The most important step for aspirants who have cleared Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) is the interview process. The interview is a fundamental part of the selection process for the KVPY exam. An accumulated score on the written exam and the interview will be considered while selecting the candidates for the prestigious grant.

What can be expected?

The interview isn’t going to be an easy one and hence preparing for it is highly advisable. Before exploring ‘How to prepare’, it is important to understand and know the expectations of the interview. It is difficult to predict the pattern or even the exact questions. Based on the previous experiences of KVPY scholars, here is a what you can expect to be tested by the interview:

• Personal questions to begin with: Questions about the candidate, about families, hobbies etc. will be asked.
• Personality, temperament, and poise of the candidate will be tested
• Situational awareness and practical implications of various concepts.
• Some pressure will be exerted to see how candidates respond to strain and stress.
• Real life problems are highly likely to be put forward to test how candidates can think out of the box solutions.
• Complicated calculation based question will be asked to test the candidate’s logical reasoning and computing skills.
• Questions to test IQ of the candidates before making the selection.

Key areas to focus on:

To meet the requirements of the KVPY interview and to avail the scholarships, there are certain focal points that candidates need to emphasize on.

• Personal attributes, conviction, and presence of mind
• Knowing and understanding the concepts of the key subjects: Physics, Chemistry, and
• Rational thinking.
• Theoretical and practical knowledge of the concepts.
• Hobbies and other activities.

Tackling the personal questions

Where many candidates fail to clear the interview is in the basic questions. Questions like ‘Tell us about yourself’, ‘what are your hobbies’ can be tricky as the interviewer can put the candidate in a spot of bother. One needs to answer these type of questions intelligently and should be well planned. So, how to tackle it?

• For personal questions, it is advisable to state the attitude towards life.
• For social circle questions, it is advisable to talk about social and cultural influences.
• For questions on extra-curricular activities, state how your activities have helped you grow in life.

How to prepare?

After the exam, a candidate needs to have a well thought out strategy to prepare for the KVPY interview. Here are some tips to ace the interview:

• Motivating self and having the belief is the key. The biggest confidence booster for candidates can be that they have qualified among many for the interview process. Taking that confidence forward in the interview can do wonders for the candidate.
• Listening skills are the key. It is important to hear each and every question minutely so that deciphering the question to answering it with confidence becomes easy.
• Candidates shouldn’t interrupt the interviewer at any point of time, especially when a question is being asked. That is not polite and neither the candidate can hear the questions properly.
• A candidate will get negative marks if he/she doesn’t reply to the questions put forward. If a candidate doesn’t know the answer then request the interview for the next question and move forward.
• To build in more confidence for the interview a candidate needs to have mock sessions. Asking friends to help prepare or talking to self in the mirror are some techniques that can be used.

First impressions are the last impressions, so it is important for a candidate to be well dressed and well groomed. The confidence one portrays will leave a lasting impression. Last but not the least a candidate should never be late.