From our research
What this interview looks like
Sub-inspector selection varies by state. Maharashtra's MPSC runs a short interview after the mains and the physical test, Tamil Nadu's TNUSRB holds a viva-voce of 10 marks, West Bengal's WBPRB ends with a personality test, and Karnataka's civil PSI scheme has carried a viva-voce after the written paper. Punjab, Haryana, Kerala, Gujarat and Delhi Police through SSC CPO currently select on written and physical tests with no interview, so for those candidates the next face-to-face encounters are the document-verification interaction and the departmental boards during probation and promotion. Where a board sits, it is three to five officers, usually chaired by a DIG or SP-rank officer, for ten to twenty minutes, and it mixes English with Hindi or the state language. It probes background and fitness, basic criminal law under the BNS, BNSS and BSA, local policing in the candidate's district, cyber crime, and above all presence of mind in field situations: a mob, a VIP convoy, a custody incident, a bribe. Marks are small compared with the written paper but they decide ties and borderline ranks. The ExamPilot mock compresses this into fourteen minutes with the same four voices and scores awareness, situational judgement, integrity and communication.
How it is weighted
No interview marks: SSC CPO merit is Paper I plus Paper II for medically fit candidates who clear PET, PST and document verification. Use this mock for the verification interaction, the probation board at the Police Training College and later boards for the Special Cell, Crime Branch or Cyber unit postings.
Who this is for
Candidates for Sub-Inspector in Delhi Police and the CAPFs through SSC CPO, which selects on Paper I, PET and PST, Paper II, medical examination and document verification. There is no interview in SSC CPO. This board prepares you for the document-verification and medical-stage interaction and for the Delhi Police departmental boards during probation, posting and specialised-unit selection.
The panel focuses on
- Background, fitness and why Delhi Police rather than a CAPF
- BNS and BNSS basics, the e-FIR system and the Arnesh Kumar and D.K. Basu safeguards
- Delhi context: the commissionerate structure, Dial 112 and PCR vans, VIP movement and the Republic Day and Independence Day security grids, the 2020 riots and the farmer protests on the borders
- Cyber crime in Delhi NCR, the IFSO unit and the digital-arrest scam wave
- Field situations: a protest heading to a prohibited area, a custody incident at a Delhi thana, a politician's call about a seized vehicle
- Integrity, temper and the pressure of media scrutiny in the capital
Step 1
Pick your subject
The expert on the panel probes these areas at the level of this post. Optional here; you can choose during setup.
Step 2
Choose how you want to be interviewed
1:1 interview
One interviewer runs every round and adapts the focus as you go. Lower pressure; ideal for a first attempt.
Shri Devendra Singh Rathore, IPS (Retd.)
Chairperson
Panel interview · 3 members
Most realisticEach member leads their own round and hands over to the next. They hear each other, so a weak answer will be revisited.
Shri Devendra Singh Rathore, IPS (Retd.)
Chairperson
Smt. Anjali Deshpande, IPS
External member
Dr. Kailash Nair
Psychologist
What to expect
5 rounds · 14 minutes
A uniformed-service board compressed into 14 minutes: a senior officer chairs and opens on background, fitness and motivation; an external member tests working knowledge of criminal law, local policing and cyber crime in the candidate's chosen area; the chair then puts field situations on mobs, VIP duty, custody, corruption and communal tension; a board psychologist probes pressure and integrity; the chair closes. Real state police SI boards and the IB ACIO interview sit three to five members for 10 to 25 minutes, mix English with Hindi or the state language, and weigh presence of mind and integrity above textbook recall.
- Round 1
Background, fitness and motivation
· 3:00Settle the candidate, understand their home district, education, sport and fitness routine, and hear a credible reason for choosing the police or intelligence service over other government jobs.
Shri Devendra Singh Rathore, IPS (Retd.)2–3 questionsup to 1 follow-up each - Round 2
Law, local policing and cyber crime
· 4:00Test working knowledge in the candidate's chosen area: criminal law basics under the new codes, local policing and the state context, cyber and economic offences, internal security, public order or protection of women and children.
Smt. Anjali Deshpande, IPS3–4 questionsup to 2 follow-ups each - Round 3
Field situations
· 4:00Assess presence of mind, lawful use of force, chain of command and integrity through two field situations: a mob or communal flashpoint, a VIP duty, a custody incident or a bribe or political pressure.
Shri Devendra Singh Rathore, IPS (Retd.)2–2 questionsup to 1 follow-up each - Round 4
Pressure and integrity
· 2:00Probe temperament, stress tolerance and personal integrity: how the candidate reacts to provocation, failure, long hours away from family, and temptation.
Dr. Kailash Nair1–2 questionsup to 1 follow-up each - Round 5
Closing
· 1:00Close the interview professionally and check readiness for the realities of posting and training.
Shri Devendra Singh Rathore, IPS (Retd.)1–1 questions
Sample questions
Police SI Delhi Police SI interview questions
Questions panels commonly ask in the Police SI Delhi Police SI interview, with what a strong answer covers. Practise them aloud with the AI panel.
- Motivation
You selected Delhi Police over a CAPF assistant commandant track. Why, and what do you understand about an SI's work in a Delhi thana?
What a strong answer covers
A genuine reason such as investigation and citizen-facing work, an understanding that an SI investigates cases, handles beat and law-and-order duties and court work, and realistic acceptance of long hours. Avoid answers that rank the job by uniform or perks.
- Women's safety
A woman wants to file a complaint about stalking but cannot come to the station. What options does she have in Delhi?
What a strong answer covers
Explains e-FIR and online complaint options, the possibility of recording information at her place by a woman officer, Dial 112 for emergencies, and the duty to act promptly on a cognizable offence. Avoid insisting she must come to the thana.
- Arrest safeguards
What did the Supreme Court say in Arnesh Kumar about arrest, and how does that apply under the BNSS today?
What a strong answer covers
For offences punishable up to seven years, police must not arrest automatically; they must record reasons of necessity, and otherwise issue a notice of appearance, now under Section 35 of the BNSS; magistrates must check compliance before remand. Avoid saying arrest is never allowed in such cases.
- Protest management
A group of protesters begins moving towards a prohibited area near Parliament. You command a small team at the barricade. What do you do?
What a strong answer covers
Uses announcements and negotiation first, calls for reinforcements and keeps seniors informed, holds the barricade with minimum force, follows lawful orders on detention, and ensures video recording. Avoid excessive force or abandoning the post.
- Cyber crime
How does the IFSO unit of Delhi Police help in cyber crime cases, and when would you refer a case to it?
What a strong answer covers
Explains that the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations unit handles specialised and complex cyber crime, and that cases involving organised networks, large amounts or inter-state links are referred, while thana-level cyber cells handle routine complaints. Avoid claiming every cyber case must go there.
- Political pressure
A politician calls you to release a vehicle seized for drunk driving belonging to his relative. What do you do?
What a strong answer covers
Politely refuses, explains that a vehicle seized for drunk driving is released only through the legal process under the Motor Vehicles Act and court or rules, records the call in the station diary as required and informs seniors. Avoid giving in, arguing, or making off-record promises.
- VIP security
During Republic Day security preparations, what kind of duties might an SI be assigned?
What a strong answer covers
Checking and verifying tenants and hotels, anti-sabotage checks, traffic diversions, access control and coordination with other agencies under the overall security plan. Avoid overstating your role.
- Road accident response
A PCR call reports a hit-and-run on the Ring Road with a badly injured motorcyclist and a crowd gathering. You reach first. What do you do, in order?
What a strong answer covers
Secures the spot and diverts traffic, ensures the injured person reaches the nearest hospital immediately without waiting for formalities, reassures bystanders who help that they will not be harassed, preserves evidence and CCTV, notes vehicle details from witnesses and registers the case. Avoid delaying medical help for paperwork.
- Media handling
How will you handle media scrutiny when a case you are investigating becomes high-profile?
What a strong answer covers
Refers media queries to the authorised spokesperson, keeps case details confidential, does not leak names or evidence, and keeps the investigation evidence-led despite public pressure, documenting every step carefully. Avoid commenting on camera or letting media narratives drive the investigation.
Reading is not rehearsing. Answer these out loud to an AI Police SI Delhi Police SI panel that follows up like the real one.
Practise these questionsMeet the panel
Your AI interviewers
Distinct personas, voices and questioning styles, briefed on this post.
Shri Devendra Singh Rathore, IPS (Retd.)
ChairChairperson
Retired Deputy Inspector General of Police; chairs state police sub-inspector interview boards
Firm, unhurried, old-school courteous, sharp on sequence and chain of command, dislikes bravado.
Male voice · 5 languages
Smt. Anjali Deshpande, IPS
External member
Superintendent of Police, State Cyber Crime Cell; external member on police and IB boards
Quick, precise, practical, enjoys a candidate who reasons from a real case, intolerant of section-number recitation without understanding.
Female voice · 5 languages
Dr. Kailash Nair
Psychologist
Police training academy psychologist; board member for stress and integrity assessment
Quiet, observant, non-judgemental, asks short questions and waits, notices rehearsed answers.
Male voice · 5 languages
Languages
Answer in the language you think in
The panel asks in your chosen language. Switch mid-answer if you like.
- English
- हिंदीHindi
- Hinglish (Hindi + English)Hinglish
How scoring works
A report you can act on
Every round is scored on the rubric
Each interviewer scores only the criteria their round covers. Weights add up to your overall score out of 100.
Only what you actually said counts
Feedback quotes your own answers. Rounds you skip show as “Not assessed” rather than a zero.
Communication is always measured
Fluency, clarity, confidence and structure are tracked across the whole interview, in any language.
Pass mark, then a plan
You see the pass mark for this interview, your gaps, and the courses that close them fastest.
Scored on
- Legal and policing awareness30%
Working knowledge of the BNS, BNSS and BSA basics, FIR and arrest procedure, local policing structure and state context, cyber and economic offences, internal security; states the law correctly in plain words and does not bluff.
- Situational judgement30%
Handles mobs, VIP duty, custody, bribery and communal tension with the right sequence: life and safety first, lawful minimum force, inform seniors and the magistrate where required, record everything, no shortcuts; gives concrete first actions rather than slogans.
- Integrity and composure under pressure20%
Honest about weaknesses, gaps and other attempts; refuses illegal orders and bribes with a workable plan rather than bravado; stays calm when the board pushes or disagrees; realistic about the stress and hours of the job.
- Communication and bearing20%
Clear, brief, respectful in English, Hindi or the state language; answers the question asked; gives orders and explanations a constable or a complainant would follow; good posture and eye contact implied in the voice.
Pass mark 60 / 100 · Police and intelligence service interview board
Keep exploring
More Police SI interviews
- Police SI Maharashtra PSI interviewGraduates, 19–31 years (relaxations apply), MPSC Combined Group B
- Police SI Karnataka PSI interviewGraduates, 21–28 years (relaxations apply), Karnataka State Police
- Police SI Punjab-Haryana SI interviewGraduates, 18–28 years (Punjab) / 21–27 years (Haryana), relaxations apply
- Police SI TN-Kerala SI interviewGraduates, 20–30 years (TN, relaxations apply) / 20–31 years (Kerala), Tamil or Malayalam required
- Police SI WB-Gujarat SI interviewGraduates, 20–27 years (WB, relaxations apply) / 21–35 years (Gujarat), Bengali or Gujarati expected