How to fill Detailed Application Form (DAF)

Dr. Roman Saini explains how to fill you DAF

Since many of you must have faced a problem when filling your DAF (Detailed Application Form) for UPSC Mains examination. So, here we will be helping you from all our personal experience and those of other toppers and how we filled our Detailed Application Form and we can help you in filling your Detailed Application Form. I hope it will help you guys a lot.

The first thing, we need to understand right now is to focus on your Mains examination because:

A major percentage of marks comprises of the Mains examinations. Level of preparation directly affects the marks in the Mains examinations.

Detailed Application Form can influence you interview marks which are maximum 275 marks.

Now, why you need to think before filling your Detailed Application Form:

Many aspirants who cleared prelims, fill their Detailed Application Form on the very first day while on the other hand, there are many, who will consult each & everyone who have given their Mains exams because of various misconceptions. In interviews, profile based questions are really what you should prepare for. For e.g. Your place of birth, graduation stream, optional, domicile, college, profession, hobbies, extra-curricular activities, awards, prices etc.

These are the things which you must have been through, you should know these answers best, and you can prepare them very easily. Things which you are very acquainted with, are something you can prepare for very easily, since, these questions have a very high probability of being asked to you. You'll all find ample time to prepare for your interviews.

One thing to keep in mind is that, even the slightest deviation in you marks can change your service i.e. You will be selected for IAS, IPS, IRS, etc. Depending on these.

How to fill Detailed Application Form (DAF)

Now, moving forward on how to fill it:

1. The basics like name, address, gender, citizenship, education, father, mother, birthplace, community, center, etc. Are easy things and nobody needs to tell you.

2. When filling up your email address, please ensure not to use any funky or jazzy type of addresses because it will be remarked on your summary sheet. 

3. Since, your marital status is already reflected in your Prelims form so, the advice is “Don’t change it” even if you've got married in the meantime.

4. As far as home state is concerned, whatever home state you are filling, make sure to fill your cadre preference because if any one of these is missing you will not be considered at all.

5. One more thing, let’s say you've spent your first 16 years of life in any state and you migrated to Delhi, where you completed your post metric education. In that case, if you do not want AGMUT as your cadre, you can prefer to fill New Delhi as you home state.

6. In the language of interview, you can choose whatever language you are comfortable with. For employment, if you have been employed 1-2 months there is no need to mention it rather, at least 3-4 months or more exposure is beneficial to be mentioned.

7. If you have got any degree in hand, please attach the degree or if you have passed the exam, please do get a certificate from your university or your college stating that, you have passed all the examinations and your degree will be conferred soon.

8. Service preference should be totally your choice.

9. If this is your first attempt and you desire to be an IAS, then in most cases it is preferred not to fill IFS in second or third choice. 

10. Most of the candidates prefer IAS/IPS/IFS/IRS category as their first option. It doesn't really matter how you really, place them in preference order except the 1st choice must be clear.

11. For cadre preference, you must prefer your home state first otherwise you will not be considered for it. Second and third choice totally depends on your choice. 

12. Cadre choice depends on where you want to work, if you want to work close to your region with similar language or culture etc. You can choose your preferences according to it.

13. You must clearly indicate, whether you have applied for UPSC in the past or not, no. of attempts, whether you have been debarred from any public service, etc. 

14. You must indicate your prizes & achievements in the given slot even it is as small as winning an essay competition. It doesn't matter if you leave it blank but, one or two lines are always better to be mentioned rather leaving it blank.

15. For games & sports, if you have played any at district level or higher, you must mention it. Otherwise, not.

16. If you have been the head boy/head girl of your school or above, you must mention it in the position of distinction for school/college. 

17. Don’t leave the slot for extracurricular activities/hobbies slot blank. But also, do not mention more than 3 hobbies, otherwise it can literally prove painful for you.

18. Make sure you must do a deep research about the hobbies you have mentioned, before you go inside for the interview.

19. The final thing is, that there will be 4 judges, they will be offered with the summary sheet of yours. The questions that they will be asking you will be totally, based on your summary sheet.

20. Summary sheet contains your basic profile, your hobbies & extracurricular activities, your prizes & medals, games & team sports, your educational qualification etc. 

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