How is UPSC CSAT evolving?

In the realm of competitive exams, the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) often lurks in the shadows, overshadowed by its more prominent counterpart, the Civil Services Examination (CSE). Yet, for many aspirants, CSAT remains a daunting hurdle on their path to success. In this blog, we delve into the nuances of CSAT, uncovering its significance, common challenges faced by aspirants, and strategies to overcome them.

What is CSAT?

The CSAT paper refers to the General Studies Paper-II of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination which is a qualifying paper with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33 per cent.

 A total of 2 hours and 80 questions are included in the UPSC CSAT paper.

There is a negative marking of 0.83 marks for each incorrect answer. No marks are deducted if a question is left unattempted/unanswered.

UPSC CSAT Syllabus

• 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).

The Underrated Fear:

Despite its weightage of only 33% in the overall evaluation, CSAT often induces a disproportionate level of anxiety among aspirants. Its inclusion of seemingly diverse topics and the demand for quick thinking and problem-solving skills can catch many off guard. Moreover, the qualifying nature of the exam adds to the pressure, making it a formidable challenge.

Common Challenges Faced:

• Time Management: The limited time available for each section requires aspirants to manage their time judiciously, often leading to panic and rushed decision-making.
• Numeracy and Data Interpretation: For candidates from non-mathematical backgrounds, tackling questions on numeracy and data interpretation can be particularly intimidating.
• Comprehension and Analytical Skills: Understanding complex passages and deducing relevant information amidst time constraints pose significant challenges.
• Lack of Preparation: Underestimating the importance of CSAT or neglecting its preparation until the last minute is a common pitfall among aspirants.

Deserving candidates missed to enter the Mains cycle as they weren’t able to qualify CSAT 2023

• In the past four years preceding CSAT 2023, UPSC maintained a judicious balance between the number of questions asked from Reading Comprehension, Logical Reasoning, and Quantitative Aptitude. Roughly 27 questions from each area were asked. However, in 2023 did not seen this balance in the number of questions. In 2023, 27 questions from Reading Comprehension, 14 questions from Reasoning Ability, and 39 questions from Quantitative Aptitude were asked.

Two major evolutions in 2023:

• Greater weightage to Quantitative Aptitude & lesser weightage to reasoning Ability.
• Increased difficulty level especially of Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability.

Bird’s eye view over shifting trends in UPSC CSAT

• As compared to GS I, the CSAT syllabus is defined and can be prepared through practice. However, the problem is with the nature of the questions which troubled the candidates in 2023. Broadly, the CSAT paper tests a candidate’s logical reasoning, quantitative aptitude, general mental ability, and reading comprehension. Each of this section saw a shift from the past year trend.

Quantitative Aptitude & Logical Reasoning

• Among 39 questions asked from Quantitative Aptitude, 26 questions were asked from Number System. 9 questions were asked from Permutations and Combinations followed by other topics. So, the break up of questions was skewed towards relatively difficult topics. 
• On the other hand, a neglect of Time and Distance, Mensuration, Percentage, Mixtures & Allegations, Clocks etc was visible. Notably, these have traditionally been scoring areas for students.
• In Quantitative Aptitude, questions became more complex, lengthy, and confusing in 2023 compared to 2022.
• Among questions from Logical Reasoning, there were no questions on Figures, Direction Test, Sitting arrangement. Again, these areas have been traditionally scoring for students. Questions were asked from series, venn diagrams, cubes, analogy, coding & decoding etc.
• Even in Reasoning Ability section, difficulty level of questions has been starkly increased. For example, a calender based question was asked in 2023 CSATwhich had an element of number system. It can still be solved in less time if the trick involved is known, otherwise it’s a complex and time consuming question. 

Reading Comprehensions

• In Reading Comprehension, direct questions have been replaced with analytical questions. Thus, the importance of understanding the essence of the passage and applying it in realtime has increased.
• The comprehension asked in the CSAT paper falls in all three categories: easy, moderate and difficult levels. aspirants end up losing precious marks in the comprehension section by spending excessive time in solving a passage. 
• The most effective way of preparing this area is by including reading in your daily routine. Read articles, columns, magazines to improve your language skills and reading speed.
• While solving a comprehension, mark important keywords while reading the passage. To identify the keywords, it is suggested to read the questions first. So when you go back to reading the comprehension, keep marking those keywords you identified in the questions. 

Needs to be done

There are four key things every aspirant should keep in mind while strategising to solve the CSAT paper:

• Prepare all 3 major components of CSAT. Don’t take a risk to prioritise one over the other. It’s difficult to predict which area will be given more weightage by UPSC in upcoming years.
• Step up your preparation by practicing tougher questions asked in other traditionally difficult exams like banking, SSC, RBI, CAT. These exams are known for their difficulty level with respect to Quantitative Aptitude and Reasoning Ability.
• Memorise and practice relevant formulae, tricks, and shortcuts as their relevance has increased.
• Practise basic Maths from NCERT books for grades 8th to 10th, focusing on arithmetic and number ordering questions.
• Solve Maths questions from previous UPSC CSAT question papers to understand the difficulty level and question patterns.
• Develop analytical ability in Reading Comprehension by decoding sample passages. Newspaper columns can be used as ready references.
• Poor time management in CSAT paper can cause you an early elimination from the UPSC CSE cycle. Therefore you need to take care of it while solving the questions.
• It is advised to not spend more than two to three minutes on a particular question. 
• It is better to jump to the next question than spend extra time on one question. 
• Time management can be learned by solving the mock tests before the exam. 

Identifying which type of questions you are repeatedly attempting wrong and correctly is an important part of your revision and practice sessions before prelims.  

• Attempting mock tests helps – analyze your performance in the mock papers and find out your strengths and weaknesses accordingly. 
• Once you have identified your strength, solve your strength topic first in the exam hall. For example, if you are good at comprehension, solve those questions first and keep the time-consuming questions to the end. 

Conclusion:

CSAT, often underestimated, holds significant importance in the UPSC Civil Services Examination. By understanding its nuances, acknowledging common challenges, and implementing effective strategies, aspirants can overcome the fear associated with CSAT and pave the way towards achieving their goals. With diligent preparation and perseverance, success in CSAT is within reach for every aspirant. The more you revise for CSE preparation, the better you remember what you've learned.