The UPSC exam’s first phase, the Prelims, is a knockout round. To fulfill their aspirations of becoming civil servants, candidates must obtain high marks in UPSC Prelims exams to be qualified for the next round which is the Mains exam. Some details like syllabus, study patterns, and exam dates candidates must be aware of. You must take this exam seriously as it is also known as the qualifying exam. 

What Are The UPSC Prelims?

The Prelims exams are crucial and one must prepare strongly for the same. There are two papers in the General Studies Paper 1 and CSAT sections of the UPSC Prelims examination. Candidates must get a qualifying score of more than 33 percent on the CSAT in order to be considered for this paper. General Studies Paper 1, on the other hand, will determine a candidate’s selection for the UPSC Prelims. 

Negative marking is included in the objective type UPSC Prelims Paper. Given that it has negative markings and that in order to move on to Mains, one must pass the UPSC Cutoff, it is regarded as the most challenging stage in this examination. The Paper 1 curriculum includes the following details: History covers a wide range of topics, including prehistoric eras, Religion, the Indus Valley Civilization, and also the Mahajanapadas. Population, agriculture, environmental assets, oceanography, human evolution, and urbanisation are a few geography-related challenges. 

The environment topic is divided into two parts. Nature and the environment come first, followed by biodiversity. Biodiversity comprises the fundamentals of diversification, coral relief, water bodies, and other things, whereas ecology and environment encompass the origin of life, the operation of organisms, and aquatic ecosystems. The curriculum for Indian politics includes topics like the Government, Panchayati, Fundamental Issues, Public Policy, and others. Macroeconomics and microeconomics are concepts in economics, as are planning, government programmes, money, banking, etc.

What is The Civil Service Aptitude Test?

Aspirants must pass the CSAT, a qualifying paper for the Prelims exam, with a score of at least 33 percent. This may sound low, but the UPSC is known for its surprising questions. Putting forth the necessary effort and developing a foolproof plan is required to pass the CSAT Exam with the required score. The CSAT syllabus is smaller than that of the General Studies Paper 1, making it easier for applicants to prepare. One can easily pass this test if they invest enough time in practising for it. However, in order to cover each component of this subject, a determined strategy is necessary. The CSAT exam will consist of 80 questions in total, and there will be 2 hours given for the paper.

The total marks for this subject are 200, and 2.5 marks for every question you attempt. 0.83 marks, or one-third of the total points for the question, will be subtracted for each incorrect response but if one left it unanswered then there will not be any deduction. The purpose of the CSAT syllabus is to evaluate a candidate’s quantitative, aptitude, and decision-making skills. Basic numeracy (Charts, graphs, data sufficiency, and tables) is included in the CSAT syllabus, along with interpersonal skills, comprehension, data interpretation, logical reasoning, general mental capacity, and so on.