The CSAT or civil service aptitude test is the first step to your dream of becoming a civil service officer. Although it is just a qualifying paper and requires only 33 percent to pass, the right CSAT Exam Preparation Strategy is needed to ace the exams. The main aim of the CSAT exam is to assess an individual’s analytical and logical reasoning skills.
UPSC aspirants are required to get at least 33 percent to pass the civil service aptitude test. The CSAT consists of a total of 200 marks with 80 questions of 2.5 marks each. There is also a negative marking in which 0.83 is deducted for every wrong answer given. There won’t be any deduction if a question is not attempted. The total duration of the CSAT exam is 2 hours. Candidates are required to score 66 out of 200 to pass the CSAT exam.
UPSC CSAT Syllabus
UPSC CSAT syllabus is not vast. Since it is only a qualifying paper, the syllabus is not vast like the mains or other competitive exams. The syllabus of the UPSC CSAT exam is given below :
- 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)
Preparation Strategy for CSAT Exam
A preparation strategy is a vital part of every competitive exam. You can’t be preparing for the CSAT exam a week or day before and dream about acing it. The CSAT exam requires a lot of planning and hard work. A good preparation strategy can help any candidate get the desired results for the CSAT exam. Below are some preparation tips that a candidate can implement while preparing for CSAT exams.
Understand the pattern of the exam and syllabus
One of the foremost things while preparing for the CSAT exam is to understand the syllabus of the exam and to get clear on the pattern of the exam. To know the syllabus of the CSAT exam and to understand the exam pattern, aspirants can consider visiting the official website of UPSC. The CSAT syllabus consists of a wide variety of topics and it is very important to understand the topics better to ace your preparation.
The CSAT exam consists of a total of 80 marks. The CSAT exam also comes with a negative marking of 0.83 for every wrong answer.
Plan and make a schedule
Planning and making the schedule is one of the first things that every aspirant should do. Create a timetable that is according to your strengths and weaknesses. Allocate the necessary time for each topic to make sure that every single topic is covered. The timetable should also be able to give you enough time to relax your body and mind.
Solving past year question papers
When it comes to competitive exams, one of the best things any candidate can do is to solve past year questions to understand how and what type of questions are asked in exams. To ace CSAT exams, one should dedicate ample time to solving past year question papers. This will help candidates to understand the level and type of questions being asked in the exam. Solving past year question papers is also a great way to assess your knowledge and performance.
Read newspapers to learn about current affairs
The CSAT syllabus consists of current affairs and there is no better way to learn about current affairs other than reading newspapers. Reading newspapers can also help you improve your vocabulary and language skills. The Economic Times, Hindu, Times of India, and Indian Express Daily are some of the best newspapers to improve your current affairs knowledge.
Revise topics from time to time
It is normal for a person to forget what he has studied after a period of time. This is why everyone should consider revising topics from time to time. Add a revision period to your preparation plan and stick to it. Make it a habit to revise the entire syllabus every week or two. This will help you remember the topics for a long period of time.
Joining coaching or Test series
A lot of aspirants tend to neglect taking coaching for CSAT preparation. There is a notion among a large number of people that the CSAT exam can be cracked without any coaching. While it is partially true, one cannot overlook the benefits of joining a good coaching institute or test series. 9 out of 10 people that crack CSAT exams are from a coaching institute or other.
Coaching and test series give aspirants expert guidance on how to ace CSAT exams that no one else can give. Many coaching institutions like AKS IAS institute offer test series and mock tests that are very helpful for a candidate to prepare for CSAT exams.
Appear for mock exams or test series
Mock exams are a great way to assess your performance. For exams like CSAT, knowing the subject is not enough. Everyone should know or be aware of how to complete an answer in the given time. It’s always a struggle for aspirants to complete the whole exam in the given time. That’s the exact reason why one should consider appearing for a mock test series. Apart from helping a candidate to identify his mistakes and learn about the type of questions and pattern, it can also help a candidate to improve speed and accuracy.
Conclusion
The CSAT exam can look like a piece of cake for many aspirants considering its not-so-vast syllabus. But the truth is getting the minimum marks to pass the CSAT exam is not as easy as it looks. A couple of months of consistent planning and effort is required to pull off the CSAT exam. Many people tend to underestimate the CSAT exam since it is only a qualifying paper. But the truth is without proper planning or preparation, even the brightest students can fail the CSAT exam. A well-made and executed preparation strategy can make a big difference in the CSAT journey of an aspirant.