General Science and Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) are the two major papers of the UPSC Prelims exam. Every year the Union Public Service Commission organizes the UPSC Exam to recruit top civil servants of the country, such as IAS, IPS, IFS, etc. There are three stages of the exam, and two are written tests out of them. The first written test is known as the Prelims test, which is mandatory to pass by every appearing candidate. Apart from focusing on current affairs to get good marks in General Science subject, candidates have to concentrate on CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test).

An ace strategy for both subjects can put you ahead of your competitor candidates. Below, we have mentioned the importance of the CSAT paper in the Prelims exam. It will help you to prepare for the first written exam. Keep in mind that all the questions asked in the Prelims exam are objective in nature. There will be four options to choose from as an answer. 

Important Point For CSAT Preparation

Questions related to Comprehension, Logical reasoning, interpersonal communication, and other important topics are asked in Civil Services Aptitude Test (GS Paper II). These questions test different skills of candidates who are going to appear in the UPSC Prelims examination. Below, we have mentioned some important points to keep in mind for Prelims aspirants.

  • Proficient Command Over Language – It is mandatory that candidates must have good language command. As candidates will face comprehension questions, aspirants must have good grammar knowledge and decent vocabulary. 
  • Idioms and Phrases – Revise idioms and phrases till you remember those words. Questions related to these Idioms and Phrases will help you to understand new terms and their meaning quickly.
  • Practice Makes A Man Perfect – You know that no candidate can speak fluent English like a cakewalk. You have to practice it. Read various books, magazines, well reviewed newspapers (The Hindu is most preferred for UPSC Aspirants), etc. These activities help aspirants to add several vocabularies. Apart from this, try to write it also. Take any topic and write your views and an Essay on that topic.
  • Attempt Previous Year’s CSAT Paper – Self-evaluation is the essential stage in the UPSC preparation campaign. After attempting questions, you get to know your weakness and strength. Put CSAT on the back burner and focus on GS Paper 1. Start preparation in war mode before two months of the exam.
  • Mock Tests – If you are weak in Civil Services Aptitude Test, then attempt mock tests and several test series. We understand that not every candidate is interested in CSAT topics, but you can not ignore the importance of this paper. Keep in mind that you have to pass this paper only. Your score won’t be counted for the final result.

Important Topics of CSAT

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Communication skills, including its types
  • Logical reasoning & Analytics Ability
  • Problem Solving and Decision-Making Ability
  • General Mental Ability
  • Data interpretation and Basic Numericals of Class 10th Level.   

You need to score just 33.33% on the CSAT Exam to pass this paper. According to the recent exam pattern, candidates who get 66 out of 200 marks will be considered qualified. It is the minimum required score for the CSAT Exam, but it is challenging to solve the questions. That’s why in 2014, the number of questions decreased, and now CSAT has only 80 questions to solve.