Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
What is tested
Values in public service, probity, codes of conduct, and case studies where a civil servant faces a conflict of duties. Answers are judged on structure and reasoning, not on moralising.
Method
- Define the value in play: integrity, objectivity, empathy, accountability, transparency.
- Identify stakeholders and the competing duties before choosing anything.
- Weigh options against three tests - legality, public interest, and fairness to affected individuals.
- State a course of action, then the implementation steps and the likely consequences.
- Anchor to rules: Conduct Rules bar private trade and require property returns; the Prevention of Corruption Act covers criminal misconduct; the Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2014 addresses disclosure protection.
Worked example
Case: A district officer is pressured by a local politician to award a road contract to a favoured firm. Reasoning: the legality test fails first - procurement rules require competitive tender, so compliance is impossible. The public-interest test favours a transparent re-tender, and fairness requires giving the firm a chance to compete. Action: record the pressure in writing, escalate to the competent authority, proceed with the tender, and document each step.
Traps that cost marks
- Writing moral adjectives with no action plan.
- Ignoring where the pressure comes from, and so missing the accountability angle.
- Offering resignation as a first response; institutional remedies are rewarded first.