12, Jan 2012

Year after year, it is the extreme challenge of an entrance test that determines who is to join the Indian civil services and who is to look elsewhere. Over the years, the exam has undergone many changes, the most recent being the 2010 alteration in the format of the preliminary examination and its emergence in June 2011 as the civil services Aptitude Test (CSAT).

Before CSAT 2011, there was one paper of General Studies, carrying 150 marks, and a second paper, carrying 300 marks, where the candidate had the option to choose from 23 optional papers. Under the revised pattern, there are now two papers, each worth 200 marks. Hereafter, there would be two common papers in the preliminary examination that would provide a level playing field for all candidates.

However, there are too many questions regarding the nomenclature of the exam and the parts that constitute it. What exactly is the CSAT? Is it just paper 2 of the prelim exam or is the entire test (paper 1 and paper 2) the CSAT? Does the new format of the prelim exam have a new purpose? Were the changes driven by clear objectives? Having answers to these will help us understand the exam and thus lead us to building strategies for exam preparation?

Let us get some relevant facts right before we comment on the ambiguity of information that has been floating.

1. The notification and further revelation to the notification never mentioned the term CSAT. Since the notification, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC, which conducts the exam) has used the term “Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination” (CSP). Also, it did not name either paper 1 or paper 2.

2. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, issued on August 4, 2010, Prithviraj Chavan, the minister of state for personnel, public grievances and pensions, informed parliament that the government had approved a proposal for the introduction of a CSAT in place of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination. The CSAT, it was said, would come into effect from 2011. This would help in selecting candidates who have the right aptitude for the civil services.

3. The coaching fraternity devised their coaching modules as GS+CSAT, thereby terming paper 1 as General Studies and paper 2 as CSAT.

Although the first point suggests that the UPSC never used the term CSAT when they notified the 2011 exam, point 2 clearly mentions that the changed preliminary exam was to be called CSAT. It just stuck to the term “Civil Services Preliminary Examination” (CSP). So, we can infer from this that CSP and CSAT are one and the same thing. Perhaps we can appropriately call paper 1 General Studies and paper 2 General Aptitude.

Now, let’s look at the second question. The ‘point and purpose’ of the change is to provide a greater degree of level-playing field to candidates of different backgrounds. Looking at the CSAT 2011 paper, some changes ensured that the test was as clear and effective as possible, while others were made sure that students coming from particular backgrounds would not have unfair advantages.

The third point, which claims that paper 2 is CSAT of CSP, is probably the least logical of all. How can one part of the CSP be called General Studies and the other, CSAT? It would have made sense if paper 1 was called Civil Services General Studies Test and paper 2 CSAT. So, in my opinion, paper 2 alone is not CSAT.