“The Commission will draw a list of candidates to be qualified for the Civil Service (Main) Examination based on the criterion of minimum qualifying marks of 33% in General Studies Paper-II of Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination and total qualifying marks of General Studies Paper-I of Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination as may be determined by the Commission.”

 

On 23rd May 2015 the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) notified about 1,129 vacancies for civil services in 24 categories with major changes in the exam format. The notification was delayed by a few days to incorporate the changes meant to ensure a level playing field for aspirants from all streams of education.

Under the new criteria, the Preliminary Stage would continue to have the Civil Services Aptitude Test General Studies (CSAT GS paper II) paper as well as the Preliminary (General Studies Paper). However, General Studies Paper I of only those candidates who score a minimum of 33 per cent CSAT - GS paper II would be taken up for evaluation.

The Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) is such an integral part of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination, that it has never failed to get the attention of teachers, students and coaching centres. As the second paper in the Prelims, its role and impact on the selection process are frequently examined. Designed to assess a candidate's aptitude in areas such as comprehension, logical reasoning, and basic numeracy, the CSAT is officially termed a "qualifying" paper. You must have wondered what "qualifying" really means in this context. Does it carry any relevant significance over a candidate's chances of heading to the Mains? In this blog, we deeply understand the qualifying nature of CSAT and analyze how it really impacts aspirants like you.

Before going deep into the nature of the examination, let us understand the pattern of the exam, the type, and the Basic Fundamentals of this exam considered a stepping stone in selecting candidates for various civil services of the Indian government, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Forest Services (IFoS), and Indian Foreign Service (IFS), among others.

 

Key Points About UPSC CSAT

 

The Preliminary exam consists of two papers, the General Studies Paper I and the Paper II, the General Studies paper II is better known as CSAT or GS II.

• Qualifying Nature: The CSAT is a qualifying paper, meaning candidates need to score at least 33% (66 out of 200 marks) to qualify. However, sufficient relaxation is offered to students since the marks and ranks obtained in CSAT is not considered while deciding the final rank of the student.

Structure of the Exam:

• Duration: Students have 2 hours in total.

• Total Marks: The paper is of 200 marks in total, with each question of 2.5 marks.

• Number of Questions: The Question Paper consists of 80 multiple-choice questions.

Syllabus and Content:

• Comprehension: Reading passages and answering questions.

• Interpersonal Skills: Interpersonal Skills: Including communication skills.

• Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability: Problem-solving questions.

• Decision Making and Problem Solving: Situational questions where candidates must choose the best course of action.

• General Mental Ability: Basic maths and reasoning skills.

• Basic Numeracy and Data Interpretation: Questions involving numbers, graphs, tables, etc.

• Importance: Despite being a qualifying paper, the CSAT is crucial because failing to secure the minimum required marks (33%) will disqualify a candidate from advancing to the Mains examination, regardless of their performance in Paper I (General Studies).

• Preparation: Candidates often focus more on Paper I, as its marks determine eligibility for the Mains. However, they must not neglect CSAT preparation, because if you fail CSAT, no matter how well you score in Paper I, it will be of no use. Practising comprehension passages, logical reasoning, basic mathematics, and data interpretation is essential to ensure they can clear the qualifying threshold.

 

CSAT is considered to be an exam of qualifying nature, but there is a bigger problem beneath it that is best understood by aspirants like us. When a paper is qualifying, it is quite obvious to witness negative marking. The case is the same for CSAT as well, where there is a 33% penalty for each incorrect answer, eventually reducing the score by one-third of a mark per wrong response. As previously mentioned, the CSAT is an offline exam with a total of 200 marks. To qualify, candidates must prove that they possess the minimum level of required aptitude and analytical ability. This is possible by achieving a score of at least 66 marks, which is 33% of the total marks. Scoring this much is the ticket to moving forward and start preparing for the Mains. However, scoring a minimum of 33% in a competitive exam like the CSAT, which also includes negative marking, compels us to pause and ponder: is the CSAT really qualifying in nature?

As mentioned earlier, General Studies Paper I, the first step of the Preliminary exam, is held just before the General Studies Paper II, better known as the CSAT. In recent times from the past couple of years, it is quite evident from the results that students easily excel in General Studies Paper I, often scoring over 100 marks which is well above the required cutoff. This remarkable performance significantly boosts their confidence as they move on to tackle Paper II, the CSAT. We say that CSAT is a qualifying exam, but over the past three years, the increasing difficulty level of the CSAT, coupled with its negative marking scheme, has undoubtedly reduced its positive effect of being a qualifying exam. Engineers from top-tier IITs, known for their excellent ability in Maths, Aptitude, and Logical Reasoning, are witnessing a tough time due to the difficulty level offered by the CSAT. One engineer from the Indian Institute of Technology recently remarked, “CSAT is a new havoc now. Even IITians are failing this paper. So, take it seriously.”

Initially, it may seem easy to score just 33% or 66 marks out of a total of 200 on the CSAT. However, there is an old saying that when a task seems easy, the chances of failing or making mistakes are at their highest. This is quite relevant in CSAT. Even though CSAT is a qualifying exam, many candidates fail to achieve the required 66 marks. Therefore, it is clear that CSAT demands the same level of seriousness and effort as any other competitive exam to ensure success.

 

Let us understand a few primary reasons why many aspirants face rejection  when they fail to qualify for the CSAT and eventually end up appearing again in the entire Preliminary Exam:

• Overconfidence: Students keep on focusing on the paper I. Candidates overlook the importance of CSAT paper 2, assuming that their basic Math and English knowledge is enough. They fail to realise that even though their knowledge is decent, securing even the minimum in CSAT requires continuous practice and mock tests

• Ignoring the Value of PYQs: Previous year questions have an irreplaceable importance in a competitive exam like CSAT. Aspirants often ignore the importance of going through the previous years’ question papers for CSAT. As a result, they miss out on understanding the expected difficulty and the types of questions asked.

• Time wasted on Difficult Questions: During the exam, candidates forget to consider the time needed for each question. They need to realise that whether a question is easy or difficult, it will fetch you 2.5 marks at best. They often spend too much time trying to solve difficult questions, forgetting it’s a qualifying exam and that every question is equally important.

• Forgetting about Negative Marking: Many candidates forget about the impact of negative marking in the CSAT exam and try to answer as many questions as possible. This leads to them failing to clear UPSC Prelims  by a few marks or even 0.5 marks in paper 2.

• Nobody talks about CSAT difficulty: Most aspirants and mentors don’t openly discuss how CSAT can be a challenge. As a result, aspirants allocate limited time for CSAT self-study but lack consistency in preparation due to a lack of prioritisation.

 

Still, are you planning to live in that comfort zone or commit any of these mistakes? NO! Of Course NO! Nobody would like to see themselves in that situation. So, Here, I am trying to help you out with my strategies and ways to maintain that seriousness for this exam and come out with flying colours:

 

• Brush up on the basics: Focus on mental maths, reasoning, logical ability. Devote sufficient time to important topics like basic arithmetic, algebra, understanding graphs and charts, and reading comprehension.

• Expand your vocabulary: Reading, especially newspapers, is considered a must for a UPSC aspirant. Regularly devoting time to reading will help you understand texts better and make educated guesses on questions you're unsure about. Try reading newspapers, magazines, novels, and textbooks related to the exam subjects.

• Practice with past papers: Work through questions from previous years' exams to see what kinds of questions are asked, how difficult they are, and how to manage your time effectively. This will also help you spot any areas where you need more practice.

• Take practice tests seriously: Regularly take practice tests under exam-like conditions. Analyse your performance to see where you need to improve and adjust your study strategies accordingly. Experts say that practice tests are the best method to test your speed, accuracy, and pressure handling capacity.

• Improve mental maths skills: Practise doing maths calculations in your head quickly and accurately. This will help you save time during the exam. Try techniques like estimation and using mental maths tricks.

• Manage your time wisely: Allocate your time during the exam based on your strengths, the difficulty of the questions, and how many marks each section is worth. Practise this approach during practice tests to find the most effective strategy for you.

• Use smart test-taking strategies: Along with hard work, focus on smart work. For multiple-choice questions in CSAT, try to get the right answer by the process of elimination and make smart guesses to get the correct answer. Don't spend too much time on any one question; move on and come back later if you have time.

 

It is a popular notion that CSAT is just about securing the cutoff marks, it is considered a stepping stone as we move forward in our journey with the mains and the ultimate UPSC interview. As mentioned earlier, through CSAT, the UPSC is searching for potential candidates who possess a minimum level of aptitude, vocabulary, analytical, and mental ability necessary for their careers ahead. Through these aspects, UPSC is learning whether the candidate's profile is prepared to serve the democracy or not. The students must acknowledge the importance of this paper and prepare consistency to proceed with the preparation of Mains. Students should focus on learning from each other's mistakes such as underestimating the paper, poor time management, and lack of practice, candidates can surely ace CSAT and progress to the Mains examination. Proper preparation and a balanced approach will serve as a catalyst in achieving the dream of becoming a civil servant and representing a nation like India.