UPSC CSAT

The Ultimate
Guide Book
Decoded Syllabus,
Pa ern, & More
#ExaminationDetails
 Preface

Are you an aspirant who is well aware of the requirements of the UPSC exam—work profile, entrance
exam division of prelims and mains, and even the overall difficulty of the exam—yet find yourself in the
dark about the CSAT exam?

If yes, then you have selected the right source to get answers. In this guidebook, we will break down
the CSAT exam, piece by piece, answering all common queries:

◦ What is CSAT, and why was it introduced?

◦ How has the exam pattern and marking scheme evolved over time?
◦ What's the deal with the cut-off and negative marking?
◦ What are the details of the syllabus and exam trends?

This guide isn't just about information; it's your ally in understanding why the CSAT matters. We use
simple language because your journey is complex enough.

Let's navigate this together, focusing on what truly makes the CSAT your key to unlocking UPSC
success.

Best of luck!
 Table of Contents
Part A: About UPSC CSAT
Chapter 1: What is CSAT?..................................................................................................................1-1

Part B: CSAT Exam Details

Chapter 2: Eligibility Criteria..............................................................................................................2-2

Chapter 3: Exam Pattern....................................................................................................................3-3

Chapter 4: Marking Scheme..............................................................................................................3-4

Chapter 5: Syllabus............................................................................................................................4-5

Part C: Previous Year’s Trends

Chapter 6: Maths................................................................................................................................6-7

Chapter 7: Reasoning.........................................................................................................................7-8

Chapter 8: English..............................................................................................................................9-9

Part D: Preparation Strategy

Chapter 9: The Success Formula........................................................................................................10-11

Author’s Note
What Next?
Part A
About UPSC CSAT
 1

1 What is CSAT?

The Civil Services Aptitude Test, commonly known as CSAT, is an important component of the UPSC
Prelims. It is also known as the UPSC Prelims General Paper 2.

It was introduced as a major reform in the UPSC examination pattern in 2011 to test the aspirants’
analytical skills, interpersonal ability, decision-making, general mental ability, aptitude, and reasoning
ability. Here’s a brief history of CSAT.

Introduction of CSAT in 2011

Before 2011, the UPSC Preliminary examination comprised two papers: General Studies (Paper I) and
an optional subject (Paper II).

However, recognizing the need for a more objective assessment and to delve deeper into aspirants'
aptitude, the UPSC introduced CSAT as Paper 2 alongside the existing General Studies Paper 1.

CSAT Structure from 2011-2014

From its inception in 2011 until 2014, the marks obtained in both General Studies Paper 1 and CSAT
(Paper 2) were cumulatively considered to calculate the cut-off marks for the UPSC Prelims exam..

Controversy and Concerns

The introduction of CSAT was not without its share of challenges. Criticism and concerns emerged,
with some aspirants expressing dissatisfaction, claiming bias against candidates from specific
educational backgrounds. There were protests and demands for its removal.

Changes and Reforms in 2015

As a response to the concerns, the UPSC implemented significant changes in 2015. The CSAT General
Studies Paper 2 was transformed into a qualifying paper.

This meant that while candidates were still required to attempt and clear the CSAT paper, its marks
would no longer contribute to the calculation of the overall cut-off for the prelims exam. Instead,
aspirants needed to secure a minimum of 66 marks (33%) out of the total 200 marks allocated to the
CSAT paper to qualify.
Part B
CSAT Examination
Details
 2

2 Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility to appear for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, including the CSAT paper, is determined
based on the following criteria.

Criteria Details

For the Indian Administrative Service (IAS),

Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and Indian Police
Service (IPS), the candidate must be a citizen of
India.
Nationality
For other services: Certain categories of
persons may be eligible, including citizens of
India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibetan refugees, and
individuals of Indian origin.

Minimum: 21 Years
Age Limit
(General/UR)
Maximum: 32 Years

OBC: 3 years
Age Limit Relaxation
SC/ST: 5 years

Bachelor’s degree from recognized Universities

incorporated by an Act of the Central or State
Legislature in India.

(OR)
Minimum Educational Qualification
Equivalent qualification from institutions
declared as deemed universities under Section
3 of the University Grants Commission Act,
1956.

General: 6 attempts

Number of Attempts
Important Note OBC: 9 attempts

SC/ST category has unlimited attempts until

reaching the maximum age limit (including age
relaxation).
 3

3 Exam Pa ern

As previously mentioned, CSAT is the second paper of the UPSC Prelims, alongside General Studies
Paper 1. The CSAT paper is conducted with General Studies Paper 1 on the same day.

Following are important details about the CSAT exam pattern that you must know.

Total Number
of Questions
Paper Language 80
Total Marks
English and 200
Hindi

Paper Type Per Question

Objective Marks
(MCQs) Here are some 2.5
other important
details that you
Mode of Exam should know. Total Time
O ine 120 minutes
(Pen and Paper) (2 Hours)

Negative
Sectional Marking
Timing Qualifying 1/3rd, i.e.
No Marks
0.83 marks
33%, i.e.
66 marks

4 Marking Scheme

To better understand the impact of negative marking on your qualifying CSAT, let’s analyze four
students and their attempts at the CSAT paper.
 4

No. of Questions Right Wrong

Student Total Marks
Attempted Answers Answers Result
(out of 200)
(out of 80) (+ 2.5 marks) (- 0.83 marks)

Not
1 26 26 0 65
Qualified

2 27 27 0 67.5 Qualified

Not
3 46 31 15 65.05
Qualified

4 40 30 10 66.7 Qualified

Key Takeaways

• The minimum number of questions that a student should attempt to qualify are not fixed as they
vary based on attempt accuracy.
• The ideal scenario would be to attempt at least 27 questions with 100% accuracy. However,
realistically speaking, achieving 100% accuracy is challenging as wrong answers result in negative
marks.
• Hence, you should focus on a strategic approach: Identify topics that you have prepared well and
attempt them accurately.

Understanding that the UPSC CSAT paper is qualifying, you must prioritize accuracy, recognizing the
importance of tackling a focused set of questions.

5 Syllabus

The official notification of the UPSC Civil Services Examination specifies the syllabus of the CSAT paper
as follows.

• 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)
 5

• Logical reasoning and analytical ability

• Decision-making and problem-solving
• Comprehension
• Interpersonal skills, including communication skills

Breakdown of Important Topics

Maths Reasoning English

• Number System • Syllogism Questions are based on

• HCF and LCM • Blood Relation comprehension passages
• Percentage • Direction Sense that cover a range of topics,
• Profit and Loss • Alphabetical and including economics, social
• Simple Interest Alphanumeric Series issues, science & technology,
• Compound Interest • Coding and Decoding rural life, healthcare, climate
• Ratio and Proportion • Analogy & environment, and current
• Age and Partnership • Calendar non-political events.
• Data Interpretation • Clock
• Time and Work • Counting Figure
• Pipes and Cistern • Cube and Cuboid
• Time, Speed and Distance • Dice
• Boats and Stream • Continuous Letter
• Average Series
• Allegation and Mixture • Ranking and Order
• Mensuration 2D and 3D • Arrangement and
• Permutation and Puzzle
Combination
• Probability
• Number Series

The syllabus provided by UPSC in the official notification is indicative. As an

aspirant, it is recommended to prioritize a detailed subject- and topic-wise
syllabus for a more comprehensive understanding.
Part C
Previous Year’s
Trends
 6

6 Maths

The following table shows the year and topic-wise distribution of the number of questions asked from
each topic of Maths from 2014 to 2023.

Topic 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014

Percentage 1 4 7 2 9 2 3 3 6 6

Ratio and
0 1 4 2 2 0 3 4 6 3
Proportion

Profit and Loss 0 1 1 2 3 3 1 1 0 1

Compound Interest 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Data Interpretation 0 0 0 1 0 14 0 0 3 5

Ages & Partnership 1 1 1 0 2 0 1 1 1 0

Time & Work 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 0

Time, Speed, and

0 2 1 2 1 3 2 3 2 3
Distance

Pipes & Cistern 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

Boats & Stream 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0

Probability 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 0

P&C 11 7 3 3 2 2 3 1 6 1

Alligation Mixture 0 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0

Number System 22 15 13 18 8 5 6 5 1 1

Average 0 1 3 3 2 0 3 2 0 0

Mensuration 2D,
2 1 0 3 0 2 1 3 0 0
3D

HCF & LCM 1 1 0 3 0 0 0 3 0 2

Number Series 2 2 3 1 3 4 0 0 2 1

Total 43 38 36 45 32 35 25 30 28 24
 7

Key Takeaway

• The weightage of maths questions has steadily increased over the years. From 24 questions out of
80 in 2014, the number of questions asked from maths in 2023 went up to 43. This means that
more than 50% of the paper comprises maths questions.
• The important topics that can be identified from the above table are:
◦ Number system
◦ Permutation and Combination
◦ Percentage
◦ Ratio and Proportion
◦ Time, Speed, and Distance
◦ Average
◦ Number series

7 Reasoning

The following table shows the year and topic-wise distribution of the number of questions asked from
each topic of Reasoning from 2014 to 2023.

Topic 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014

Alphanumeric
2 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
Series

Coding &
1 0 1 1 0 2 1 0 0 0
Decoding

Continues
1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
Letter Series

Analogy 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0

Direction
0 1 2 1 2 0 0 3 1 2
Sense

Blood Relation 1 2 0 1 1 0 2 5 1 3

Ranking &
2 1 2 3 5 1 3 1 2 2
Order

Syllogism 0 2 3 1 1 0 1 0 0 0
 8

Sitting
Arrangement 0 3 1 0 0 8 11 8 8 6
+ Puzzle

Clock 0 3 2 0 1 0 2 1 1 2

Calendar 1 1 3 1 3 0 0 0 0 0

Dice 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0

Counting
0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
Figure

Cube &
1 0 0 0 3 1 1 1 0 0
Cuboid

Images 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 5

Analytical
2 0 0 0 0 0 4 3 8 4
Reasoning

Total 11 15 17 10 18 20 25 22 22 24

Key Takeaways
• The weightage of reasoning questions has steadily decreased over the years. From 24 out of 80
questions in 2014, the number of questions asked from reasoning in 2023 went down to just 11.

• The most important topics for CSAT reasoning that can be identified from the above analysis are as
follows:
◦ Syllogism
◦ Blood Relation
◦ Direction Sense
◦ Alphabetical and Alphanumeric Series
◦ Coding and Decoding
◦ Calendar
◦ Clock
◦ Continuous Letter Series
◦ Ranking and Order
 9

8 English

In the English section of CSAT, questions are based on reading comprehension passages. Following is
an overview of the passage-level distribution of Maths questions over the years.

The following table shows the year and topic-wise distribution of the number of questions for various
types of reading comprehension passages asked for English from 2014 to 2023.

Passage
2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014
level

Level 1
22 6 25 15 18 14 28 14 19 0
Passage

Level 2
4 12 2 10 12 4 2 4 4 6
Passage

Level 3
0 9 0 0 0 7 0 10 7 26
Passage

Total 26 27 27 25 30 25 30 28 30 32

Key Takeaways
1. The weightage of English comprehension questions has varied from 25 to 32. An aspirant can
attempt about 60-70% of these questions with 100% accuracy.
2. You can ace CSAT reading comprehension preparation by mastering analytical skills in the following
key areas.
◦ Assumptions: Identifying possibilities, not just facts.
◦ Inferences: Drawing clear conclusions from given information.
◦ Conclusions: Selecting the logical solution, not just a random option.

Note

◦ Level 1 = 1 Passage + 1 Question

◦ Level 2 = 1 Passage + 2 Questions
◦ Level 3 = 1 Passage + 3 or more Questions
Part D
Preparation
Strategy
 10

9 The Success Formula

The CSAT paper, qualifying in nature, requires a minimum of 33% marks, equivalent to 66 out of 200.
Since its introduction in 2011, the paper's complexity has heightened. Here's a student-focused
strategy to effectively prepare for CSAT

Step 1: See Where You Stand

• Objective Analysis: Solve at least 2 recent previous year papers in 2 hours each.
• Benchmark: Scoring over 80 marks in both papers indicates you need less time to prepare;
below 70 indicates the need for dedicated preparation.
• Strategic Insight: Tailor your strategy based on your performance.

Step 2: Identify Strengths and Weaknesses

• Performance Analysis: After attempting 2 previous year's papers, assess easy, difficult, and
moderate sections for you.
• Topic-wise Evaluation: Examine each subject's topics to identify strengths and weak areas
that need improvement.
• Customized Strategy: Develop a personalized strategy based on your analysis.

Step 3: Start Early and Be Consistent

• Early Initiation: Begin CSAT preparation early, allocating 1-1.5 hours regularly.
• Consistency Matters: Regular, consistent effort is crucial for success in CSAT and the overall
UPSC civil services examination.
• Confidence Boost: Starting early also ensures ample confidence by the time the prelim exam
approaches.

Step 4: Select Relevant Study Material

• Responsibility: With the abundant material available in the market, do not believe that you
will be able to study everything. Pick the latest material, and choose your mentors wisely.
• Material Selection Criteria:
◦ Aligns with the latest exam trends.
◦ Specifically designed for UPSC CSAT, not other exams.
◦ Endorsed by past year students/achievers.
◦ Taught by experienced and approachable mentors.
 11

Step 5: Choose Between Self-Study and Coaching

There is no right or wrong answer to whether an aspirant should join coaching for CSAT or do
self-study.
• Self-Study Considerations:
◦ Analyzing previous year's papers independently.
◦ Grasping concepts through books and free resources yourself.
◦ Maintaining self-discipline regularly.
• Coaching Benefits:
◦ Expert faculty aids in analyzing previous year questions.
◦ Comprehensive study resources save time.
◦ Doubt support from mentors.
◦ Community support fosters a sense of belonging.

The choice between self-study and coaching depends on individual preferences and capabilities.
Regardless of the path chosen, a thoughtful personalized approach will refine a well-prepared and
confident aspirant out of you for the CSAT paper.
 12

Author’s Note

• This guidebook is based on information from the most recent UPSC CSAT exam. However, kindly
be aware that exam details can change as per the future CSAT recruitment notifications released
by the Union Public Service Commission.
 13

What Next?

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