UPSC Prelims 2023: Check GS Paper 2 CSAT Previous Year Papers with Solutions, Preparation Tips, Trend Analysis
UPSC Prelims CSAT is the GS paper-II of the UPSC Civil Services Prelims examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission every year. The UPSC prelims question paper comprises two papers: General Studies paper-I and General Studies paper-II (CSAT or Civil Services Aptitude Test). The GS paper-II of CSAT was introduced in the UPSC IAS exam in 2011 as a part of the prelims exam. The CSAT paper aims to assess the analytical, decision-making, logical, general mental ability, aptitude and reasoning skills of the candidates. The CSAT paper is held right after the completion of GS paper-I on the same day. It is a qualifying paper and the minimum passing marks for the CSAT has been fixed at 33% by the Commission.
In this article, we shall look at the UPSC Prelims CSAT exam pattern, syllabus, marking scheme, year-wise trend analysis, previous year question papers with answers key pdf, and preparation tips.
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UPSC Prelims CSAT 2023
The UPSC prelims 2023 is scheduled to be held on May 28, 2023, for both the papers: GS paper-I and GS paper-II (CSAT). Candidates appearing for the exam must understand that the UPSC IAS prelims is the first stage of the Civil Services examination (CSE). Candidates qualifying the UPSC Prelims shall only be shortlisted for the UPSC Mains exam.
Qualifying the UPSC Prelims GS Paper-II (CSAT) is crucial for clearing the prelims exam. Candidates are advised to examine the UPSC Prelims CSAT syllabus to avoid confusion.
UPSC Prelims CSAT Exam Pattern 2023
Below, we have discussed the UPSC prelims CSAT exam pattern to understand the number of questions asked, duration, medium of papers, maximum marks, qualifying marks, and marking scheme.
The UPSC prelims examination shall include two compulsory papers, General Studies paper-I and General Studies paper-II CSAT, of 200 marks each. Both the question papers shall be of the objective type (multiple choice questions). Each paper shall be of two hours duration. The question papers shall be set both in English and Hindi.
| Paper |
No. of Questions |
Maximum Marks |
Duration of Paper |
Medium of Paper |
| GS Paper-II CSAT |
80 |
200 |
2 Hours |
English or Hindi |
UPSC Prelims CSAT Marking Scheme 2023
There will be negative marking for incorrect answers as detailed below:
(i) There are four alternatives for the answers to every question. For each question for which the candidate has given a wrong answer, one-third (0.33) of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as a penalty.
(ii) If a candidate gives more than one answer, it will be treated as a wrong answer even if one of the given answers happens to be correct and there will be the same penalty as above for that question.
(iii) If a question is left blank i.e. no answer is given by the candidate, there will be no penalty for that question.
Check Subject-wise Study Material & Important Resources for UPSC (IAS) Prelims Exam
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UPSC Prelims CSAT Qualifying Marks 2023
The UPSC CSAT paper carries a total of 200 marks and candidates need to score at least 33% (66 marks) to qualify the paper. The Commission will draw a list of candidates to be qualified the UPSC main examination based on the criterion of minimum qualifying marks of 33% in General Studies paper-II (CSAT) and total qualifying marks of General Studies paper-I of UPSC Prelims CSE 2023 as may be determined by the Commission.
UPSC Prelims CSAT Syllabus 2023
The CSAT syllabus for the UPSC Prelims GS paper-II shall comprise the following topics:
- 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)
UPSC Prelims CSAT: Trend Analysis, Questions Weightage
Candidates can gain a better understanding from the UPSC prelims CSAT trend analysis where we have compiled the number of questions asked in each topic from 2011 to 2022:
| Year\Topics |
Math & Basic numeracy |
Logical & Analytical reasoning |
Reading comprehension |
Decision making |
Data Interpretation |
| 2011 |
11 |
17 |
39 |
8 |
5 |
| 2012 |
3 |
28 |
40 |
9 |
0 |
| 2013 |
11 |
21 |
33 |
6 |
9 |
| 2014 |
20 |
23 |
31 |
0 |
6 |
| 2015 |
30 |
18 |
30 |
0 |
2 |
| 2016 |
31 |
21 |
28 |
0 |
0 |
| 2017 |
28 |
22 |
30 |
0 |
0 |
| 2018 |
18 |
22 |
26 |
0 |
14 |
| 2019 |
32 |
18 |
30 |
0 |
0 |
| 2020 |
42 |
12 |
26 |
0 |
0 |
| 2021 |
24 |
27 |
27 |
0 |
2 |
| 2022 |
31 |
21 |
28 |
0 |
0 |
Tips & Strategy to Prepare CSAT (Paper 2)
UPSC Prelims GS I Previous Years' Question Papers with Solutions
UPSC Prelims CSAT Previous Year Question Papers with Solutions
The article also provides UPSC CSAT previous years’ papers from 2011-2021. Candidates can download the question papers pdf along with the answer key pdf to practice and ace their UPSC preparation.
| Exam Year |
Question Paper PDF |
Answer Key PDF |
| UPSC (IAS) Prelims Previous Year CSAT Paper - 2021 |
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| UPSC (IAS) Prelims Previous Year CSAT Paper - 2020 |
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| UPSC (IAS) Prelims Previous Year CSAT Paper - 2019 |
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| UPSC (IAS) Prelims Previous Year CSAT Paper - 2018 |
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| UPSC (IAS) Prelims Previous Year CSAT Paper - 2017 |
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| UPSC (IAS) Prelims Previous Year CSAT Paper - 2016 |
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| UPSC (IAS) Prelims Previous Year CSAT Paper - 2015 |
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| UPSC (IAS) Prelims Previous Year CSAT Paper - 2014 |
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| UPSC (IAS) Prelims Previous Year CSAT Paper - 2013 |
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| UPSC (IAS) Prelims Previous Year CSAT Paper - 2012 |
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| UPSC (IAS) Prelims Previous Year CSAT Paper - 2011 |
Solving previous UPSC Prelims previous years' question papers will help aspirants to check their pace of attempting the exam. Knowing the subject weightage and type of questions asked from each topic will allow them to self-analyze what needs to be studied. For a higher success rate in the exam, an aspirant should thoroughly know the exam pattern, and solving previous years' papers will help aspirants assess their performance.
How to Prepare for UPSC CSAT 2023?
Candidates can check here for the best tips to prepare for the USPC CSAT paper to score high marks in GS paper-II. It is mandatory to score 33% (66 marks) out of 200 to ace CSAT. Therefore, the exam prep team of Jagran Josh has compiled 5 best preparation tips to prepare for UPSC CSAT 2023:
Study CSAT paper thoroughly
Though CSAT is a qualifying paper however candidates are advised to take CSAT seriously. One must make an effective study plan and revision schedule for GS paper-II. Refer to your handwritten notes, revise important topics, practice formulas, and solve problems to develop a basic understanding of each topic.
Solve USPC CSAT mock tests
Solving CSAT mock tests will help in assessing your performance and preparation level. You can set up a timer to match real exam settings. Take up the previous year question papers pdf to practice. Look through the CSAT trend analysis to gain an understanding of the number of questions asked in each topic. Mark your strong and weak areas so that you can prioritize your questions solving strategy in the exam.
Choose expert-recommended UPSC CSAT books
There are various books and manuals available in the market for UPSC preparation however we encourage candidates to refer to the books recommended by experts. One can study from CSAT Manual by Tata Mc Graw Hill, High School English Grammar And Composition by Wren & Martin, Cracking the CSAT Paper-2 by Arihant, The Mantra of CSAT Paper-II by GKP/Gautam Puri, A Modern Approach to Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning by S.Chand/R.S.Aggarwal, Analytical Reasoning by M.K. Pandey, and General Studies Paper-II for UPSC Preliminary Preparation by McGraw Hill.
Study UPSC CSAT Important Topics
Studying CSAT can be daunting as the syllabus is vast. For the ease of candidates, we have provided the CSAT important topics below:
| Basic Numeracy |
Data Interpretation and General Mental Ability |
Analytical and Logical Reasoning |
| Number System Number Series HCF and LCM Simplification Percentage Average Ratio and Proportion Partnership and Share Mixtures Time, Work and Wages Pipes and Cisterns Profit, Loss and Discount Simple Interest Time and Distance Trains Clocks |
Bar Graphs Pie charts Line graphs Syllogisms Logical Deductions Statement and Conclusions Statement and Assumptions Assertion and Reason Statement Courses of Action Set Theory Venn Diagrams Network Diagrams Verbal Reasoning |
Circular and Linear Arrangement Statement and Conclusion Statement and Assumption Statement and Inference Coding decoding Distribution (Puzzles) Visual reasoning Syllogism Direction Blood relations Cubes Data Sufficiency, etc. |
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