Duration: There is no fixed time mandated by UPSC for the Personality Test. In practice, interviews typically last between 20 and 45 minutes, with most candidates reporting sessions in the 25 to 35 minute range.

Marks structure: The Personality Test carries 275 marks out of the total 2,025 marks used for the final Civil Services merit list (1,750 from Mains written + 275 from interview). There is no minimum qualifying marks for the Personality Test — a candidate cannot be disqualified solely on the basis of interview marks if they clear the written stage.

How marks are awarded: All five members of the board — the chairperson and four members — collectively assess the candidate and assign a single consolidated mark for the session. UPSC does not publish a breakdown of how individual members score candidates; the board arrives at a collective figure. There is no negative marking.

Moderation: UPSC applies moderation across boards to reduce the effect of any variance in the overall marking tendencies of different boards. This is confirmed by the Ministry of Personnel in parliamentary responses.

Historically, selected candidates' interview marks have ranged from roughly 40% to 75% of 275 (approximately 110 to 207 marks). Scoring above 170 out of 275 is generally considered a strong interview performance.