The UPSC Interview, as the third and the final stage of UPSC CSE, has the potential to either make or break your IAS dream. So, a thorough preparation for this final lap is crucial. Mock Interviews are the key to perfecting your skills and transforming yourself from puzzled to polished for the big day.
With many coaching institutes organising the UPSC Mock Interviews, a candidate has a plethora of options available for the same. However, in order to perform the best on the big day, you should choose the best. With its proven track record of producing results, Mock Interviews conducted as part of the NEXT IAS Interview Guidance Programme (IGP) has undoubtedly been reigning at the top in the category.
Features of NEXT IAS Mock Interviews
Here are some key factors which make NEXT IAS IGP Mock Interviews the best Mock Interviews for UPSC Interview preparation:
Experience of the Interview Panellists
The foremost criteria to categorise any UPSC Mock Interview Programme as the best one is the experience of the panel members who conduct the mock interviews. NEXT IAS IGP Mock Interviews fares the best in this term because of composition of its interview panel:
- Shri Bhim Sain Bassi Sir (IPS Retd.; former honourable member of UPSC): As a former member of the actual UPSC interview boards, Shri Bassi Sir knows very well the right questions to ask and the right parameters to evaluate you upon.
- Mr. B. Singh (Ex. IES; CMD, MADE EASY Group): As a renowned educationist having years of experience in guiding UPSC Interview candidates, he renders his expert advice to hone your interview skills towards perfection.
- Retired Bureaucrats: As someone who themselves have faced the test, they provide really valuable insights on how to impress the UPSC Interview Board.
- Psychological Experts: They assess various elements of your verbal as well as non-verbal communication and provide valuable tips to develop the most effective communication skills.
- Renowned Subject Experts: As experts of their respective subjects, they help you develop a comprehensive understanding of all the subjects that are typically important for UPSC Interview.
Variety of Mocks
As the composition of your actual UPSC Interview Board remains unknown to you, it’s always advisable that you appear for mock interviews before a variety of interview boards. It helps you get an exposure to different types of questioning patterns and hence develop an adaptability. NEXT IAS IGP takes care of this requirement by organising two types of Mock Interviews:
- Faculty Mocks: Conducted by the NEXT IAS experts, they are aimed to give detailed feedback on every single aspect of the interview. Along with, they also provide on-the-spot resolution of even the minutest doubts of the candidates.
- UPSC Simulator Mocks: Conducted by former bureaucrats and subject experts, they are aimed to give you an experience of the actual UPSC Interview-like ambience. This ensures that you remain unfazed by the pressure on the big day.
Dedicated Sessions on DAF
Since the DAF is something which is filled in by the candidate oneself, one is expected to furnish a well-balanced response to questions arising based on the information therein. Thus, comprehensively preparing one’s DAF is mandatory to ace the UPSC Interview. Various features of NEXT IAS IGP address this requirement in the best possible manner:
- DAF Filling Sessions: The candidates are guided by the NEXT IAS experts in order to help them fill in the right information.
- Customised DAF Question Generator: The information furnished in the DAF, and hence expected DAF-based questions, are different for each candidate. As part of its Mock Interview Programme, NEXT IAS provides Customised DAF Question Generator to provide each candidate a curated list of student-specific questions. The questions so curated are as per the questioning patterns of last 5 years’ UPSC interviews.
- One-to-One DAF Sessions: As the final step towards comprehensively preparing one’s DAF, the interview experts at NEXT IAS conduct one-to-one DAF sessions with each candidate. These sessions are aimed to help candidates prepare a well-balanced response to their DAF-based specific questions.
Dedicated Personalised Support
As described by the UPSC, the UPSC Interview is the test of one’s personality. Needless to say, everyone’s personality being different, one needs dedicated personalised support to ace the UPSC Interview. NEXT IAS Mock Interview Programme addresses this requirement with its following features:
- One-to-One Session with Bassi Sir: When it comes to UPSC Interview preparation, nothing can beat a one-to-one session with a person who has been a part of the actual UPSC Interview Panels. In a personalised one-to-one session, Shri Bassi Sir guides the candidates on how to answer interview questions so as to make a lasting impression on the UPSC Interview Board.
- Personal Interview Coach: Though desirable for every stage of the UPSC CSE, the need for a Personal Coach is felt the most for UPSC Interview preparation. Continuous support and guidance provided by the Personal Interview Coaches at NEXT IAS ensure that specific preparation needs of each candidate are properly addressed.
Good Logistics Facility
It is of vital importance that a UPSC Mock Interview Programme provides the necessary logistics facility so as to enhance the realism. Following logistics feature of the NEXT IAS IGP Mock Interviews make significant contribution in making them the best Mock Interviews for UPSC Interview preparation:
- Formal Interview Room: NEXT IAS IGP Mock Interviews are conducted in a formal interview room. The room is equipped with all the modern devices and its ambience is so maintained that you get a feel of being present in the actual UPSC Interview room.
- Video Recording Facility: The Mock Interview of each candidate is recorded with state-of-the-art video recording equipment. These videos are then provided to the respective candidates so that they can themselves see their mock interviews and make necessary improvements.
Additional Resources
Though Mock Interviews make a significant portion, a comprehensive preparation for UPSC Interview requires many other resources. Thus, apart from providing the best Mock Interviews, NEXT IAS Interview Guidance Programme (IGP) provides many other resources and features, such as:
- Dedicated Sessions: Dedicated Sessions conducted as part of this programme aim to comprehensively cover areas which are typically relevant for the interview, such as – Current Affairs, Home States, Optional Subjects etc.
- Interview Oriented Study Materials: Candidates are provided specially curated interview guide books as well as other reference study materials on areas such as – Home State, Hobbies, Graduation Subject etc.
Track Record of Success
Its proven track record of producing results in the earlier years stands testimony to the fact that the NEXT IAS IGP Mock Interviews fares among the best in the category. Of around 1330 candidates who signed up for this programme last year, more than 600 made it to the final list.
Various elements of the NEXT IAS Interview Guidance Programme (IGP) and Mock Interviews conducted under this programme possess every element that needs to be categorised as the best Mock Interview Programme for UPSC.
All the best for your UPSC Interview!
