The key to long-term preparation

B.S. Warrier

Here are more tips on long-term preparation for examinations.

HEART AND SOUL: Sound health is of great importance while preparing for an examination. Photo: K.K. Mustafah

THIS WEEK we will discuss a few more steps for long-term preparation. An important step in developing good language skill is learning more words. Some people call it `vocabulary development.' If language is considered a building, words are the bricks. We say we build brick by brick. Without bricks we cannot build.

Likewise, you cannot write without words. How can you improve your vocabulary? The first step is to develop the habit of referring to a dictionary. Unless you go to the dictionary, you will not know the correct meaning of words.

One word may have different meanings. You may wrongly believe that you know a word even if you have learnt only one of its various meanings. Let us take an example. All of you know the word `round.' What does it mean? You may say that it means `shaped like a ball or circle.'

The answer is correct. But that is not the full answer. Look at the following sentences using the word `round.'

The police fired ten rounds.

The doctor is on his rounds.

She called him roundly a liar.

He rounded off his career by becoming an actor.

Gandhiji attended the round table conference.

Round your salary to the nearest thousand.

The wolf rounded on the sheep.

Does the word `round' mean `shaped as a ball or circle' in any of these? There are other senses also for the word `round.' Unless you know the different senses of the word, you will not be able to use it well. It is a good idea to make use of a `learner's dictionary.' Another method is to make use of books that help to develop your vocabulary quickly. They advise the method of looking at the roots of words. Whatever is your method, the objective should be to enrich your vocabulary so that you can write fluently with precision, using the most appropriate words on any occasion.

As hinted earlier, there are several points that are common in learning strategies and examination strategies. We will, therefore, have to repeat some of the points we had discussed in the previous series on learning that were featured in these columns. However, there are many new points as well. This is for the reason that the best-prepared student need not necessarily score the highest marks. The assessment result in an examination depends on how well the matter has been presented, to match the examiner's expectations. Let us now look at the examination strategies.

Timetable

The first step is to frame a realistic timetable for your studies during the days of the examination.

You may have only limited time at your disposal to cover a vast area. Prioritise the lessons, taking into consideration the probability of questions from each of them.

You should admit that your limited objective during the pre-examination preparation is not the ideal widening of your knowledge for purposes of personality development, but giving finishing touches to your knowledge and skills to meet the specific demands of the examination and to secure the highest scores.

During the framing of the timetable, the gap in terms of days between two papers permitting eleventh hour preparation, number of examination sessions each day, relative difficulty or ease of the subjects from the point of view of each individual, areas left uncovered previously are some of the factors that deserve attention. Your scores during previous tests in individual subjects may give you some indication of how you would perform in the next examination.

Eleventh hour

Anticipating the test content is a wise strategy that would help you in the eleventh hour preparation. The patterns of questions asked during the previous examinations of the same type would give you an insight into the possible structure of the question paper you should tackle.

The quantum of time, the number, style, and difficulty level of questions, instructions regarding choice and options, and the percentage of numerical problems that are likely are some of the elements you can guess through the exercise of analysing previous question papers. Also, in university-level examinations, this would help you to identify certain possible questions through a process of elimination. Very often, question-setters leave out those areas that have been dealt with in the just previous examinations. Nevertheless you should be prepared to face surprises as well. Those who blindly plan selective learning based on this kind of speculation may have to repent later. Who knows a question-setter may not nurture a queer flight of fancy?

Last minute

In an emergency test preparation, you may have to resort to cramming in the last moment. It is no sin, although cramming should not develop into a habit.

Note down all formulae, definitions, and key points for essays at a single place for a quick look just before the examination. Refresh your mnemonics.

As old soldiers would tell, "Keep your powder dry."

Health-wise

Another aspect that is seldom discussed by educationists, but has a profound influence on your performance in the examination is the keeping of sound health through proper diet, exercise, rest, and sleep. Some overanxious students ignore the health aspects when they are blindly immersed in the examination-oriented efforts, with the unfortunate result that at the crucial time they fail to deliver their best.

They may not be able to learn with concentration during the eleventh hour, or write effectively in the examination hall.

Such a possibility should be carefully prevented. Avoid stimulants as far as possible and keep away from depressants. After any test or examination, find some free time to make a thorough analysis of your performance.

It is by the realisation of your errors that you can learn lessons and avoid repeating the errors in future.

Develop your essay logically

B.S. WARRIER

More tips to write high-scoring essays are included in this concluding part of a series.

STYLE COUNTS: Remain calm and relaxed, as it will help you concentrate and come out with a good presentation PHOTO: K. MURALI KUMAR

Think well before you put pen to paper. Read the directions regarding number of questions to be answered, choice of questions and so on carefully in the beginning. Do not assume anything based on previous year's experience; there can be changes. Setting out in the wrong direction takes you to unwanted destinations. A planned traveller should have a wise itinerary.

Write legibly. Even without having a beautiful handwriting, you can certainly do so. Number the pages of the answer book serially, if this is not printed.

Avoid poor spelling, bad grammar and wrong punctuation. All these become habits. So, take proper care of these aspects during the long-range preparation.

Do not make the pages crowded. There should not be too much of scoring through. If you want to cancel a sentence, just draw a line over it. Make the pages easy to read; the examiner may not strain himself to decipher your illegible writing. Letters should not be too large or irritatingly small.

You may underline a word or phrase or sentence, so as to indicate its importance. But too much of underlining, highlighting with colours, capital letters or red ink is undesirable. Resorting to such methods indirectly suggests that you are underestimating the skills of the examiner.

Do not give instructions or directions to the examiner, such as "Go to page 12 and see the rest of the essay."

If you are not sure of a fact, do not mention it. An error made will certainly create a poor impression in the examiner's mind. But an omission does not cause that kind of damage.

While making an argument as part of providing evidence in support of a theme, do not give the impression that you are a fanatic. Often, an understatement is more powerful than a stubborn declaration.

Read the question carefully, know what exactly the examiner asks for, and only then organise your essay. A small error at this stage will prove costly. It is possible that the question demands something different from what you have gathered from your textbook essay. A new perspective or approach or a fresh analysis is what the examiner maybe looking for. Lack of initial planning may cause you to drift from the topic.

Make your statements precise. Avoid guesses and vagueness. "Next to irrelevance, vagueness is the chief sin of examination answers."

Never make unsupported generalisations. "He who generalises generally lies," is often true.

When an essay type answer is expected, indicating the points alone is inadequate. The strategy of only mentioning the points, without expanding the ideas envisaged, should the last resort; for instance, when you face lack of time. "Essay-type questions require essay-type answers."

The introductory paragraph has to be a clear statement indicating the tenor of the essay.

Do write a paragraph of conclusion. It may show your inferences.

During the course of writing, watch how much you have covered in the first half of the time you have allotted for the question. If you are too slow, accelerate your writing or decide to omit the description of the unimportant.

While developing arguments, move smoothly from one point to the other. Transition from one paragraph to the next may also be made as smooth as possible. Reading becomes easy if there is logical continuity, without sudden jumps. Whenever you want to bring forth a fresh point, start a new paragraph.

Avoid repetition of ideas. The examiner will certainly grasp the idea when you mention it once.

If you quote a great man, use his exact words. You have no right to alter them.

Make use of a good watch, preferably a clock-faced one rather than digital, in the examination hall. Timing is vital. Clock face helps visualisation, much easier than calculation involving numbers.

If you are short of time as you reach the last question to be answered, prioritise the points to be explained. Relatively less important points may be just indicated.

Do not abruptly end your essay. Earmark a couple of minutes to write the concluding lines so that you wind up smoothly. Avoid daydreaming in the examination hall.

Familiarise yourself with the previous examination papers, so that you have a reliable picture of the type and standard of questions to be expected.

Do not leave the examination hall early, even if you have finished writing the essays. Make use of the time effectively by reading your answers and correcting or modifying them, if necessary. Do not be reluctant to make such useful checks. Utilise the full time given to you. Do not write excuses in the answer book, for not having been able to write the necessary number of answers or something similar. Try to write a few essays in full during your preparation, simulating the environment in the examination hall. This will help you measure your speed and the quality of the answer you are likely to write in the examination.

Sometimes, you may find that you cannot but attempt a tough question. Take it as a challenge, reassure yourself, think afresh and do your best. You cannot import fresh material in the examination hall; but you can invoke your innovative skills for developing new ideas using your own mental repertoire. In times of trial, cling to self-confidence.

Remain calm and relaxed. It will help you concentrate and think logically.

Drive away all your misconceptions

Do not get swayed by `myths' about examinations. Put your best foot forward and plan well.

TAKE IT EASY: Think logically and keep your confidence in tact at the examination hall.

THERE ARE several myths about examinations. Never fall a prey to these. Some of the popular myths are:

The examiners deliberately set difficult questions. (A baseless conjecture.)

I will not understand the questions properly. (Why? What others can understand, you will also understand. You are not particularly inferior to others.)

Anyway, I will not pass the examination. (The past results will tell you a different story.)

Unless I know everything, I cannot pass the examination. (In the first place, there is no one who knows everything. Even if you do not know some parts of the syllabus, normally you can score well in the examinations.)

I will forget everything in the examination hall. (You are unnecessarily nervous, if you feel so. Be confident that if you have learnt your lessons well, your memory will not fail you in the crucial moments. Get rid of needless anxiety and focus on your lessons.)

You can learn everything the previous night; your memory will be fresh. There is no point in struggling to prepare for the examination wasting several months. (This is an old wives' tale. Systematic preparation is the key to success in any examination.)

If I fail in the examination, everyone will make fun of me. (Yet another instance of unwanted fear. You think about success and not failure. However, the failure in a single test does not make you a laughing stock. There are candidates who pass and those who fail in most examinations. Even if you fail once, you will pass the next time and forget the failure and move forward. Hope for the best and work steadily.)

If someone suggests any such myth to be true, do no trust his/her words. Think logically and keep your confidence in tact.

In the hall

Your performance in the examination hall is the most vital factor that decides your score. Something similar to the serving of a well-prepared dinner. All your hard work in preparation would come to nought if you fail in doing the right things at the right time in the examination hall. If the questions are of the descriptive type, you should necessarily go through them at the outset, so that you can identify the relatively easy ones to be attempted in the beginning.

Also if there are choices, you should make a plan of the questions to be attempted. The optimum combination of questions that would give you the best score should be carefully selected.

At this stage, it is necessary to make a point very clear. If the question paper is of the objective type, in which all questions are compulsory with no option for individual choice, do not waste time by going through all the questions in the beginning. Read each question and provide the answer then and there.

The popular use of objective questions is in competitive examinations that aim at ranking the candidates based on relative merit, and, therefore, there will be deliberate inbuilt time constraint. Each second is precious in such a situation; even a small amount of time wasted may tilt the balance in one way or the other.

Prior analysis

A prior analysis of previous question papers of the same examination would give you an insight into the possible style of questions that are likely to appear in your examination. A discussion with senior students may take you to some point of guidance, preventing you from falling into any kind of traps or errors like the ones committed by them. Experience is the best teacher. But you cannot make all possible errors and then correct them. The wise invariably learn not only from their own errors, but from the errors committed by others as well.

The marks allotted to each question should be considered while deciding the time you should devote to answer it. What is expected from you is not writing all you know on the subject, but presenting what forms a good answer to the question.

To the point

Elimination of irrelevant data is as important as presenting the essential data. Do resist the temptation to write everything you have learnt on the topic.

The popular dictum of schoolmasters, `Answer to the point', is pertinent in this context.

Further, if you write all that you have learnt and not just what is expected of you, the examiner would feel that you have not come to grips with the content of the lesson. This, in turn, will go against your interest in gaining a good score.

While allocating time for each question, you have to give some allowance for unforeseen roadblocks during writing.

First impression

The first answer should be your best answer; this would create a fine impression about you in the mind of the examiner. This impression will certainly have a benign influence in the matter of deciding the marks for other descriptive answers. To gain this advantage, start with a question you are confident of scoring well. It is important that you write legibly.

B.S WARRIER

How to memorise effectively

B. S. WARRIER

Here are ways in which you can make the best use of your memory in the learning process.

BY ROTE: Memorising helps see you through examinations. - Photo: K. Ramesh Babu

ANY LEARNING process involves application of memory. Skills in memorisation help you recall at will the information you had once mastered and perform well in tests and examinations.

There is a school of thought that relying on memory is not a healthy way of learning, and that you should apply logic on each occasion for deriving information.

This may be a good platitude; students in schools and colleges aiming at good scores in examinations have to remember a lot, irrespective of the test style.

Take for example a formula in mathematics or physics. Of course, there are ways to derive them. But it will be a sheer waste of time if you go in for ab initio derivation on every occasion you have to apply them.

We easily remember matter that has some meaning. Let us illustrate it with an example. See the words arranged in different columns.

The first column is the toughest to remember, as is contains nothing but nonsensical syllables. The second column is relatively easier, since it has words with some meaning.

The third one is still easier, as the words belong to a family. The fourth one is a meaningful sentence; we can commit it to memory in one reading. The last one is the easiest, as it is a meaningful sentence with a rhyme. It may be remembered that the ease comes not only in just remembering but also in meaningful learning as well.

If the words carry some sense, we learn the idea easily. As part of learning, if an effort is made to translate tough matter we wish to remember into something that can be taken in with ease and delight, we make memorisation and learning more effective.

Memory is often classified as short and long-term. When you recite a passage, the idea may be in your memory only for a couple of seconds.

This cannot last long. If you want to commit the idea to long-term memory, you have to think about it for a few minutes. This is, of course, part of any learning process. Trying to recall an idea frequently will entrench it in your memory.

While learning a piece for the first time, you may benefit by reciting it a few more times after you have learnt it.

This is called over-learning, which ``engraves the mental trace deeper and deeper, thus establishing a base for long-term retention.''

Aspects of memory

There are various aspects of memory one should be aware of. Good memory cannot be developed, but its full potential can be used by developing the right habits. Here are some right steps:

Total concentration: Concentrating on the lesson content while learning is one of the important steps. We should focus on names and numbers. Even difficult material has to be converted into easily digestible logical matter.

There should be a deliberate will to remember; the approach should not be casual. In other words, you should attempt active learning.

Reviewing should not be after a long time, since the material would have faded from your memory in the meantime.

Logical organisation: Material that is logically organised clings to our memory far better than random or disjointed floating bits of information. Infuse meaning into whatever you learn.

Nothing you learn should be like nonsensical syllables.

From the woods to the trees: First try to get an overall idea of the lesson before going to specific details. Sometimes this style is called the funnel method.

From the general to the particular. Awareness of the general concepts makes the details more meaningful and easier to remember.

Associating with known facts: With each additional bit of knowledge committed to our memory, the brain goes to a new configuration and this is a continuous process. It is wise to take new bits as additions to existing knowledge.

At the recall stage, such association will help easy retrieval.

Mock teaching: If you find a particular portion of the lesson difficult to digest, imagine that you are teaching it to a student sitting before you.

Speak it out in the form of an explanation so that the idea gets hammered into your mind.

This method is more effective than just reciting it aloud, since teaching involves the explanation of the same idea in different phrases, bringing illustrations, raising questions for clarification, and so on.

Visual encoding: Those who have a special aptitude for remembering pictures or charts or graph may translate information into visual formats.

Do not get dispirited if you find that occasionally your learning becomes slow or is at a standstill.

This is normal, if you try to study difficult lessons for more than four or five hours a day, or if you have anxiety, fatigue, or boredom.

Rest assured that you will recover from such negative spells. Also, it is not advisable to go in for invidious comparisons with regard to learning speeds. Some of us may be faster than others in learning.

Learning a bit slowly need not alarm any student, since he can learn as much as a bright student is able to do, provided he devotes a little more of time for learning with appropriate breaks. You cannot denigrate the use of mnemonics or memory crutches such as the popular VIBGYOR, which helps one list the seven rainbow colours in the right sequence.

We should make an intelligent use of aids to memory, without sacrificing the effort to grasp the ideas contained in lessons.

The fine art of listening

B.S. WARRIER

Here are ways in which you can make the most of a classroom lecture. B.S. Warrier

MAKE NOTES, QUESTION YOURSELF: Classroom lectures can be very interesting, provided there is total involvement and interaction between the teacher and the learner. Photo: V. Ganesan

There are many reasons why you may not listen properly. You may have this pre-conceived notion that the teacher is dull and cannot evoke your interest. Sometimes the dress or demeanour of the teacher may put you off.

Mannerisms such as the frequent repetition of certain words or expressions by the teacher may prove a deterrent to the pupil. If the teacher mentions a new term that you do not understand, then further listening will not be effective. So you have to raise a doubt and get it cleared. A good teacher will only welcome such doubts, since it will help not only you, but also the entire class. Irritating gesticulations or poor voice levels of the teacher may also discourage students. Good teachers normally speak loud enough so that all the students can hear the lecture well.

Distractions such as the conversation of students next to you while the teacher goes ahead with the lesson, or your own preoccupation with other thoughts can also result in poor listening.

Worry or fear, anger or depression may prove a barrier to listening. In fact, such internal distractions are more damaging than the external ones. Another reason for poor listening could be your lack of interest in the subject. Or perhaps you fear that the subject is tedious or boring. The inability to see the teacher's face because of a poor seating arrangement is yet another reason.

Good listening

- Make prior preparation for each class, by revising the previous lesson, reviewing class notes, and reading the day's lesson in advance.

- Maintain good eye contact with the teacher. (You may have to shift your eyes to the notebook for writing lecture notes.)

- Face the teacher squarely.

- Take note of non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, posture, tone of the voice, and gestures of the teacher.

- Remain open-minded while listening. You need not try to predict what the teacher would say next, even if you have read the lesson in advance.

- Sit relaxed and composed.

- Never get distracted by extraneous sounds.

- Don't look out of the window or at whatever else is going on in the room. Focus your attention on the teacher.

- Never allow your mind to wander. Never daydream. Maintain your concentration at the highest level during the lecture. Listen actively. Be alert, attentive, and enthusiastic.

- Listening to a classroom lecture should not be taken as a passive act. You have to focus on what is said by the teacher and process the new ideas continuously in your mind, and promptly write the salient points in your notebook.

- Asking mental questions will keep you active and alert.

- As a part of listening, go on asking mental questions such as `What is the key point at this stage?' `What is the application of this idea?' `How well does this point agree with my prior knowledge?' or `How can I easily remember this idea easily?' This is not at all difficult, since you think much faster than the teacher can speak. Your mind remains occupied with the lesson content; you do not give room for distraction of any kind.

- If you feel that your mind has started wandering after you listen for sometime, forcefully tell your mind "Come back".

- Be responsive to the teacher through your expressions and confirm that you are listening. Never keep a blank face

- Look for key points presented by the teacher and note them promptly in your notebook. Write out clearly new words or terms or expressions mentioned by the teacher.

- You can ask questions such as what, why, when, where, how, and who in your mind while listening. If you cannot find answers to the relevant questions, you can raise your doubts in the class or ask the teacher for clarification after the class. You can link the new ideas you hear with your prior knowledge.

- In higher classes, students should practise critical listening of a high order. You are not supposed to swallow what is heard hook, line, and sinker, but process the lesson in the crucible of your mind, appreciate it fully, and arrive at proper conclusions and inferences.

You should necessarily apply logic and systematic reasoning as a part of exercising wise judgement.

No amount of theoretical discussion can help us, unless we practise systematic listening and learn lessons from our lapses. Remaining silent is no proof of good listening.

Practise

Try to put your best effort in listening and check how well you can recollect the points made by the teacher. Try to focus on the points brought forward by the teacher, and not on the teacher or his techniques and strategies. If you are analysing in your mind what the teacher is speaking about, you are on the right track.

Apply the steps to ensure proper listening and find out how much improvement you could make.

This is the application of the `hot stove' principle. You may read or hear a lot about the damage that would be caused by touching a hot stove. But that would be nothing like the real experience of touching a hot stove with your own fingers.

There is no substitute for practise in any human endeavour, and developing good listening skills is no exception. Remember that there is always room for improvement.

Create mind maps for learning

Mind maps help you to prepare effective learning notes. In a two-part series we look at the concept of mind maps and how to go about preparing them.

TODAY IS a Monday. How many of you can recall what you had for breakfast last Monday, unless of course you had the same menu such as bread, butter and cornflakes or idli-sambar on all seven days of the week? This is because there is a limitation to your memory.

One of the significant elements in effective learning is the process of committing what you have in short-term memory to long-term memory. As a handy memory crutch, you make use of well-prepared brief notes. A valuable style of preparing notes is the use of mind maps.

Mind maps make use of key words and images. The visual nature of mind maps makes them easy to remember. The non-linear profile of mind maps enables them to easily link different elements of the map.

Brain and mind maps

Our brain functions may be divided into two - the left handles reason and logic, while the right deals with emotion and creativity. Mind maps make use of both. They take care of sequences and indicate causes. They offer visual patterns that simplify recall of verbal and non-verbal content. Since relationships are shown in a visual style, they appear before us vividly and accurately.

Those who have not used mind maps are not likely to appreciate their value because of sheer inexperience.

After all, the father of mind maps, Tony Buzan, renowned British psychologist, evolved the style only in the Sixties. Most of your teachers and parents may not be very familiar with their application. But you can use them to your advantage.

Usually you make notes by listing things under different items. Each item may have sub-items, and some of them may have sub-sub-items or even sub-sub-sub items. This constitutes a ladder-like profile. You may run some arrows to link one sub-sub item with a distant sub-item and so on. Further, you may add some sentences here and there, not adhering to the finer aspects of grammar. This is the style followed in your notes.

Let us try to know how a mind map represents a set of ideas, concepts or pieces of information. The easiest method is to learn this from an illustration. Here is a mind map representing the aspects to be considered while contemplating a `presentation.'

In order to prepare for a presentation, you should apply your mind to several aspects. There has to be a lot of long-range planning and effort to sharpen your presentation skills. Developing diverse aspects of language including grammar, pronunciation and right choice of words are important. Practising the right movements and expressions is also vital.

Then there is the phase of short-term preparation on a specific topic that you have to present. You may have to browse through diverse sources such as book and journals and the Internet and consult experts for garnering relevant information.

You may end up with too much of information. Here, the question of prioritising comes. This should be done wisely. No presentation would be enjoyable to the listeners unless you add some spice in the form of quotes or anecdotes or sparks of fine humour. This also should be identified and blended judiciously to the main body. The sequence in which all these are to be presented, an appropriate introduction and conclusion are other points you should plan. You have to put the prepared material in an interesting, presentable form using Microsoft PowerPoint or other software. The diagram indicates the important steps in the preparation of a presentation.

Graphic technique

Now let us go into some more of details. A mind map is a graphic technique for representing ideas, using words, images, symbols and colour. It reflects better the pattern of thinking in the human mind. You need not be a gifted artist to draw mind maps. Anyone with a logical mind can easily draw them, and use them with ease. Also, they enhance the quality of thinking and gives better insight of the subjects of your study.

Mind mapping, sometimes termed concept mapping, involves writing down a central idea and thinking up new and related ideas that radiate outwards from the centre. It is a tool that encourages creative thinking and generates creative solutions to problems.

You do away with the concept of sentences and paragraphs. You look at keywords and symbols. You start with a blank non-lined paper and a pencil with an attached eraser. Better keep the paper in the landscape orientation (width longer than height). Write the most important word or short phrase at the centre of the paper and circle it. You may alternately mark a symbol at the centre, if you feel that it serves better.

Relocate words

Post other important concepts around the circle. Edit the phrases, if an,to make them shorter, or think of substituting words with symbols or forms. You may have to do a lot of erasing. If necessary, relocate the words or symbols, taking into account their logical relationships. In each of the concepts marked, there would be subdivisions. Go on marking them, and repositioning them as required. In other words, you would be gradually working outwards from the central circle.

As you work outwards, you should label the lines appropriately. A complete map will have lines radiating in all directions from the main topic at the centre. Sub-items will branch off, like branches and twigs from the trunk of a tree. You may have to modify your markings as a part of editing the diagram. As you expand the map, you go into the details and reach sharper specifics. You can use colours to add to the effectiveness of the mental picture. This map comes out as your learning document.

B.S. WARRIER

Face it right

Interview is inevitable in securing a good job. Good preparation backed by a positive frame of mind can make it an enjoyable experience.

AP

Putting one's best foot forward may make the difference between scoring or missing the mark in the extremely competitive job market. Here's how to approach interviews the right way.

First, the basics. Even the best candidate who has made the finest of preparations for an interview is nervous during the crucial moments. Sir Winston Churchill, one of the greatest communicators of the 20th century, once confessed that he did experience nervousness before interviews. Katherine Hepburn, world-famous Hollywood star, could never face an interview without nervousness.

If this is the story of such stalwarts, what about ordinary people like us? It is only natural then that we are jittery when our speech and movements are under the scrutiny of discerning experts.

A blessing

A bit of tension and nervousness is a blessing since it would prompt us to take the interview seriously and thereby force us to prepare well. We would try to prove our capabilities, gain acceptance and live up to the claims in our curriculum vitae before the interview board.

Our performance will improve if we approach the interview with a positive frame of mind. The interview has become inevitable in securing any good job. If we prepare well, we can easily make it an enjoyable experience.

Negative views

There may be some people around you, who may tell that interviews are a farce arranged by the employer and that candidates have already been selected.

Turn a deaf ear to such negative views. Any good organisation requires the service of competent employees. No board worth its name can reject a competent candidate or select a worthless one. The interview is only a mechanism for identifying the best talent to meet the challenges of the organisation. Let us not behave like a thoughtless general who runs away from the battle scene even before the first bullet is fired. Get ready and face the test.

No to tension

Many candidates who excel in the written tests approach the interview with a sense of anxiety and fear. It must be remembered that when we are anxious and worried, we may fail in making the best presentation. Boundless anxiety will impede logical thinking and retrieval of information from our memory. We should dispel unwanted tension from the mind and apply simple common sense.

We should face the interview with confidence and try to give it our best shot.

We must tell ourselves repeatedly that we do have the skills and abilities, which other candidates may possess, and that we are well prepared to face the interview.

The intention of an interview board is not to frighten any candidate, but to identify the most suitable one who meets the job demands. The board will, therefore, help bring out the best in the candidates.

Spotting talent

Just as the candidates desire selection, the board wants to spot the best talent. We must consider the members of the interview board not as opponents, but as sympathetic seniors.

Some may ask whether an interview for a few minutes can help identify the qualities and skills of a candidate. The answer is an emphatic `yes'.

It can effectively judge qualities such as balance of mind, clarity of expression, comprehension, confidence, diction, pronunciation and other language skills, love for meeting people, pleasantness/getting along with others/thinking well of others, polite speech, prioritising, willingness to take responsibility, problem-solving ability, reasoning and knack for keeping secrets. Such judgment will go a long way in selection of the most suitable candidate for any given job.

Assessing ability

An interviewer can assess the depth of knowledge of the candidate in a given subject through a few properly planned questions. Ability for quick comprehension and talent for problem solving can be evaluated objectively through graded questions.

Originality and innovative skills can also be judged. No interview is a farce, but a valuable management tool for effective recruitment of personnel.

The emergence of globalisation and the presence of several multinationals have spawned international styles and approaches in the conduct of job interviews in India. There are new approaches and types of questions. If we delude ourselves into believing that we can face any interview effectively without special preparation, we may be in for disappointment.

Overconfidence

Of course, we should have confidence, but not overconfidence. Appropriate learning, preparation, and training should support our confidence.

Never be under the impression that wearing a charming suit, or sticking a never-ending smile on your lips can take you to success. The interview board will have discerning members experienced in the art of assessing persons.

Be prudent

Our responses during the interview should be wise; we cannot just leave everything to our natural instinct. This needs some clarification. One's assessment of his/her movements or behaviour is never objective. All of us, in a way, wear masks. There is a lot of difference between our persona and our personality. My persona represents my character that I show to others; this would be different from my real character. It is rather impossible to wear the mask of another person for a long time before the interview board. Our reactions and responses in this two-way communication experiment should, therefore, be cautious and prudent.

The interviewer attempts something more than getting a few answers from candidates. As an illustration, see what the Union Public Service Commission states about the interview in the Civil Services Examination:

The candidate will be asked questions on matters of general interest. The object of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public service by a board of competent and unbiased observers.

The test is intended to judge the mental calibre of a candidate. In broad terms, this is really an assessment of not only his intellectual qualities but also social traits and his interest in current affairs. Some of the qualities to be judged are mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, balance of judgment, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion and leadership, intellectual and moral integrity.

The technique of the interview is not that of a strict cross-examination but of a natural, though directed and purposive conversation, which is intended to reveal the mental qualities of the candidate.

The interview is not intended to test either specialised knowledge or general knowledge of candidates that has been already tested through written papers. Candidates are expected to have taken an intelligent interest not only in their special subjects of academic study but also in the events which are happening around them, both within and outside their own State or country as well as in modern currents of thought and in new discoveries which should rouse the curiosity of well educated youth.

By B.S. Warrier

Route map to the Civil Services

Getting into the administrative services is a cherished dream of many youngsters. What does it entail?

A view of the campus of the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie.

All governments require a strong administrative base for planning and implementing their programmes. During the British rule, the administrative set-up, often called the steel frame of the empire, focussed on the maintenance of law and order, and collection of revenue. Today, the approach is radically different; the emphasis is on development for the welfare of the people.

There is a popular misconception that the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the `IAS Examination'. The Civil Services examination held annually by UPSC selects candidates for appointment to the 18 services given below. This number and nomenclature may change marginally from year to year.

* Indian Administrative Service (IAS).

* Indian Foreign Service (IFS).

* Indian Police Service (IPS).

* Indian P & T Accounts & Finance Service, Group `A'.

* Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Group `A'.

* Indian Customs and Central Excise Services Group `A'.

* Indian Defence Accounts Service, Group `A'.

* Indian Revenue Service, Group `A'.

* Indian Ordnance Factories Service, Group `A' (Assistant Works Manager, Non-technical).

* Indian Postal Service, Group `A'.

* Indian Civil Accounts Service, Group `A'.

* Indian Railway Traffic Service, Group `A'.

* Indian Railway Accounts Service, Group `A'.

* Indian Railway Personnel Service, Group `A'.

* Indian Defence Estates Service, Group `A'.

* Indian Information Service (Junior Grade), Group `A'.

* Indian Trade Service, Group `A' (Grade-III).

* Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service, Group `B' (Section Officer's Grade).

The training for IAS probationers includes rock climbing.

Among the different services, IFS, IAS, and IPS are usually the most preferred ones. All these services offer remarkable opportunities for youngsters to participate in crucial decision-making and make significant contributions towards India's development and progress. This career takes you to positions of authority and prestige. The need of the hour is socially committed, intelligent officers who are aware of the ethos of our people.

Eligibility

The candidate should be a graduate. He should be between the age of 21 and 30 on August 1, of the year of the examination. Upper age would be relaxed in the case of eligible candidates. Usually, a candidate is allowed four attempts. OBC candidates are allowed seven attempts, and candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes may try any number of times, if they are eligible.

Schedule

Notification inviting applications: end of December.

Preliminary Examination: May.

Results of Preliminary Examination: July /August.

Main Examination: October/November.

Personality test: April/May.

There would be nearly three lakh applicants in the initial stage. Nearly, 1.25 to 1.5 lakhs appear for the Preliminary. The number of candidates admitted to the Main examination is about 12 to 13 times the vacancies to be filled. The number of candidates called for the personality test would be about twice the number of vacancies. The vacancies notified in 2002 and 2003 are 413 and 385 respectively. (To be continued).

B.S. WARRIER