GPSC Mains: Personality Test
About this stage
The Personality Test (interview) is the last stage of the examination. Its marks are added to those of the five written papers that count for merit, and the final selection is made on the total.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Stage | Main Examination: Personality Test (interview) |
| Marks | 150 |
| Minimum qualifying marks | None prescribed |
| Who is called | About three times the number of posts, from candidates who qualify in the written Main Examination |
| Place | Gandhinagar |
| Final selection | Papers III to VII (1,250) + Personality Test (150) = 1,400 marks |
Official syllabus
The syllabus of the Main Examination gives the Personality Test a line in its scheme of papers, and no syllabus:
- Total Marks of Written Examination (Paper III to Paper VII) (For only those candidates who are declared qualified in Preliminary Examination): 1250
- Personality Test (Only For those candidates who are declared qualified in Mains Examination): 150
- Total Marks to be considered for Final Selection: 1400
Neither the syllabus nor the advertisement describes what the Personality Test assesses.
The rules, from the advertisement
The Detailed Advertisement No. 05/2026-27 sets these rules (summarised in English from its Gujarati text):
- Marks. The interview carries 150 marks. The final selection is made on the marks of the Main written examination (Papers III to VII) plus the marks of the interview.
- Document check first. After the Main Examination the Commission publishes, on the basis of the qualifying marks, a list of candidates whose applications are to be scrutinised. Only candidates who hold all the required certificates are considered further.
- Who is called. From the candidates found eligible after scrutiny and who obtain the qualifying marks fixed by the Commission in the Main written examination, about three times the number of posts are called for the interview. Attending it is compulsory.
- Place and cost. The interview is held at Gandhinagar, and candidates attend at their own cost. Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates are paid second-class railway fare or State Transport bus fare from their place of residence to Gandhinagar and back, under the Government's rules.
- Preference of posts. At the interview the candidate gives an order of preference for every post or service in the advertisement, in the form fixed by the Commission. Once given, the order is final and cannot be changed. A candidate is not appointed to a post for which no preference was given; a candidate in the merit list who is not selected for want of preferences is placed on a "Deemed Unsuccessful" list and not recommended.
- Physical measurements. On the day of the interview a Government medical officer takes physical measurements. For Deputy Superintendent of Police, Class-1, only candidates who meet the prescribed physical standards after the medical examination are considered for that post, by merit.
- Medical graduates. A candidate admitted to the Main Examination before completing the internship of a medical degree must produce, at the Personality Test, the original degree certificate or a certificate that all requirements for the degree, including the internship, are complete.
Physical standards for two posts
The advertisement prescribes minimum measurements for Deputy Superintendent of Police, Class-1 and Superintendent, Prohibition and Excise, Class-2:
| Candidates | Height (cm) | Chest, unexpanded / expanded (cm) | Weight (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men, Dy.SP | 165 (Scheduled Tribe of Gujarat origin: 160) | 84 / 89 | 50 |
| Men, Supdt. Prohibition and Excise | 165 (Scheduled Tribe of Gujarat origin: 160) | 77 / 82 | 50 |
| Women, both posts | 158 (Scheduled Tribe of Gujarat origin: 156) | Not prescribed | 45 |
For Superintendent, Prohibition and Excise, the advertisement also lists conditions that make a candidate ineligible: knock knee, pigeon chest, squint eye, flat feet, varicose veins, hammer toes, fractured limb, decayed teeth, and communicable or skin disease.
How to read this stage
- With 150 of the 1,400 marks, the interview can change the final order among candidates close together after the written papers.
- Since the official documents do not list interview topics, preparation can sensibly cover what the candidate has written in the application (education, home district, interests), Gujarat and current events, and the work of the posts the candidate will rank in the preference list.
- The preference list is filled at the interview and cannot be changed afterwards, so the posts and their duties should be studied beforehand.
- The written papers that lead here are the Essay and General Studies-I to IV; the language papers (Gujarati and English) must be passed with 25% each but are not in the total.
Source: Gujarat Public Service Commission, Syllabus of Main Examination, Advertisement No. 05/2026-27, PDF; and Detailed Advertisement No. 05/2026-27, PDF. Last checked 11 November 2026.