Prelims CSAT

📘 UPSC CSE Prelims – General Studies Paper II (CSAT)

(Civil Services Aptitude Test)
Marks: 200 | Questions: 80 | Time: 2 hours | Objective (MCQs)
(Qualifying in nature – candidate must score at least 33% marks, i.e., 66/200)


Syllabus

  1. Comprehension.
  2. Interpersonal skills including communication skills.
  3. Logical reasoning and analytical ability.
  4. Decision-making and problem-solving.
  5. General mental ability.
  6. Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.)
    • Class X level.
  7. Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc.)
    • Class X level.

âš¡ Key Points:

  • Unlike GS Paper-I, this paper is only qualifying (marks not counted in merit).
  • Still important because many aspirants fail to clear it due to neglect.
  • Questions test aptitude, reasoning, comprehension, and basic math skills.
  • Level is roughly Class X mathematics & reasoning.