BCS Viva: A Psychoanalysis

Md. Alauddin Vuian

Brasilia, Brazil
06 February 2013
As far as my experience goes, BCS viva is never a difficult game but
definitely a T-20 (time 20) psychology match based on your luck. It is nothing
but knowing what you should know. Think what you should know about (a)
you (meaning your personal issues, educational background etc), (b) your
first choice and (c) contemporary Bangladesh (including history) as well as
world.

Presentation plays the pivotal role for viva. You may know a lot of
things, but it matters a little if you dont present it to the board. Lots of
candidates lack this quality and do worse in viva. Moreover, the person who
performs negative, tells something unnatural to the others because s/he
wants to prove that s/he has been asked some irrelevant/ disparaging/
insulting questions (or injustice has been done to him) which might not be
true to the reality. The only reason of this blame-game is to safeguard own
self (or so-called talents). Sometime there may be debate on any issue with
the board and you must know to how to debate with seniors. Remember you
are there to get a job which they are not bound to give to you. You cant beg
for it but you will have to earn it. This viva board is a place not to arrogantly
show how much you know. This is also a battle of wits where nobody wants
to accept their defeat but surely defeating a senior/proving your talents to
others is also an art to learn.

You must not know everything and the board knows it very well, and
so, they want from you what I should know. I have never seen anybody who
could answer all the questions in the viva (except some who didnt get the
job!!!). Performing 60% is all the best and I can still remember that I
answered only 09 questions out of 19 to get FA cadre in 27 BCS. The viva
candidates wants to know everything which is never possible, and sometimes
some senior cadres suggest them to read a lot of things which s/he didnt
actually know/learn or even heard of during his/her viva. The psychology
behind it is to prove superiority/talents to juniors which misguides/gets
them into trouble.

REMEMBER, VIVA PREPARATION IS NOT LEARNING EVERYTHING A

BIT; IT IS RATHER ACQUIRING RELEVANT THINGS DEEPLY AND DEVELOP
ONE KIND OF UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE MATTER TO TALK ON THAT,
because your viva may end with one or two questions if you can drag them
into discussion of these issues.
Tell answers taking time/slowly what you know and surrender quickly
if you dont know. If you speak slowly, you can think/understand what you
are saying, otherwise not. Candidates usually do the opposite. If the
unanswered questions are passed quickly, the board may not remember it at
the end when they will mark on you. Not knowing everything is not your fault,
but wasting time for the question that you dont know or pretending that you
know or trying to befool the board with confusing answers must be paid by
negative impact on you.
Think before every delivery where you want a wicket and the batsman
want a boundary. Dont answer much which are not required to, and doing so
you will trouble yourself only. Some candidates answer much irrelevantly
which bothers the board and opens scope for attacks.
Behave naturally in the board. A candidate may be horrified if s/he may
have seen his/her unnatural/peculiar behavior there. Most of them cant even
remember what s/he did at the board. Dont join if the board members have
fun among them, or make any comments if you are not asked to do so.
Viva board is all the way professional. Dont think they are cruel or soft
to you; rather believe their all sorts of behavior are a kind of test to your
personality/mentality. Never express you personal matters, your problems if
not asked or seek any sympathy from them. Dont believe their cordial
behavior as their partiality/weakness to you. This will undermine your
talents and capability.
It is IMPORTANT to learn short answer/reply. You should never
believe that you will have more than 20/30 seconds for any answer. That is
why, it is obviously important to learn to tell everything satisfactorily but
shortly. This is for what you need practice, even for a simple question like
Why is this your first choice?. It may seem to you very easy; but believe me,
this is a tough question if you are not prepared for its answer. If you are not
prepared for simple (!) questions like this, I bet you must not answer it
logically and justifiably. Judicious answers to the simple questions which are
asked at the very beginning start a viva session with appositive gesture.

LEARN much how you will reply to specific questions rather than
memorizing lots of rubbish information, which must betray you at the viva.
READ LESS TO UNDERSTAND MORE AND, AND, OF COURSE, LESS
MEMORIZING MAKES MORE MEMORY TO DELIVER.
I always suggested, requested or even implored viva candidates not to
read much, and they acknowledged it after the viva was over (!!). Finally,
dont run after rumors about the viva board or believe in any preoccupied
thoughts about any board member. This may nip your viva in the bud (if you
hear that this member is rough with candidates and you know in the morning
of the viva that you will appear his/her viva board, YOU ARE LOST. You will
never be able to come to sense with this board, and most positively get
yourself get ready for the next preliminary).
TOO MUCH information is your dire enemy at the viva board; your
SENSE OF UNDERSTANDING the matter is your beacon to success.
Unlike other seniors, I dont have much knowledge to suggest you to
this book, that rule, these links, those papers. I have tried to only share the
psychoanalysis at the viva board and request you to be ALL READY to face
the music.
Wish you all the very best.