How to ace a government job viva

The last step in the recruitment process of any organisation is the viva. 

There are differences between government and private organisations in regards to the attire and preparation for the viva. 

Candidates who have passed the preliminary and written examinations of BCS, PSC non-cadre and other government recruitment examinations have the opportunity to sit for viva. 

Generally, the recruiting authority selects three to five times the candidates from the merit list of the total number of vacant spots for the viva (in some institutions, the ones who have passed the written test can participate in the viva). 

For performing well in the viva examination of a government organisation, it is necessary to study some common topics as well as to emphasize on the attire and common mannerisms.

Study Material

1. Make a note of your personal information, educational institutional information (school, college and university), history and general information of your district, academic topics of your undergraduate subject, etc. 

In the personal information category, you should study the meaning of your name and if there is a famous person in your namesake. If there is, you should study about his/her life and work. 

While introducing yourself, provide information about yourself and try to highlight your career goals and prove your dedicated mentality. Make notes about famous people who have studied in your school, college or university and write about the current head of the institution and other relevant topics. You will have to revise the basic topics of your academic syllabus including the names of the courses, general knowledge, father of the subjects, etc.

2. Information related to the constitution, Liberation War, Bangabandhu, current affairs, Bangladesh affairs and international affairs should be studied from the guidebooks or any other reference books prevalent in the market. 

Constitution, Liberation War, Bangabandhu, Bangladesh affairs and International affairs are very important in the BCS viva. The Viva Board may want to know about any recent domestic or international developments, though it is not asked about too deeply in general government jobs.

3. In the case of the BCS exam, candidates have to have knowledge about their preferred cadres from the guide books available in the market. The hierarchy of the preferred cadre, name of the concerned ministry and its secretary and director-general, relevant reward, training academy, posting office, responsibilities and powers of different posts, highest level or grade, studied subject-preferred cadre relationship, cadre related law should be studied in detail. 

For other government institutions (other than BCS), it is necessary to know the identity of the institution and knowledge about its sector in advance. For example, for the post of Assistant Director of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), candidates need to know about the Anti-Corruption Commission's organogram, ranks, institutional history, anti-corruption law, definition of corruption, types, International Anti-Corruption Agency, recent position of the countries on the basis of corruption, etc.

Dressing for viva

Candidates have to choose the clothing which gives them an elegant official look. A white shirt and black trousers is the most common and elegant combination of formal attire. However, any other elegant, light-colored shirt and dark-colored pants can also be worn. 

Besides, long socks and black oxford shoes are perfect for formal dressup. There is no obligation to wear a tie and suit on the viva examination of a government organization. If you want to wear a tie, a maroon or navy blue tie with a white shirt will be a good choice.  

According to government official rules, the suit is required to be worn in the winter (from October to March). Candidates can wear a wristwatch for a formal look. Female candidates can wear light-colored cotton sarees, blouses with collars and full or quartered sleeves, light embellishments and slippers that do not make much noise.

Common mannerisms for viva 

A candidate should show humility and intelligence in the viva examination of a government job. Here are the procedures -

1. If you are asked a question in Bengali, answering in English is considered as over maturity and if you are asked a question in English, answering in Bengali is considered as incompetence. So, your answer should be in the same language as the question.

2. You have reached the viva stage after passing the preliminary and written examination, so your merit does not need to be reverified by the viva board. They will check whether you have an officer-friendly attitude and if it is possible to make you an officer. You do not have to answer all the questions. If you cannot answer a question, how well you can say that you do not know the answer to the question is your skill.

3. With a little tact, candidates will be able to control the Viva Board. A sequence of questions is maintained during the viva of any government or private job and generally the next question is asked in relation to the previous answer. So while answering each question, you have to be conscious about choosing your words as the answer. 

For example: I was asked in a viva examination to "talk about the Sundarbans." I answered "Mangrove Forest". The next question was, "Define mangrove forest". That is why it is important to insert the words you know while answering a question technically. The next question may be asked in relation to a keyword.

Rabiul Alam Luipa is an officer of the 35th BCS (General Education)