Scheme of CS (Preliminary) Examination


The Preliminary Examination consists of two papers of objective type
(multiple-choice questions) carrying a maximum of 400 marks. The Question Papers
(Test Booklets) are set in English & Hindi



Civil Services Aptitude Test

The new Recruitment Process of Civil Services Exam is called the CSAT or the Civil
Services Aptitude Test
. The CSAT is coming into effect from the Civil
Services Examination, 2011. CSAT will not only enable us to choose civil
servants with right aptitudes but also end the use of scaling system for varying
subjects that has been a matter of concern for many. No changes are being
introduced at this stage in the Civil Services (Main) Examination and
Personality Test in the scheme of Civil Services Examination (CSE).

From Civil Service Examination 2011, Preliminary Examination would consist of
two papers- Paper I and Paper II. The syllabus and pattern of the Preliminary
Examination would be as under :


(Paper 1) (200 marks) - Duration : Two hrs.
  • Current events of national and international importance
  • History of India and Indian national movement
  • Indian and World Geography- physical, social, economic geography of India
    and the world
  • Indian Polity and governance – constitution, political system, panchayati
    raj, public policy, Rights issues, etc.
  • Economic and social development – sustainable development, poverty,
    inclusion, demographics, social sector initiatives etc.
  • General issues on environmental ecology, bio-diversity and climate
    change-that donot require subject specialization
  • General science.

(Paper II) (200 marks) – Duration : Two hrs
  • 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)
  • English language comprehension skills (Class X level)
  • Questions relating to English Language Comprehension skills of Class X level
    (last item in the Syllabus of Paper-II) will be tested through passages from
    English language only without providing Hindi translation thereof in the
    question paper.
  • The questions will be of multiple choice, objective type.

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