The Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), or Paper-II (GS-2) in UPSC Prelims is a crucial stage which is often overlooked and underestimated by the aspirants. Though a qualifying paper, requiring a minimum of 33% marks, it has shattered the dreams of well-prepared candidates as disqualification in CSAT leads to disqualification of a candidate in UPSC Prelims. It is a hurdle for many candidates, especially from non-mathematics backgrounds.
To prepare CSAT for UPSC Prelims, you must be thorough with the syllabus and pattern of CSAT, analyse the Previous Year Questions (PYQs) well, and practice a lot through mock test papers.
CSAT – Syllabus and Pattern
The CSAT paper in UPSC Prelims tests the candidate in three major fields, at class X level –
- Comprehension
- Logical Reasoning
- Quantitative Skills
The test is of 120 minutes with 80 Multiple-Choice Questions, with a maximum score of 200 (2.5 marks per question). A negative marking of 1/3rd of the marks allotted to one question (0.83) is applied as a penalty for marking wrong answers.
The test is of qualifying nature requiring a minimum of 33% of the maximum score (66.66 out of 200). However, if a candidate fails to secure the qualifying marks in CSAT, he would be disqualified irrespective of his/her score in the General Studies (GS) Paper of UPSC Prelims.
5 Tips to Prepare CSAT for UPSC Prelims 2025
- Get Reliable Guidance
Quality guidance helps you avoid unnecessary distractions and stay focused on what truly matters. Since CSAT is truly a game of strategy, as it is difficult to crack but only requires a 33% score, it is extremely important that you do not over-do or under-do it. A right mentor would help you ace the CSAT Paper, with correct strategy and help.
Click here to watch a free-of-cost YouTube Playlist regarding CSAT Strategy and Important Topics by Satyam Jain Sir (UnderStand UPSC).
- Identify Important Topics in Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude
Analyse the Previous Year Questions of CSAT and identify the favourite areas of UPSC that keeps getting repeated. This is extremely important especially for students of Non-Mathematics backgrounds. Identifying the important topics in CSAT will help you save time and focus on high yielding areas.
Here is a list of some of the most important topics of CSAT for UPSC Prelims, as far as logical reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude is concerned –
Important Topics of Quantitative Aptitude for CSAT
- Number System
- Divisibility Rules
- Percentages
- Remainder Theorem
- Probability
- Time, Speed and Distance
- Permutation and Combinations
- Time and Work
- Profit and Loss
- Simple Interest and Compound Interest
Important Topics of Logical Reasoning for CSAT
- Syllogism
- Coding and decoding
- Blood Relation
- Alphabetical and Alphanumeric series
- Direction Sense
- Calendar
- Clock
- Dice
- Puzzles
- Read Newspaper Articles to strengthen Comprehension
The Comprehension component of CSAT is a highly scoring area, provided that you are habitual of reading and making sense out of it in limited time. To sharpen your comprehension skills, start with reading newspapers, especially focusing on their editorial page. Editorials are often detailed, thought-provoking, and contain complex language, all of which mirror the style of passages you might encounter in the exam. By regularly reading editorials, you:
- Develop faster reading speed: Editorials provide practice in quickly identifying key ideas, arguments, and conclusions within a given text.
- Enhance comprehension: Understanding the author’s perspective, tone, and main argument improves your ability to comprehend complex passages during the CSAT exam.
- Solve Previous Year Question Papers
This is a non-negotiable part of your CSAT preparation. PYQs will be your guiding light while preparing for CSAT, especially when it comes to the comprehension part. Comprehension part of CSAT follows a certain pattern and style in its options, which might not be available in mock test papers of coaching institutes. It is therefore extremely important to solve at least 10 Previous Year Question Papers of UPSC CSAT before you sit for your actual exam.
- It helps you identify the difficulty level of questions
- It helps you identify your comfortable areas
- It makes you aware of the important topics that are repeated.
- Practice with Effective Time Management
Once you are done with solving PYQs, start practicing in a time limit with some mock tests. Mock tests provide a close replica of the actual CSAT exam, helping you experience the pressures of time and the challenge of completing the paper within a limited duration. This will shape your mind to automatically priorities questions that you are comfortable with.
Since all questions carry equal marks, it is important that you learn to priorities certain questions that can be solved in less time. This aptitude develops with practice.
Remember, consistent practice and analysis of your performance will lead to gradual improvement and greater confidence. With the right mindset and preparation, you’ll be ready to tackle the CSAT efficiently and effectively. Stay focused, work smart, and make your way toward success in the UPSC exam.
