The UPSC preliminary examination for CSE (Civil Services Exam) is also known as CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test). The CSAT was introduced in the prelims exam of IAS in the year 2011 and is the second paper of General Studies (GS). The paper II is intended to analyse the reasoning and analytical skills of the candidates. While the Paper II (CSAT) covers the analytical or as commonly called as an aptitude test, is the paper where a candidate has to score at least 33% to qualify for the Civil Services (Mains).

UPSC Syllabus GS CSAT Paper 2 for Prelims: (200 marks) Duration: Two hours

• 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)

Note: The Civil Services Preliminary Examination-Paper-II is an aptitude test and will be a qualifying paper only. Candidates should score a minimum of 33 percent or 66 marks in GS Paper 2 of IAS prelims Exam in order to qualify for the Civil Services Mains Exam.

Download UPSC Syllabus 2019 PDF  to keep a track of your IAS Exam Preparation.