UPSC CSAT Exam 2023 - Syllabus, Pattern, Question Paper
CSAT or Civil Services Aptitude Test was introduced in the year 2011 as a part of the UPSC Prelims exam. The aim of adding CSAT to the UPSC CSE exam is to test the analytical skills, interpersonal ability, decision-making, general mental ability, aptitude, and reasoning ability of the candidates. The CSAT is a qualifying paper in the UPSC Civil Services Prelims exam and aspirants need to score at least 33% to pass which seems easy, but in reality, UPSC has been known for its unpredictable questions. It would take diligent preparation and a rock-solid strategy to get the minimum marks in the CSAT Exam.
It is crucial for the candidates to know everything about CSAT Exam so that they can begin their preparation. Below we will be covering detailed information about CSAT such as the exam pattern, syllabus, and previous year’s questions to help the candidates ace this exam.
What is CSAT?
CSAT ( Civil Services Aptitude Test) is commonly known as the General Studies-2 in the UPSC Prelims, and it has been a part of the UPSC Syllabus since 2011. The CSAT 2022 has been conducted on 5th June 2022 in the second shift after the GS Paper 1 from 02:30 P.M. to 04:30 P.M. Candidates preparing for the upcoming CSAT exam must be aware of these facts.
- At first, the CSAT or UPSC GS Paper 2 marks were counted in preparing the merit list for the Prelims exam.
- In 2015, the Commission made some huge changes in the UPSC Exam Pattern by making the CSAT paper qualifying in nature. As per the UPSC exam pattern candidates only need 33% of 66 marks out of 200 marks to qualify.
As compared to the UPSC GS Paper 1, the CSAT Syllabus is less and candidates can easily prepare it with practice. If one devotes enough time to practice for this paper then he/she can easily crack this paper. However, a planned strategy is a must to cover each section of this paper.
CSAT 2022 Parameters | Details |
CSAT Full Form | Civil Services Aptitude Test |
CSAT Paper | UPSC Prelims GS Paper 2 |
CSAT Questions | 80 |
CSAT Total Marks | 200 |
Negative Marking in CSAT | 0.83 (1/3rd Marks) |
CSAT Qualifying Marks | 66 Marks |
CSAT Exam Pattern
Without knowing the CSAT exam pattern candidates won’t be able to figure out an effective preparation strategy. That’s why we are going to cover the CSAT paper pattern in detail here. There will be a total of 80 questions in the CSAT exam and the time allotted for the paper will be 2 hours. Each question carries 2.5 marks, and the total marks will be 200.
For every wrong answer, 1/3rd of the total marks given to the question will be deducted which means 0.83 marks. However, there is no deduction for unanswered questions. Candidates need to score at least 33% or 66 marks to qualify for this paper.
CSAT Syllabus
CSAT or General Studies-2 Syllabus is designed to test the analytical, aptitude, and decision-making ability of the candidates. The CSAT syllabus covers basic numeracy, comprehension, general mental ability, etc. Candidates need to practice thoroughly to fetch good marks in this paper. The complete UPSC CSAT Syllabus is covered below.
- Comprehension
- Interpersonal skills including communication skills
- Logical reasoning and analytical ability
- Decision-making and problem-solving
- General mental ability
- Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. – Class X level)
CSAT Exam Pattern | |
Number of Questions | 80 |
Time Allotted | 2 Hours |
Negative Marking | Yes, 0.83 Marks |
Total Marks | 200 |
Type of Exam | Offline |
Qualifying Marks | 66 Marks (33%) |