Cracking the code

IAS mentor and chief executive director at ALS, Delhi, Jojo Mathew will conduct a seminar on how to crack the Civil Services Examination on August 9 at Don Bosco College, Panaji. NT BUZZ speaks to Mathew to find out more

With an experience of more than twenty years in coaching students for the civil services exam, IAS mentor and chief executive director at ALS, Delhi, Jojo Mathew started his carrier in civil service coaching in the year 1998. He attempted the civil services exam four times but could not get through, thus he decided to train candidates for the civil services exam. And now he is all set to share his knowledge with graduate and under graduate students at an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) seminar ‘How to crack civil services exam’ to be held on August 9, 4 p.m. onwards at Don Bosco College, Panaji.

During the two-hour seminar, Mathew will primarily focus on the basic requirements to prepare for the civil services exam like the hours required to be put in for preparation, knowledge needed and how to utilise the knowledge one already has. He says: “A civil services exam is not only about knowledge. Your character is also of utmost important as the final personality test is based on your character. So we teach candidates how to mould their character to ensure that they are successful in this exam.”

Mathew, who prepared for the exam in the mid 90s, says that the pattern of the exam has completely changed over the years. “In 2010 they removed the optional subject in the preliminary exam and introduced the CSAT and from 2013 onwards the main exam pattern has also completely changed. There is a huge difference in what people back then prepared and what the current generation is preparing for. For example, in our time we were asked to write a 250-word answer in 18 minutes and now the same 250-word answer has to be completed in 11 minutes. So you need to be really fast.”

Commenting on the general impression people have about the exam, Mathew says that people think that the civil services exam is tough, but in reality the competition is tougher. He says: “The exam is all about general knowledge that we have studied in school. All of us can answer this exam but the competition in the civil service exam is very high because the best students appear for it. The exam is like a marathon so the candidates have to dedicate a couple of years for preparation.” He added that to clear this exam one does not need to be a genius, one needs perseverance, discipline, and hard work.

 (The bookings for the upcoming seminar of August 9 are open. Details: 8308879798)