UPSC CSAT Syllabus & CSAT Exam Pattern

CSAT Syllabus Overview

CSAT Exam Pattern

The UPSC CSAT paper contains 80 questions and each question carries 2.5 marks and there is a negative marking of 1/3rd of the total marks (0.83 marks) for the wrong answers. The duration of the UPSC CSAT paper is 2 hours. The UPSC CSAT paper is qualifying in nature and requires 33% marks which is around 67 marks to qualify for the preliminary stage of UPSC CSE. The CSAT paper can be divided into 3 sections - English Comprehension, Reasoning, and Math.

Topic Wise UPSC CSAT Syllabus:

The UPSC CSAT syllabus is not as vast as Prelims GS Paper 1, but it requires smart work from the candidates as it is qualifying in nature and requires only 33% to qualify. Each candidate needs to follow a different approach for CSAT.

• Comprehension - Reading and understanding of complex texts. 2. Identifying the main idea and drawing inferences. 3. Answering questions based on a logical understanding of the passage.
• Interpersonal Skills with Communication Skills - 1. Effective communication techniques. 2. Conflict resolution and decision-making in interpersonal relationships. 3. Leadership and teamwork-based problem-solving.
• Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability - 1. Series and patterns (e.g., number sequences, alphabetical series). 2. Syllogisms, analogies, and relationships. 3. Logical puzzles and deduction questions. 4. Coding-decoding, direction tests, and seating arrangement.
• Decision-Making and Problem-Solving- 1. Ethical dilemmas and decision-making frameworks 2. Case studies requiring judgment and analysis of various outcomes
• General Mental Ability - Algebra, ratio & proportion average, Percentage, profit and loss, discount, Time, speed, and distance, Work and time, clocks, and calendars, Mixtures and alligations.
• Basic Numeracy (Class X level) - Numbers and their properties, LCM, HCF, fractions, and decimals, Simple and compound interest, Squares, cubes, roots, and exponents, Basic geometry, mensuration, and data sufficiency.
• Data Interpretation (Class X level) - Bar graphs, line graphs, and pie charts, Tables and numerical data sets, Questions requiring interpretation of trends, calculations, and projections.

UPSC CSAT Syllabus Weightage in 13 Years

Before starting preparation, the candidate should go through this trend analysis for the UPSC CSAT paper and create a strategy after examining the paper trends.CSAT is qualifying in nature yet many candidates fail to qualify for this exam, which clearly shows that the CSAT paper is a game of smart work with time management.

Preparation tips for CSAT paper

• For Comprehension - The candidate needs to read editorials, newspapers, and journals to improve the comprehension section and practice with UPSC previous year question papers and emphasize both short and long passages.
• For Interpersonal Skills with Communication Skills - The candidate need to familiarize themselves with real-life communication scenarios along with practicing problem-solving in hypothetical interpersonal contexts.
• For Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability - The candidate should practice puzzles, seating arrangement questions, and logical sequences and also work on improving speed by solving mock test papers and reasoning questions bank.
• For Decision-Making and Problem-Solving - The candidate should go through the previous year’s case-study questions and ethical decision-making frameworks. Practice with scenario-based questions from ethics and public administration guides to gain required problem-solving skills.
• For General Mental Ability- Brush up on basic arithmetic concepts and practice applying them in real-life contexts. Solve questions from previous UPSC CSAT papers and books on quantitative aptitude.
• For Basic Numeracy (Class X level) - Strengthen basic arithmetic by practicing high school-level math. Refer to NCERT textbooks and solve numerical problems regularly.
• For Data Interpretation (Class X level) - Practice with data interpretation sets, focusing on quick calculation techniques. Regularly solve mock tests and graph-based questions.