Tamil Nadu (TNUSRB) & Kerala PSC SI Interview

Tamil Nadu candidates who have cleared the TNUSRB written examination and physical tests and face the viva-voce of 10 marks with certificate verification. Kerala PSC SI Trainee candidates select on the written test, physical efficiency test and medical examination without an interview, and use this board for verification and their probation and training-college boards.

Graduates, 20–30 years (TN, relaxations apply) / 20–31 years (Kerala), Tamil or Malayalam required 5 rounds · ≈ 14 min 6 subjects 3 languages 3-member panel or 1:1
3 AI interviewers · hand over between rounds

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

TNUSRB: viva-voce 10 marks, added to the written and physical marks along with certificate marks for NCC, sports and other qualifications; it often separates candidates on the cut-off. Kerala PSC: no interview in the current scheme; the mock stands in for the verification interaction and the departmental boards during training.

Who this is for

Tamil Nadu candidates who have cleared the TNUSRB written examination and physical tests and face the viva-voce of 10 marks with certificate verification. Kerala PSC SI Trainee candidates select on the written test, physical efficiency test and medical examination without an interview, and use this board for verification and their probation and training-college boards.

The panel focuses on

  • Background, sport and fitness, and why the police over other state jobs, in Tamil or Malayalam if you prefer
  • BNS and BNSS basics explained in plain words to a complainant at the station
  • Tamil Nadu context: Chennai commissionerate, caste violence in the southern districts, fishermen and the Sri Lanka boundary, temple festival crowds; Kerala context: Janamaithri community policing, gold smuggling at airports, coastal security, Sabarimala bandobast
  • Cyber frauds targeting the Gulf diaspora and the elderly, the 1930 helpline
  • Field situations: a caste clash at a village festival, a custodial death allegation, a political worker in the thana
  • Integrity, temper and family readiness for a distant posting

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

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.

  1. Round 1

    Background, fitness and motivation

    · 3:00

    Settle 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
  2. Round 2

    Law, local policing and cyber crime

    · 4:00

    Test 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, IPS
    3–4 questionsup to 2 follow-ups each
  3. Round 3

    Field situations

    · 4:00

    Assess 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
  4. Round 4

    Pressure and integrity

    · 2:00

    Probe temperament, stress tolerance and personal integrity: how the candidate reacts to provocation, failure, long hours away from family, and temptation.

    Dr. Kailash Nair
    1–2 questionsup to 1 follow-up each
  5. Round 5

    Closing

    · 1:00

    Close 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 TN-Kerala SI interview questions

Questions panels commonly ask in the Police SI TN-Kerala SI interview, with what a strong answer covers. Practise them aloud with the AI panel.

  1. Caste tension

    During a village temple festival in southern Tamil Nadu, two caste groups argue over the route of a procession. Tension is rising. What do you do?

    What a strong answer covers

    Separates the groups, calls in reinforcements, engages leaders of both sides with the revenue officials, enforces the route agreed in the peace committee or prior orders, and watches social media for rumours. Avoid taking sides or using force before talks fail.

  2. Explaining law

    ஒரு புகார்தாரருக்கு எளிய தமிழில் FIR என்றால் என்ன, அதன் நகல் ஏன் முக்கியம் என்று விளக்குங்கள்.

    What a strong answer covers

    Explains in plain Tamil that an FIR is the first record of a cognizable offence, the complainant is entitled to a free copy, and it starts the investigation and helps follow-up. Avoid technical legal language the complainant cannot follow.

  3. Custodial death

    A man dies in police custody at a station in your sub-division, and his family alleges torture. What must happen next under the law?

    What a strong answer covers

    Informs seniors, preserves evidence and CCTV, ensures the magistrate's inquiry as required under the BNSS for custodial deaths, post-mortem with videography, and full cooperation with the investigation. Avoid altering records or pressuring witnesses.

  4. Coastal issues

    Fishermen from Rameswaram are reported missing after being arrested by Sri Lankan authorities. What role does the local police play?

    What a strong answer covers

    Collects details from families, informs the district administration and coastal security, and coordinates with authorities handling diplomatic channels, while keeping families informed. Avoid making promises.

  5. Community policing

    What is Janamaithri community policing in Kerala, and how would you use it on your beat?

    What a strong answer covers

    Explains it as community-oriented policing with regular interaction with residents through beat officers and committees, and gives examples such as checking on elderly people living alone. Avoid reducing it to publicity events.

  6. Cyber fraud

    An elderly retired teacher in Kochi lost his savings after his son abroad was impersonated on a WhatsApp call. How do you help him?

    What a strong answer covers

    Reports immediately to 1930 and the cyber portal, records transaction details, coordinates with banks to freeze funds, and educates the family about such frauds. Avoid blaming the victim.

  7. Crowd management

    Sabarimala pilgrim season brings huge crowds. What would be your priorities if posted for bandobast there?

    What a strong answer covers

    Crowd flow on the trekking path, queue management, medical support, traffic, coordination with the devaswom board and other departments, and communication. Avoid ignoring safety of pilgrims.

  8. Political pressure

    A political party worker sits in your station demanding a case be dropped against his leader. How do you respond?

    What a strong answer covers

    Politely but firmly explains that cases proceed according to law and evidence, that the remedy lies in court or before senior officers, keeps the station functioning normally and informs seniors. Avoid yielding to pressure, making off-record assurances or being rude to him.

  9. Background and motivation

    Your certificates show NCC and state-level kabaddi. How did those shape your decision to become an SI rather than take a clerical government job?

    What a strong answer covers

    Connects specific experiences from NCC camps or sport, such as leadership, discipline or teamwork under pressure, to the demands of an SI's job, with a realistic picture of field duty and long hours. Avoid listing achievements without linking them to policing.

Reading is not rehearsing. Answer these out loud to an AI Police SI TN-Kerala SI panel that follows up like the real one.

Practise these questions

Meet the panel

Your AI interviewers

Distinct personas, voices and questioning styles, briefed on this post.

Shri Devendra Singh Rathore, IPS (Retd.)

Chair

Chairperson

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

  1. 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.

  2. Only what you actually said counts

    Feedback quotes your own answers. Rounds you skip show as “Not assessed” rather than a zero.

  3. Communication is always measured

    Fluency, clarity, confidence and structure are tracked across the whole interview, in any language.

  4. 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

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Police SI TN-Kerala SI