IES Exam/ISS Exam - Examination Pattern

Note: The question papers in all the subjects will be of Conventional (essay) type. Questions will be set in English and must be answered in English as well.

Part - II : Viva Voce–The candidate will be interviewed by a Board of competent and unbiased observers who will have before them a record of his career. The object of the interview is to assess his suitability for the Service for which he has competed. The interview is intended to supplement the written examination for testing the general and specialised knowledge and abilities of the candidate. The candidate will be expected to have taken an intelligent interest not only in his subjects of academic study but also in events which are happening around him both within and outside his 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.

The technique of the interview is not that of a strict cross examination, but of a natural, though directed and purposive conversation, intended to reveal mental qualities of the candidate and his/her grasp of problems. The Board will pay special attention to assessing the intellectual curiosity, critical powers of assimilation, balance of judgment and alertness of mind, the ability for social cohesion, integrity of character, initiation and capacity of leadership.