By Goh Chin Lian, Senior Political Correspondent THE perception that the public service does not tolerate views that contradict government policies is one reason 18-year-olds give politically correct answers at the interviews for civil service scholarships. Other reasons are their superficial knowledge of a subject and a culture of deference to authority, said young people who spoke to The Straits Times. They were commenting on a main criticism Public Service Commission (PSC) chairman Eddie Teo made about would-be scholars who give pro-government answers because they think that is what the interview panel wants to hear. Preparing for the big day PSC chairman Eddie Teo had these tips for scholarship candidates: Know what you want The PSC does not set out to make life difficult for you. We ask questions which are related to what you seem to be interested in. Expect tough questions The better candidates must expect harder questions. We are less interested in ascertaining what you know than in finding out how you think and what kind of person you are. It is not so much the facts you know, but how nimble and astute a mind you have. Don’t mug, read the newspaper There is no point mugging for the interview. Appearing before the PSC is not like taking an exam. But it is always good to show you are aware of, and have an interest in, what is going on in Singapore and in the world. Hence, please read the daily paper because invariably, someone will ask you what caught your attention in that day’s newspaper. Be focused Those who are more focused and have had internships in ministries they are interested in, have a distinct advantage over those who say they have no clue what the public service is all about. Be yourself You only need to be yourself, relax and feel free to express your views. We are not looking for the right answer because many of our questions have no single right answer. If you do not know something, it is better to admit your ignorance than to try to fabricate an answer. Being yourself means not attempting to be what you are not. If you fake your personality, you will tie yourself up in knots and will very soon be found out. We are looking for an interesting conversation with you. We will begin to take notice when we hear something genuine and spontaneous being said which reflects your personality. We need to know the real you to decide if you have what it takes to be good public servant and a potential public sector leader. This article was first published in the Straits Times. http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20090725-156992.html