There is a genuine concern regarding the pattern of the main examination of the Civil Services. I has appeared for the exam and felt the same concern. But, there was no option. I have done well in the exam and hope to clear it.
One thing I would like to mention that I enjoyed the essay paper as I had the requisite time to express my ideas as I wished not bounded by the limitation of the time. The number of the questions and the world limit prescription was not fair in this exam. I had completed the language papers in 2 hours and waited for 1 hour to leave the exam hall while I was not able to rest for a while while writing the answers to the questions of the other papers. No doubt the standard of the questions were up to mark but the time limit and the word limit were grossly mismatched for optimal output of the thinking and understanding.
I would suggest the UPSC to include extempore and public speaking as a level of qualifying the exam like the interview. This measure will ensure the shortlisting of candidates for are better prepared for the civil services as most of the post they serve demand a good command in spontaneity and clarity of thoughts.
Shashikant Nishant Sharma
