! *oot locus and
7icols chart and the estimation of gain and phase margin! "asic concepts of compensator
design! %tate variable matri+ and its use in system modeling and design! %ampled data
system and performance of such a system with the samples in the error channel!
%tability of sampled data system! ,lements of non-linear control analysis! &ontrol system
components, electromechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic components!
Paper II
(1) Electrical Machines and Po+er 1rans"or&ers(
'agnetic &ircuits-/nalysis and Design of ower transformers!
&onstruction and testing! ,1uivalent circuits! 0osses and efficiency! *egulation! /uto-
transformer! ?-phase transformer! arallel operation!
"asic concepts in rotating machines! ,'F, tor1ue, basic machine types! &onstruction and
operation, lea#age, losses and efficiency!
"!&! 'achines! &onstruction, ,+citation methods! &ircuit models! /rmature reaction and
commutation! &haracteristics and performance analysis! 8enerators and motors! %tarting
and speed control! Testing! 0osses and efficiency!
%ynchronous 'achines! &onstruction! &ircuit model! 5perating characteristics and
performance analysis! %ynchronous reactance! ,fficiency! 4oltage regulation! %alient-
pole machine! arallel operation! 6unting! %hort circuit transients!
$nduction 'achines! &onstruction! rinciple of operation! *otating fields! &haracteristics
and performance analysis! Determination of circuit model! &ircle diagram! %tarting and
speed control! Fractional 3( motors! %ingle-phase synchronous and induction motors!
(2) Po+er syste&s(
Types of ower %tations, 6ydro, Thermal and 7uclear %tations! umped storage plants!
,conomics and operating factors!
ower transmission lines! 'odeling and performance characteristics! 4oltage control!
0oad flow studies! 5ptimal power system operation! 0oad fre1uency control!
%ymmetrical short circuit analysis! :-"us formulation! %ymmetrical &omponents! er
9nit representation! Fault analysis! Transient and steady-state stability of power systems!
,1ual area criterion!
ower system Transients! ower system rotection Circuit breakers! *elays! 64D&
transmission!
(3) Analog and !igital Electronics and Circuits(
%emiconductor device physics, 7 junctions and transistors, circuit models and
parameters, F,T, :ener, tunnel, %chott#y, photo diodes and their applications, rectifier
circuits, voltage regulators and multipliers, switching behavior of diodes and transistors!
%mall signal amplifiers, biasing circuits, fre1uency response and improvement, multi-
stage amplifiers and feed-bac# amplifiers, D!&! amplifiers, 5scillators! 0arge signal
amplifiers, coupling methods, push pull amplifiers, operational amplifiers, and wave
shaping circuits! 'ulti-vibrators and flip-flops and their applications! Digital logic gate
families, universal gates combinational circuits for arithmetic and logic operation,
se1uential logic circuits! &ounters, registers, */' and *5's!
() Micro2processors(
'icro-processor architecture $nstruction set and simple assembly language programming!
$nterfacing for memory and $)5! /pplications of 'icro-processors in power system!
(#) Co&&unication Syste&s(
Types of modulation. /', F' and '! Demodulators! 7oise and bandwidth
considerations! Digital communication systems! ulse code modulation and
demodulation! ,lements of sound and vision broadcasting! &arrier communication!
Fre1uency division and time division multiple+ing, Telemetry system in power
engineering!
($) Po+er Electronics(
ower semi-conductor devices! Thyristor! ower transistor, 8T5s and '5%-F,Ts!
&haracteristics and operation! /& to D& &onverters. =-phase and ?-phase D& to D&
&onverters. /& regulators! Thyristor controlled reactors, switched capacitor networ#s!
$nverters. %ingle-phase and ?-phase! ulse width modulation! %inusoidal modulation with
uniform sampling! %witched mode power supplies!
1op
E8EC1/*0ICS 9 1E8EC*MM:0ICA1I*0 E03I0EE/I03
(For both objective and conventional type papers)
Paper I
(1) Materials and Co&ponents(
%tructure and properties of ,lectrical ,ngineering materials. &onductors, %emi-
conductors and $nsulators, magnetic, Ferro-electric, ie2oelectric, &eramic, 5ptical and
%uper-conducting materials! assive components and characteristic *esistors, &apacitors
and $nductors. Ferrites, <uart2 crystal &eramic resonators, ,lectromagnetic and
,lectromechanical components!
(2) Physical Electronics% Electron !evices and ICs(
,lectrons and holes in semi-conductors, &arner %tatistics, 'echanism of current flow in a
semi-conductor, 6all effect. ;unction theory. Different types of diodes and their
characteristics. "ipolar ;unction transistor. Field effect transistors. ower switching
devices li#e %&*s, 8T5s, power '5%F,Ts. "asics of $&s-bipolar, '5% and &'5%
types. basic and 5pto ,lectronics!
(3) Signals and Syste&s(
&lassification of signals and systems. %ystem modeling in terms of differential and
difference e1uations. %tate variable representation. Fourier series. Fourier transforms and
their application to system analysis. 0aplace transforms and their application to system
analysis. &onvolution and superposition integrals and their applications. :-transforms
and their applications to the analysis and characteri2ation of discrete time systems.
*andom signals and probability. &orrelation functions. %pectral density. *esponse of
linear system to random inputs!
() 0et+or; 1heory(
7etwor# analysis techni1ues. 7etwor# theorems, transient response, steady state
sinusoidal response. 7etwor# graphs and their applications in networ# analysis.
Tellegen-s theorem! Two port networ#s. :, @, h and transmission parameters!
&ombination of two ports, analysis of common two ports! 7etwor# functions: parts of
networ# functions, obtaining a networ# function from a given part! Transmission criteria:
delay and rise time, ,lmore-s and other definitions effect of cascading! ,lements of
networ# synthesis!
(#) Electro&agnetic 1heory(
/nalysis of electrostatic and magneto-static fields. 0aplace-s and oisson-s e1uations.
"oundary value problems and their solutions. 'a+well-s e1uations. application to wave
propagation in bounded and unbounded media. Transmission lines: basic theory, standing
waves, matching applications, microstrip lines. "asics of wave guides and resonators.
,lements of antenna theory!
($) Electronic Measure&ents and Instru&entation(
"asic concepts, standards and error analysis. 'easurements of basic electrical 1uantities
and parameters. ,lectronic measuring instruments and their principles of wor#ing: analog
and digital, comparison, characteristics, and applications! Transducers. ,lectronic
measurements of non-electrical 1uantities li#e temperature, pressure, humidity, etc!.
basics of telemetry for industrial use!
Paper II
(1) Analog Electronic Circuits(
Transistor biasing and stabili2ation! %mall signal analysis! ower amplifiers! Fre1uency!
response! (ide banding techni1ues! Feedbac# amplifiers! Tuned amplifiers! 5scillators,
*ectifiers and power supplies! 5p /mp, 00, other linear integrated circuits and
applications! ulse shaping circuits and waveform generators!
(2) !igital Electronic Circuits(
Transistor as a switching element. "oolean algebra, simplification of "oolean function
3arnaugh map and applications. $& 0ogic gates and their characteristics. $& logic
families: DT0, TT0, ,&0, 7'5%, '5% and &'5% gates and their comparison.
&ombinational logic circuits. 6alf adder, Full adder. Digital comparator. 'ultiple+er De-
multiple+er. *5' and their applications! Flip-flops! *-%, ;-3, D and T flip-tops.
Different types of counters and registers! (aveform generators! /)D and D)/ converters!
%emi-conductor memories!
(3) Control Syste&s(
Transient and steady state response of control systems. ,ffect of feedbac# on stability
and sensitivity. *oot locus techni1ues. Fre1uency response analysis! &oncepts of gain
and phase margins. &onstant-' and &onstant-7 7ichol-s &hart. /ppro+imation of
transient response from &onstant-7 7ichol-s &hart. /ppro+imation of transient response
from closed loop fre1uency response. Design of &ontrol %ystems. &ompensators.
$ndustrial controllers!
() Co&&unication Syste&s(
"asic information theory. 'odulation and detection in analogue and digital systems.
%ampling and data reconstructions. <uanti2ation and coding. Time division and
fre1uency division multiple+ing. ,1uali2ation. 5ptical &ommunication: in free space and
fiber optic. ropagation of signals at 6F, 46F, 96F and microwave fre1uency. %atellite
&ommunication!
(#) Micro+ave Engineering(
'icrowave Tubes and solid state devices, 'icrowave generation and amplifiers, (ave
guides and other 'icrowave &omponents and &ircuits, 'icrostrip circuits, 'icrowave
/ntennas, 'icrowave 'easurements, 'asers, 0asers. 'icro-wave propagation!
'icrowave &ommunication %ystems-terrestrial and satellite based!
($) Co&puter Engineering(
7umber %ystems! Data representation. rogramming. ,lements of a high level
programming language /%&/0)&. 9se of basic data structures. Fundamentals of
computer architecture. rocessor design. &ontrol unit design. 'emory organi2ation, $)o
%ystem 5rgani2ation! 'icroprocessors: /rchitecture and instruction set of
'icroprocessor-s ABAC and ABAD, /ssembly language rogramming! 'icroprocessor
"ased system design: typical e+amples! Personal computers and their typical uses
Post: #1
Tips for Civil Services Exam. From
Rita SinghRajeev Kmar !ital
"th Position in #CS 1$$%
&ar' Work, Systematic St'( are key
factors: Hard work, systematic study and
technique of preparation are the key
factors which make a candidate get
through in the Ciil Serices !"amination#
An $!# in electronics and communication
from the Delhi College of !ngineering,
opined that one should feel comfortable
with the sub%ects he chooses for the
e"amination# & dedicate this success to my
parents who encouraged and guided me
throughout the course of my preparation#
&n addition, & am also thankful to my
sister for her cooperation#
School an' college e'cation ' &
passed the (&& standard e"amination from
St# (aiers) School, Delhi and did my *#!#
in electronics and communication from the
Delhi &nstitute of +echnology in ,--.# &
did my post graduation in the same
sub%ect from Delhi College of !ngineering#
Choice of sub%ect' & feel choice of sub%ect
for the Ciil Serices !"amination is a
ma%or contributor for success# /ne should
feel comfortable with the sub%ects he
chooses for the e"amination# &n my caie,
mathematics has always fascinated me
since childhood# &n the (th standard
e"amination & scored cent per cent marks#
$y choice of electrical engineering as a
sub%ect for the Ciil Serices#
)e*spapers an' maga+ines ' +imes of
&ndia , !conomic +imes 0sometimes1,
!mployment 2ews 0the lead article is ery
good1# & regularly read !mployment 2ews#
+he lead article is ery informatie#
Articles like the World of Science, Do you
know etc# were useful for preliminaries# &
suggest that !mployment 2ews introduce
one topper of any e"amination like &ndian
Administratie Serice3&ndian !ngineering
Serice to the readers#
&o,,ies: Personal computer repair arid
maintenance, Cricket, +rekking# Preparing
for the final interiew# & started preparing
for my interiew from the month of $arch
since & was e"pecting a call for personality
test# & relied e"tensiely on newspaper
clippings and maga4ines besides attending
a one5week coaching programme#
6raming proper answers plays a ery
important role in the interiew and &
practised a lot on possible questions and
answers for the interiew#
&t was my third attempt# &n my second
attempt, & appeared for the interiew, but
narrowly missed the final list# 6inally, it
was in the third attempt that & achieed
success#
+hough & also appeared for other e"ams,
my main focus was on Civil Serices# &
got twelfth rank in the &ndian !ngineering
Serice#
Factors nee'e' for sccess in CSE:
+here is no single factor which determines
success in Ciil Serices !"ams# &t is a
combination of arious factors like hard
work, systematic study, technique of
preparation and finally a bit of luck#
!essage for the ftre aspirants of
Civil Services Examinations: Work hard
with a professional attitude, hae faith in
yourself and success is bound to come
Tips For #-S
,# *e ery particular about the sub%ect you choose
for prelims, as you will be appearing for an ob%ectie
type of paper# History, maths, geography may proe
to be ery scoring# Choose sub%ects which hae
aailability of books, reading material and guidance#
&n recent years engineering sub%ects like ciil and
electrical can be chosen, giing *!s and &&+ians an
edge 0yes7 een here they are giing the *As and
*Scs a tough fight71
8# 9#:# will definitely pay in your prelims# ;eading
newspapers, watching +< news and of course qui4
shows like :*C is a must#
=# &f you hae been lucky enough to reach the
interiew stage book knowledge may not be the only
thing you need# >our mental alertness will count as
they ask you questions like ?How many steps did you
walk up to reach here@A or ? What is the colour of the
wall behind you @A 5 So be prepared#
B# !nhance your personality because it will definitely
be one of the criteria for selection# 6or &PS physical
wellbeing is of great importance, you should be
medically fit#
.# &mproe your communication skills# &6S aspirants
must be proficient in at least one foreign language#
So go ahead, hae your say in this political mess of
our country and try to make it a better place#
&AS Papers ' 6ie +ips /n Studying 6or !"ams
6ie tips on how to study for tests so you can
improe your performance on them'
,# +ake frequent short breaks#
&tCs been shown that your memory will remember
more at the beginning and at the end of your study
sessions than it will in the middle of those sections#
+herefore, it makes sense to keep your study periods
to a short time frame, say 8D5=D minutes at most,
take a .5minute break, then come back and study
another 8D5=D minutes# +his way, your mind will be
sharper and youCll be more focused on what youCre
studying#
8# Space out your studying so that your long5term
memory retains it#
Another reason to not wait until the night before the
e"am to study is because the information will stay in
your long5term memory# &f you wait until the night
before the e"am, the information will only be in your
short5term memory, where it is more likely to be
forgotten#
=# DonCt try to memori4e eerythingE make sure you
understand the material well#
Fnderstanding the material is key to doing well on
college e"ams because often these e"ams will ask
you to demonstrate your understanding of that
material by applying it to a situation# >our study
material may hae presented a sample case for you
to help you prepare, but if you didnCt understand the
process of how you came to the right answer,
chances are, you wonCt be able to demonstrate the
ability to answer the question on the e"am, which
will likely lead you to doing poorly on the e"am#
B# Gisten to rela"ing music to ease the boredom of
studying#
Gistening to rela"ing music like classical or %a44 can
help to reliee some of the boredom of studying#
Sitting for e"tended periods of time, een with short
breaks, can cause the mind to dull a bit oer timeE
playing rela"ing music can help to reitali4e yourself
to refocus on the material and study it better#
.# DonCt study later than the time you usually go to
sleep#
&t is suggested that you donCt stay up past the time
you usually go to sleep, as you may be tempted to
fall asleep, being that your body is used to going to
sleep at a certain time# +hat is why studying in the
afternoon or early eening would be better# &f you
are a morning person, wake up at your usual time or
een a bit earlier and study then, rather than staying
up past your bedtime to study#
+his is another reason why you shouldnCt wait until
the night before the e"am to do all of your studying,
as you will likely need a few hours to study in order
to coer all the material if you haenCt been studying
it throughout the course#
+&PS 6/; SFCC!SS &2 CS!
With the number of acancies dwindling each year
and the competition getting tougher, with the
number of aspirants increasing each year, one must
consider all the pros and cons before %umping into
the fray# /ne should preferably hae an alternatie
%ob, which gies one the confidence and makes a
wholehearted effort possible#
Selection of Sub%ect'
+he first and foremost thing to decide while aspiring
for Ciil Serices is the %udicious choice of sub%ects
for the Preliminary and the $ains e"aminations# +he
selection of sub%ects should be done most carefully,
if it goes wrong, eerything will go wrong#
2ormally students hae the adantage of selecting
one of the optionals, which they are familiar with, or
hae at least studied till graduate leel# &f you are
not comfortable with the sub%ect, you should not
select the sub%ect as an optional#
!"ample' /ne who studied $edicine in his3her
graduation may hae to refer many books for one
topic# /n such occasions it is better to take a sub%ect
of one)s interest#
+he aspirants should opt for a sub%ect of their
interest 5 technical sub%ects like engineering,
medicine, eterinary sciences# Students from science
background may find it difficult to understanding
economics and ice5ersa# Agriculture or <eterinary
Sciences will be opted by the students who hae
studied it at their college leel# Hence, the
competition is among the people who hae opted for
the same sub%ect# /ne should top in his3her sub%ect
to succeed in the e"amination#
/ne should analyse the syllabus of preious years
and the question papers# +he comfort leels with the
sub%ect opted for and the past trends should be
analysed# While going through the questions of
preious years, one can %udge himself3herself about
the knowledge base and comfort leel with the
sub%ect# After a detailed analysis one should decide
the sub%ect for the first optional# /ne can get some
feedback3adice from seniors and fellow students
who are well ersed in the sub%ect# +o aoid
confusion at adanced stages of the e"amination,
one should hae some consultation with
e"perienced3senior colleagues# +hey can guide you
better than any coaching class#
Preparation'
Preparation for 9eneral studies can be done hand in
hand, along with the preparation for optional papers#
9ood mi" of study hours for 9eneral Studies and the
/ptionals makes studies en%oyable and it becomes
easy to sustain the momentum for longer hours,
without boredom setting in and without losing
interest and enthusiasm# +he most important aspect
for the preparation for 9S 0Prelims1 is to identify the
loopholes and plug them urgently# *ut remember
one thingE neer sacrifice the time of optional for
9eneral Studies# *ecause each question in optional
carries 8#. marks and in total it carries =DD marks#
$ore importantly, input5output ratio in optional is
much better than that in 9eneral Studies#
Always go in for a planned and systematic study#
Work out your own study schedules in a manner
suited to your style and stick to it#
/ne should read a leading daily regularly and also a
maga4ine that will gie an insight into the writing
skills and obsere how facts are presented clearly
and succinctly# Also watch news H current affairs
programmes on a good +< channel# +he latest trend
has been a shift towards the current issuesE hence a
thorough awareness of recent happenings is
mandatory# &n5depth knowledge of such eents is
most important, as the questions will test the
knowledge of details of any gien eent3happening#
6irst one should coer the entire syllabus and then
one month preceding the $ains, practice with the
help of question papers of preious years#
Sometimes students may end up studying topics,
which are connected to the syllabus, but are
practically irreleant from your preparation point of
iew# 6or this, one should always keep a copy of the
syllabus handy and keep referring to it time and
again to reassess the direction of the preparation#
/ne should also keep question papers of the
preious years# Compare them and see what types
of questions are repeated eery year#
+ry to attempt question papers of preious years and
9eneral studies papers# +his will e"pose your
weaknesses and gie you an idea about the e"tent of
your preparation, your knowledge base, your speed
and accuracy#
9eneral preparation can be broadly classified as
long5term or short5term depending on the aailable
time for preparation# Preparation for $ains
e"amination should begin soon after the Prelims are
oer, without waiting for the result, as it inoles
wastage of time#
+he generally accepted strategy for CS! is that one
must hae studied the entire syllabus for the $ains
before the Prelims or at least before the result is out#
After the Prelims results are announced, all three
sub%ects 5 two optionals and 9eneral Studies should
be diided equally in three quarters to reise the
sub%ects# &f the sub%ect is not reised, it is as good as
not read because preparation is a continuous
process# /ne might hae coered the syllabus long
back, but memory detoriates with time
/ne should read3study daily ,D5,8 hours per day#
Some people say that used to read ,I58D hours#
Howeer, don)t go by the claims of other persons
who say that hae studied for more than ,I hours a
day# &t is humanly impossible# !ach person knows
one)s own capacity, so one should prepare the
timetable accordingly and follow the same for the
whole period of preparation# +he e"ecution of the
timetable is of crucial importance#
/ne should be dedicated and hae faith in one)s own
capabilities and in the Almighty# Do not get
depressed if you are unable to achiee the targets#
;emember, it is your preparationE you are the one
who will appear in the e"amination# >ou know
yourself better than anyone else# Juality of hours
put in is more important than quantity of hours# >our
time and energies should be used in an efficient and
effectie manner#
During the entire period of the e"amination, take a
light diet# /ne should maintain good health during
the preparation and also maintain a hobby, which
rela"es you during your preparation# +ake adequate
amount of sleep, as both 5 body and mind require it#
&t is always better to study when the body and mind
are fresh# +his helps in easy grasping of things as
well as in retaining them#
+o sae time during reision, aspirants may
mark3highlight important points during their first or
second reading# +he aim of the first reading is to
reduce the study material to half by eliminating
unnecessary points# +he second reading is to make it
more concise, so that you can reise the entire
syllabus within two days before the e"amination#
&nformation from any source of releance to your
goal should be welcomed, as long as it is from a
standard source# Discuss with your friends, talk to
them and listen to their iews# +his will e"pand your
knowledge base and also e"pose you to different
iews# 0*ut while discussing be careful and don)t
waste time on unnecessary details1# >ou should hae
a guided discussion# &t is important to peak at the
time of the e"amination# So, channelise your
preparations in such a manner that you don)t burn
yourself out before the e"amination commences#
+hose who still hae two5three years of time left for
becoming eligible to appear for Ciil Serices must
begin the preparation for the e"amination in the
right earnest 5 right now#
/nce you decide that you wish to be a ciil serant,
as your career has to follow certain steps to be
abreast with the latest trends and be ready in the
first attempt itself#
&f you are schooling'
,#;ead your school te"tbooks thoroughly# +his is the
building block of your general knowledge base#
8#;ead one national newspaper regularly#
=#Watch one +< news regularly#
B#6ollow discussions3debates on one +< channel
regularly#
.#;ead one national news maga4ine#
K#&f possible, read one competitie e"amination
maga4ine also#
L#Discuss news items with family members and
friends that will confidence and different points of
iew#
I#*e alert to learn new things#
-#:eep an open mind to learn what is happening
around you#
At college stage'
,#&f you decide to make ciil serices a career at
college stage, try to follow these things'
8#Gearn your sub%ect thoroughly#
=#;ead 2C!;+ books ery carefully as they are little
encyclopedias and also comprehend them carefully#
B#Study &ndia yearbook published by Publication
Diision, $inistry of &H*# +his will gie you the base
and a bird)s eye iew about &ndia#
.#;ead one national newspaper and a maga4ine
thoroughly#
K#Watch +< news 0one prime time bulletin which
coers ma%or national and international news eery
day1# +< channels gie an oerall news3iews
scenario on their prime time slots#
L#Gistening to morning news bulletins3analysis of All
&ndia ;adio is a must# +hey proide inaluable
background information and a balanced opinion on
ma%or issues# !ening news bulletins of A&; gie an
oeriew of the prominent news stories of the day#
I#6ollow one competitie e"amination maga4ine
regularly# +hat will gie you the latest trends about
ciil serices and other competitie e"aminations and
also gie you important information in capsule form#
-#Discussions on current affairs on standard +<
channel should be followed by a student to learn
Mhow the arguments take place and how arguments
are built upM#
,D#Discuss things3news items with your friends and
family members that will gie confidence of taking a
stand against any issue#
,,#/nce you enter =rd year of your preparation, you
can go through the question papers of the preious
years of CS!# Students in the first year also can go
through these papers, but it would be difficult for a
person to understand all the questions because
he3she might hae not studied the entire syllabi#
,8#2ormally four questions from the syllabus are
asked which are of P9 leel if the sub%ect is from the
Arts or Science stream# So one should go through
the syllabus first, then decide about taking the
questions for the test#
,=#&n the first step itself, if you take the question
paper and if you don)t know most of the questions, it
will de%ect you# +here is nothing to get de%ected at
this stage#
,B#&f you complete your one optional at the college
leel itself, it will be easy for you to crack the Ciil
Serices in the first attempt itself# &f you clear the
e"am before the age of 8= that will make you eligible
to become Secretary to 9oernment of &ndia3 Chief
Secretary of a State 5 and een go up to the rank of
Cabinet Secretary#
+&PS 6/; P;!G&$&2A;> !(A$&2A+&/2
,#+he choice of optional should be done with due
care and caution# While knowledge in the sub%ect is
of crucial importance, interest in the sub%ect is also
an important consideration# +he reason being that
the interest in the sub%ect should be enough to last a
few years of preparation#
8#+he aptitude and proficiency of a particular
candidate in a gien sub%ect plays an important role
in arriing at a decision to select an optional sub%ect#
=#Since some sub%ects are more scoring than others,
candidates opt for such sub%ects# *ut one thing
should be kept in mind is oneCs aptitude and interest
towards sub%ect#
B#DonCt choose an entirely new sub%ect in which you
will hae to work ery hard#
.#&f the sub%ect selected for preliminary is opted for,
in the $ains e"amination also, it will be ery useful
and soles a lot of labour and time# +he preparations
done for the Preliminaries would assist the
candidates in getting a good grasp oer the sub%ectE
otherwise the effort put in would go waste after the
Prelims#
K#*ooks for Preliminary e"amination are aailable in
plenty in common for popular sub%ects, but in case of
speciali4ed optional like Agriculture, !ngineering,
$athematics etc one has to look carefully for good
books which coer all parts of the syllabus#
L#/ne should select standard, prescribed books for
the preparation#
I#A detailed study of good te"tbooks and whole
syllabus only gie good input and a decent chance to
answer ma"imum questions to score high# &t is
better to consult arious books on different aspects,
as it is ery rare that one single book coers the
entire syllabus in its totality#
-#After reading3understanding the basic concepts, it
is desirable to hae sufficient or a good question
bank on the sub%ect concerned may assist the
students a great deal#
,D#Juestions asked in the Preliminary e"amination
for preious ,D years are aailable in the market# As
a first step, one should sort out the questions of the
optional, according to the syllabus topics# +his will
gie an insight into the nature of questions,
important areas, and twists in the questions etc#
/nce the basic strategy is formed, it will be easier to
study the sub%ects according to the nature of
questions asked in FPSC#
,,#+he optional sub%ect should be studied
e"tensiely 0/ptional' 9eneral StudiesN L.'8.1#
,8#A four5month e"clusie preparation for
Preliminary e"amination is a must#
,=#6or the optional sub%ect, the whole syllabus
should be thoroughly studied and should be reised
and mastered# 0;emember no topic in optional
should be left as optional1 '/ne question carries 8#.
marks#
,B#/ne should aim at scoring -.5,,D3,8D 0optional
sub%ect1, -.5,D.3,.D 09eneral Studies1# 0Score
aries per sub%ect H per category1#
,.#/ptional sub%ects carry more marks 0total of =DD1
as compared to 9eneral Studies 0,.D1# +he
area3syllabus of the optional sub%ect is also limited#
+hough there is a prescribed syllabus, there is no
limit# &t is ast#
,K#As the question paper is ob%ectie in nature, it
would not be adisable to confine the studies only to
the multiple choice ob%ectie type questions# Practice
with question banks aailable in the market#
,L#/ne should read the entire syllabus by coering
each and eery aspect# +his proides a candidate
with loads of self5confidence and knowledge to
answer the questions correctly#
,I#+his practice would perfect the art of answering
the questions correctly and rapidly# +his will also
help the candidates to properly understand the
questions asked in arious forms#
,-#A candidate doing well in the optional paper is
e"pected to fare well in the e"amination#
8D#Practice of correctly marking the answer sheets
by using minimum possible time will go a long way in
helping you succeed# &t helps to assess oneCs
progress in that particular sub%ect#
8,#As the questions in the Preliminary e"amination
are ob%ectie in nature, intelligent guesswork may be
used to answer questions when you donCt know the
precise answer# While soling the paper you may
take three rounds# &n the first round sole the easy
questions# &n the second round may be taken up
statement and reason# +he third round can hae the
tough questions where the intelligent guesswork may
be applied# &f you donCt een know some questions,
you should answer the same code to all# $ark ?AA or
?*A or ?CA or ?DA to all blank where you donCt hae
any clue at all#
88#&mportance of 9eneral Studies also cannot be
undermined#
+&PS 6/; 9!2!;AG S+FD&!S
,#;ead newspapers and maga4ines carefully, which
will e"pand your knowledge base and gie good
command and writing skill#
8#Preparation for 9eneral studies should be done
hand in hand while preparing for optional papers#
=#2C!;+ books should be studied carefully and
newspapers like +he Hindu and maga4ines such as
6rontline#
B#+rend nowadays has shifted more towards current
issues, hence a thorough awareness of recent
eents3happenings is mandatory#
.#&n the Prelims, though the 9eneral Studies carries
only ,.D marks, all the candidates are required to
sole the same questions, hence, this paper assumes
enormous importance, as anyone spoiling this paper
cannot hae any chance of qualifying for the $ains
stage of the e"amination#
K#/ther than the syllabus gien, questions on
planning, budgeting, deelopmental programmes,
latest issues of political and constitutional
importance, Panchayati ;a%, electoral reforms,
natural resources, culture, growth of nationalism,
committees, commissions etc can be e"pected
almost eery year#
L#!mphasis is normally placed on the general
aspects of the sub%ects, which eery educated
person aspiring to %oin the ciil serices is e"pected
to know#
I#+he 9eneral Studies paper needs special and
thorough preparations and does not need to be oer5
emphasised#
-#&n 9eneral Studies, other than current affairs, each
and eery aspect is coered in our school syllabi#
Whateer one has studied upto Class (&& is only
asked in 9eneral Studies# +he only thing which is
different is that it has an application but the basic is
from our school te"tbook only# A good, bright
student who understood the basic concepts during
his3her school studies will definitely be strong in
9eneral Studies too#
,D#+hose who would like to appear for Ciil Serices
should hae a strong base, which will make them
easy to follow the sub%ects#
,,#!"haustie study of each sub%ect and eery
aspect of the 9eneral Studies is essential#
,8#An important point is efficient time management
and proper planning# +he time aailable with the
candidates for preparations is limited and hence has
to be intelligently utili4ed#
+&PS 6/; $A&2S
,#&2S+;FC+&/2S 9&<!2 A+ +H! *!9&22&29 /6 +H!
JF!S+&/2 PAP!;S SH/FGD *! ;!AD CA;!6FGG>#
8#Preparations for $ains e"amination should be done
intensiely#
=#&t always helps if the choice of the optionals for the
Prelims e"amination is one of the sub%ects chosen for
the $ains#
B#After analysis3taking the decision on the options,
one should sort out the $ain question papers
according to the syllabus topics of the $ains
e"amination# &f one analyses these questions, after
sometime the questions are repeated in one form or
the other# +his will gie you time to prepare a
standard answer to the question papers of the
preious years# +his will also make your task easy at
the $ains e"amination#
.#Juestions asked are of the $asters leel
e"amination# Sometimes the questions are
OconceptualC in nature, aimed at testing the
comprehension leels of the basic concepts# So, if
you donCt hae a basic grounding in the basic
concepts, it would be adisable to start from simple
books#
K#+he right choice of reading material is important
and crucial# >ou should not read all types of books as
told by others# 9et a list of standard te"tbooks from
the successful candidates, or other sources and also
select proper notes for studying#
L#/ne should always target for $ains een while
preparing for Preliminary e"amination# +his is
because there is much in common ground for study
and there is little time for preparation for the $ain
e"amination after the results of the Prelims
e"amination are announced#
I#While studying for the optional sub%ects, keep in
mind that there is no scope for selectie studies in
CS!# +he whole syllabus must be completely and
thoroughly coered# !qual stress and weightage
should be gien to both the optionals# ;emember P
in the ultimate analysis both sub%ects carry e"actly
the same amount of ma"imum marks#
-#6or sub%ects like $athematics and Statistics and
9eography maps etc, practice is ery important# /ne
should also practice other sub%ects and should not
treat the same e"amination, as an ?e"perience
gatheringA e"ercise to get a chance for writing mains
is a great thing, which one may not get again#
Hence, you should go through the unsoled papers
of the preious papers and sole them to stimulate
the atmosphere of the e"amination# Stick to the time
frame 0roughly , minute for 8 marks# Speed is the
ery essence of this e"amination# Hence, time
management assumes crucial importance#
,D#Writing skills 0packaging1 matter a lot in the Ciil
Serices# $ost of the candidates appearing for the
$ains e"amination hae a lot of knowledge, but lack
writing skills# +hey are not able to present all the
information3knowledge in a coherent and logical
manner, as e"pected by the e"aminer# &t is not only
what you write, that is important, but also how you
write what you write#
,,#6or deeloping the writing skills, one should keep
writing model answers while preparing for the $ains
e"amination# +his would help the candidate to ?get
into the grooeA of writing under time pressure in
the $ains e"amination# +he attitude should neer be
?& will directly write in the e"aminationA#
,8#Deelop and follow your own style of writing# +ry
not to be repetitie and maintain a flow in the style
of your writing# 2eer try to imitate others in the
style of writing#
,=#Sequential and systematic style of answering
comes after a lot of practice and analysis of standard
answers# +ry to stimulate the actual e"amination
hours to %udge your performance and to plug any
loopholes#
,B#Strictly adhere to the word limit as prescribed at
the end of the question to the e"tent possible# +ry
not to e"ceed the word limit, as far as possible#
Sticking to the word limit that will sae time#
*esides, the number of marks you achiee are not
going to increase een if you e"ceed the word limit#
,.#;eision of sub%ects is ery important because
?anything you could not reise prior to the
e"amination is as good as not haing prepared at
allA# +he reason is that you hae been preparing for
months or years together# &t is a human tendency to
forget something after some time# Hence, reision is
a must#
,K#Write it legibly as it will simplify the ealuatorCs
task and he can read the answers easily#
,L#Highlight3underline the important points, which
you feel, are important#
,I#&f the write up is in essay form, write in
paragraphs# A new point should start with a new
paragraph#
,-#&f the question needs answer in point form, gie it
a bullet format#
8D#:eep sufficient space between two lines#
8,#+ry to maintain uniformity in your write5ups
throughout the paper# Some students write well in
the initial papers# Fnder time pressure, the script
goes from bad to worse in the later stages of the
answer sheets and gets bad treatment# +his may
irritate the ealuator#
88#DonCt count words after eery answer# &f you
hae practiced well, you can count ?how many words
do you write in a line and how many lines in a single
page and the total words per questionA#
8=#9ie space and diide it by a diiding line
between two questions#
8B#/ne should target ,8DD5,8.D38DDD marks in the
$ains# +he main cut off also aries from year to
year#
+&PS 6/; W;&+&29 A2 !SSA>
,#/ne is required to write an essay for three hours
duration# +his length of duration is enough# +here is
no standard word limit for writing an essay#
8#;emember to diide an essay into three parts P 0i1
&ntroduction 0ii1 $ain body and 0iii1 Conclusion#
=#+he choice of topic on which the essay is to be
written after careful thought# While selecting a topic,
the knowledge base of the topic P i#e how much you
know about the sub%ect is of crucial importance# &f
you hae data or statistics at your fingertips to back
some statements, all the more better#
B#+he introduction is of crucial importance#
;emember P well begun is half done# +his applies to
an essay all the more# /ne could begin with a saying
or a quotation# Juotations make the essay
interesting to read#
.#&f you cannot mentally arrange the points to be
coered in the essay, %ot down the points on a rough
sheet of paper# +ry to e"pand one point in its
entirety in one paragraph and then moe on to the
ne"t point# Do not keep returning back to one point
after you hae started another point# &t makes the
essay repetitie and boring to read# &f possible, try to
maintain a link between the points by a connecting
sentence at the end of the paragraph coering a
gien point#
K#:eep your sentences short# Gonger sentences not
only lead to comple" sentences, but also point to
comple"ity in thought process# Fse minimum
number of con%unctions# 6inish off a sentence as
quickly as possible and start a new sentence#
L#&n an essay, try to point out the problem areas and
also suggest solutions to sole them#
I#Conclusion is as important as an introduction# &t
gies an insight into your analy4ing powers# +ry to
gie a brief oeriew in the form of a gist of the
essay in the conclusion
+&PS 6/; P!;S/2AG&+> +!S+
*asics'
,#+he interiew is nowadays known as a Personality
+est# +he reason being that it is not a test of
knowledge, but of the oerall personality of the
candidate3aspirant#
8#&nteriew is more of a psychological test that is
%ust content5based# Along with good communicatie
skills and self5confidence, good knowledge base no
doubt gies you an upper hand# Howeer, it has to
be borne in mind that nearly all the
aspirants3candidates in the Personality +est start
more or less as equals in the sphere of knowledge
base#
=#+he most important thing to know about an
interiew is that it is not always a question5answer
session and that the *oard members are looking for
different aspects of oneCs personality#
B#/ne is not e"pected to know eerything under the
sun# &f you do not know the answer to a particular
question, do not hesitate to say P & donCt know,
Sir3$aCm# Howeer, een ?& donCt know Sir3$aCmA
should be said confidently and with a reasonable
amount of cheerfulness# ;emember P your
knowledge leels hae been thoroughly checked
during the earlier stages of the CS! P i4 Prelims and
$ains#
.#Always remember that the interiew is not a cross
e"amination, but a natural, purposeful conersation#
K#Personality is a life5long asset and a thing, which
eoles and changes eery day#
L#Preparation
I#:eep a photocopy of the form filled for the $ains
e"amination handy# $ost of the initial questions P i4
the meaning of your name, educational background,
professional e"perience, hobbies etc will be based on
this form only# +ry to prepare on your bio5dataE
roughly LDQ questions are based on bio5data, 8DQ
questions are based on your sub%ect and ,DQ are
based on current affairs#
-#Aspirants to CS! should take an intelligent interest
not only in areas of their speciali4ation, but also in
what is happening around them P both within and
outside the country#
,D#*e well informed about your interests and
hobbies as there will be a few questions probing your
leels of knowledge as regards your hobbies and
interests#
,,#Prepare thoroughly about your hometown H home
state# &f you hail from a place of historical
importance or tourist interest, prepare well on it#
,8#:now yourself# Prepare brief answers to choice of
your sub%ects, family background, meaning of your
name# >ou should try to take the lead by answering
questions based on your bio5data#
,=#/ne of the secrets of success is to prepare for the
Personality +est along with the written test#
,B#&f a person gies the impression of being a
bookworm, the chances of his3her selection are
reduced# +he candidate must e"hibit an all5round
personality, which indicates that the aspirant
possesses a complete personality#
$/C: 3P;AC+&C!
,.#/ne should form a group of B5. people, as the
preparation for Personality +est cannot be done in
isolation# +ry holding as many mock interiews as
possible#
,K#2o training institute can deelop3transform your
personality in a few days# Howeer, some of the tips
may help in ironing out some weaknesses3grey areas
and can proide an aenue for a well5planned
preparation and group discussions#
,L#+ake mock interiews# &n the mock interiew, ask
your friends to grill you so that you can face
pressure from the *oard easily#
,I#Discuss a lot with your friends# +his not only
helps in you assimilating different points of iew, but
also enhances knowledge leels#
D;!SS&29 FP'
,-#Dress sense is of crucial importance# +he choice
of dress should be according to the weather
conditions# +ry not to wear newly stitched clothes, as
they might make you uneasy# Gight colours should
be preferred# White colour is a good choice#
8D#Wear comfortable clothes# $en need to wear light
coloured shirt and a dark trouser with a tie 0if
weather permits1# Women appear best in a saree or
salwar3kamee4#
8,#Pay attention to the details, ironed dress,
polished shoes, hair accessories, trimmed nails etc#
Polish your footwear meticulously# Fse conenient
footwear like black or brown leather shoes#
88#Women candidates should take care to aoid the
hair falling oer the face as it could annoy both P you
and the interiewer#
8=#Do not wear anything that connects you with a
religious or political group#
8B#Do not use heay perfume3deodorants#
8.#&n case you hae a running nose or hae caught a
cold, carry a handkerchief, or sufficient stock of
tissue paper# +issue paper is preferable#
8K#Some candidates take medicine to rela" on the
preious night of the interiewE this should be
aoided as the effect of medicine may decrease your
alertness during the interiew#
8L#What and how you eat is also important# Hae a
light meal on the day of the Personality +est# Do not
go for the interiew on an empty stomach# Howeer,
also aoid oer5eating, or haing a heay meal#
8I#6irst impression is often the best impression# So
create a positie, good impression within the first
few minutes of the interiew#
!2+;>'
8-#Arrie 8D5=D minutes early# Prepare a route map
and arrie well in time# +his will gie you enough
time to rela"
=D#While waiting for your turn in the waiting area,
read a newspaper or a maga4ine and try to remain
focused without thinking too much of what will
happen in the interiew# +ry not to presuppose
situations#
=,#Do not get nerous when you are waiting for your
turn for the Personality +est# When waiting for your
turn, try rela"ing with closed eyes and practice deep
breathing# &t really rela"es you# Do not try to pre5
suppose situations in the Personality +est#
=8#+ake a final, deep breath before entering the
boardroom#
==#Do not forget to knock at the door before
entering, as it indicates basic courtesy#
=B#/n entering the room, greet all the members
cordially and do not sit down on the seat without
being asked to#
=.#&f there is a lady member in the interiew board,
greet her first#
=K#*e conscious of your body language when you are
seated#
=L#$en should keep the feet flat on the floor during
the interiew, knees at waist leel, and hands on
your thighs and place your elbows on the armchair#
Aoid locking hands#
=I#Women, cross your ankles or legs, but keep the
bottom leg straight down and do not swing it oer
the top leg and keep your elbows positioned on the
arms of the chair#
=-#When the *oard members thank you at the end
of the Personality test, do not forget to thank the
members one last time and keep your body posture
straight at the time of leaing the room#
BD#;emember that interiew is a two5way process#
B,#*e cool# *e yourself during the &nteriew#
B8#>our aim should be to make the board members
feel comfortable in your presence#
B=#*e truthful, transparent and Predictable#
BB#+he ob%ect of the interiew is to assess the
suitability of the aspirant3candidate for a career in
public serice#
B.#$ost of the questions posed in the Personality
+est are opinion5based#
BK#DonCt e"pect any e"pression on the faces of board
members, een if your answer is ery good#
During &nteriew
BL#&n a personality test, what is of importance is how
you say what you say# &t is the style of presentation
that matters#
BI#>our personality is, on an aerage, assessed in
8.5=D minutes, it is your responsibility to bring out
your ery best in front of the board#
B-#*e attentie and listen to each question carefully#
+ry not to %ump into an answer before the complete
question has been posed as you will end up wasting
time on answering a question that you were not
actually asked# &f you are not sure of what was
asked, you can always politely seek a clarification#
.D#Do not try to answer the question as soon as it is
posed# +hink oer the question, take your time and
organi4e the broad outline of the answer before
airing it# Pause a while before answering, een if you
know the answer#
.,#At times, you will be gien situations wherein you
will be required to take a decision# &n such situations,
the board is testing your ability to comprehend
issues and use reason and good %udgment logically,
precisely and arrie at a balanced decision#
.8#>our replies should be crisp and to the point# Do
not beat around the bush#
.=#$aintain a gentle smile off and on during the
Personality +est without oerdoing it# &t displays a
sense of ease and confidence# Whereer possible use
your sense of humour %udiciously#
9eneral DoCs and DonCts for the personality test'
.B#+he board members are usually ery senior and
learned people, so gie utmost respect to the board#
..#DonCt go by any stories3rumours spread by
others# Aoid unnecessary details#
.K#DonCt ask the preious candidate about his3her
interiew#
.L#+he board has no biases towards anyone#
.I#2eer make any sweeping
statements3generali4ed descriptions#
.-#Accept your mistakes boldly#
KD#Speak honestly, truthfully and modestly#
K,#Do not gie a hasty reply#
K8#Answer in an orderly and logical fashion and
always maintain eye contact with the *oard
members while answering#
K=#*e polite and courteous#
KB#DonCt try to be too argumentatie#
K.#*e consistent in your iews# DonCt change your
iews %ust because the *oard differs in its opinion
from your opinion#
KK#2eer make an attempt to present a made5up
appearance or politically correct answers#
KL#&f you are taking an e"treme iew, you should
also be able to %ustify the same#
KI#+ake tea or coffee, if any member offers the
same to you# +his will show you are rela"ed and it
will also help in lightening and rela"ing further
proceedings and gie them an informal touch#
K-#Aoid chewing gums and other munching items
as it gies a negatie and a careless image#
LD#+ry holding mock interiews in front of a mirror#
Gook out for unwarranted actions3emotions and try
to rectify any shortcomings# &f possible record your
own answers and play them again for finding out
errors#
L,#DonCt critici4e any goernment policies or een
indiiduals#
L8#+ake a good nightCs sleep# A good, sound sleep
will keep you refreshed, cheerful and rela"ed#
/therwise you will hae a fu44y head and you will
betray a confused personality# >ou will neither be
able to grasp questions correctly, nor be able to
think clearly#
L=#Do not speak rapidly# Speak slowly and clearly so
that the *oard members grasp what you are saying
and do not hae to interrupt you or ask you to
repeat your iews#
LB#+he *oard will check you for certain traits P such
as honest and integrity, logical e"position, balance of
opinion, leadership skills, mental alertness, ariety
and depth of interest, social cohesion, moral
integrity, acumen, your response to a peculiar
situation, your iews on aried topics#
L.#At times, the *oard members might pile pressure
upon you# Do not panic P it is a strategy aimed at
gauging the point till which you can maintain your
cool under pressure and can think originally een in
pressure cooker situations# +ry to resemble
tealeaes P show your true colours when in hot
waters#
LK#6orm your iews on a sub%ects in a logical and
rational manner supported by data wheneer
necessary#
LL#+o be in touch with the latest happenings3eents
P nationally and internationally, candidates should
read maga4ines and newspapers 0at least two for
interiew1, watch current affairs5based teleision
programmes#
LI#Assume that all questions are asked with a good
reason and answer them accordingly#
L-#:eep a file3folder to keep your certificates and
documents in an organi4ed manner# +hey are
erified before you enter the interiew room# 0>ou
donCt hae to carry file3folder inside board room1