UPSC Interview Riddle: How Twins Born in May Have June Birthdays

Some UPSC interview questions test more than book knowledge. They check how well a candidate listens, spots hidden clues and stays calm under pressure. A short question can sound confusing at first, yet the answer may depend on one simple word.

One such riddle asks:

“Adarsh and Anupam are twins. They were born in May, but their birthday is in June. How is this possible?”

The answer to the riddle

The twins were born in a place called May. They were not born in the month of May.

The word “May” has been used as the name of a town or place in this question. So, Adarsh and Anupam were born in May, the place. Their date of birth falls in June, which means they celebrate their birthday in June.

There is no mistake in the question. The trick lies in the way we understand the word “May”. Most people see it as the name of a month. The question wants the listener to consider another meaning.

Why does this question confuse people?

When we hear the phrase “born in May”, our mind quickly connects it with the month. This is a normal response because May is best known as a month. We do not stop to ask whether it could also refer to a location.

That quick assumption creates the puzzle. Once we read the sentence with a different meaning, the answer becomes simple. The twins were born in May, but their actual birth date was in June.

This type of riddle is not based on advanced maths or difficult facts. It tests whether a person can move beyond the first meaning of a sentence. In an interview, that skill can matter more than recalling a long list of dates.

What UPSC interview boards assess

The UPSC Civil Services Interview does not focus only on marks or memory. The board also looks at a candidate’s personality and judgement. Questions like this may help assess several skills:

• Listening: Does the candidate hear each word in the question?
• Observation: Can the candidate notice a small clue?
• Logical thinking: Can the candidate test more than one possible meaning?
• Presence of mind: Can the candidate respond without panic?
• Clear communication: Can the candidate explain the answer in a simple way?

The board is not looking for a dramatic performance. It wants to see how a person handles an unfamiliar situation. A candidate who says, “May could refer to a place, not the month,” and then explains the point has shown sound reasoning.

How to handle a tricky interview question

Do not rush to answer the moment you hear a puzzling question. Take a few seconds and read the wording in your mind. Look for words that may have more than one meaning. Names, dates and places often hide the key.

You can use this simple method:

1. Listen to the full question. Do not form an answer after hearing only the first line.
2. Spot the unusual detail. Here, the unusual point is the link between May and June.
3. Question your first assumption. Ask whether “May” must mean the month.
4. Try another meaning. A place named May solves the problem.
5. Answer in one clear sentence. Add a short explanation if needed.

It is also fine to ask the interviewer for a moment to think. A calm pause looks better than a rushed answer that misses the point. Interviews are not speed contests, even if the question tries to make them feel like one.

What candidates can learn from this riddle

This question offers a useful lesson for UPSC aspirants and other interview candidates. Do not treat every question as a test of memory. Some questions test how you frame a problem.

When a question sounds impossible, check its wording first. The answer may sit inside a common word, a name or a small change in context. This habit helps in interviews and in daily life. It can also save you from arguing with a calendar that did nothing wrong.

Similar questions may use words such as “March”, “Jordan” or “Rose”. Each word can refer to more than one thing, such as a month, a country, a name or a flower. The right response depends on the sentence, not on the most common meaning of the word.

The twins’ riddle is often shared as an example of a tricky UPSC interview question, including a claim that it was asked to a candidate who secured the 98th rank. The main value of the example is the reasoning it teaches: listen with care, challenge your first assumption and explain your answer with confidence.