ABOUT CSAT

TIMES OF INDIA-NEW DELHI (Aug 27, 2010) : The government will soon come out with a detailed syllabus of the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) -- a new scheme of examination, which is to replace the existing Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination from 2011. 

The test is meant for shortlisting candidates for the CS (Main) Examination, being conducted every year to recruit officers in IAS, IFS, IPS and other elite central services. 

The Centre had in March approved the proposal for introduction of CSAT in place of CS (Preliminary) from next year, and subsequently asked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to work out its syllabus. 

"The government will shortly notify the new scheme of examination giving details of the syllabus which is being worked out. CSAT is expected to come into force from the Civil Services Examination, 2011", said the minister of state for personnel Prithviraj Chavan. 

In written response to a parliamentary question in Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Chavan said: "In CSAT, one of the optional subjects which a candidate could have chosen out of 23 optional has been replaced with a common paper on aptitude test". 

Referring to the syllabus, which is yet to be finalised, sources in the ministry explained that the candidates may now have to appear in two objective type papers, having special emphasis on testing their "aptitude for civil services" as well as on "ethical and moral dimension of decision making". 

Both these papers -- having equal weightage -- will be common to all candidates in place of one common paper (general awareness) and one optional paper (any particular subject of choice) under the existing system, which lays greater emphasis on subject knowledge. 

As of now, the change will be effective only for the first of the three stages of the CSE from 2011 onwards. The second and third stages -- CS (Main) Examination and Interview, respectively -- will remain the same till a panel of experts goes into various aspects of the entire system and submits its report. 

The proposal to this effect was sent to PMO last year by UPSC.

Officials, familiar with the proposal, explained that the changes had been suggested by various committees. Most of the panels had advocated for laying greater emphasis on "aptitude" of candidates than their subjects' knowledges, arguing that the specialists or experts of any particular subject may not necessarily be good civil servants unless they have actual inclination towards it. 

An official said: "The new system (CSAT) will also provide a level-playing filed and equity since all candidates will have to attempt common papers unlike the current format which provides for only one common paper". 

Though scaling system is currently used in Preliminary examination in order to ensure that no candidate who has opted for any particular optional paper gets any undue advantage because of varying degree of difficulty of any paper or inherent scorability, the government has received a number of complaints objecting to the method on one or the other ground. 

From 2011, Civil Services aspirants have a different examination pattern to follow. The government has approved a proposal for an aptitude test to replace the existing optional subject paper of the preliminary exam.

According to the present preliminary exam format, candidates have to answer a general studies paper and an optional paper which the candidate chooses from the 23 subjects offered by UPSC.

New format

With the new format, candidates answer two objective type papers which are the general studies paper and the General Aptitude Paper. Consequently, the Civil Services preliminary examination will be referred to as Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT). While only the preliminary exam changes, so far there are no changes planned for the format of the main exam and interview.

Both the papers of the CSAT will carry equal marks and is easy and helpful for graduates of all fields and genres. It is completely transparent in terms of marks and has no disparity, meaning an equal game to all. With everyone preparing in a similar pattern, all students have equal opportunity in the exam.

Benefit of an aptitude test

The benefit of introducing aptitude tests in the civil exam is that it assesses your logical reasoning and thinking performance. It is based on multiple choice questions answered in exam conditions.

No subject influences, or can have an effect on an aptitude test. People, who have a sense of moral and ethical values, are logical in their thinking and who take sensible decisions will find the CSAT to be comparatively easy.

With the implementation of the CSAT, it is possible to choose better and more competent civil servants who have the right aptitude. It will also bring the use of scaling systems to an end. Civil servants will thus be chosen based on their ability of handling the tough decision making life of civil servants and not based on their expertise on a single subject.

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Recommendations of the Alagh Committee.

According to the report, the structure of CSAT should contain the following:

 (i) Basic awareness (nation and the world): The general awareness of current affairs that has a bearing on public life in India;

(ii) Problem solving and analytical skills: Logical reasoning and decision-making skills (situations from civil service arena to be taken to test reasoning and understanding of problems related to the same).

(iii) Elementary Arithmetic: Data analysis ability; data interpretation/graphics/charts and so on; quantitative analysis.

This syllabus of CSAT was a proposal to the UPSC. The final shape of the syllabus will be decided after the Prof. S.K. Khanna Committee report.

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From 2011 onwards there will be change in the pattern of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination as students will be tested with a Civil Service Aptitude Test (CSAT) which focuses on analytical abilities rather than their ability to memorise.

Students would have to give two objective-type papers that have emphasis on testing their "aptitude for civil services" and "ethical and moral dimension of decision-making". These two papers will have equal weightage and will be common to all candidates and will replace the common paper (general awareness) and the optional paper (subject of choice). "The CSAT is expected to come into effect from 2011," Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Prithviraj Chavan, told Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Nearly 1.7 lakh candidates take the objective-type exam in May every year. However the second and third stage of the exam, CS (Main) and interview respectively may remain the same till a committee of experts evaluates the system and submits its report. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has approved the revamp of the exam on the suggestion of the Union Public Service Commission. An official said regarding the CSAT, "The new system will also provide a level-playing field and equity, since all candidates will have to attempt common papers unlike the current format which provides for only one common paper." The UPSC had told the government two years ago there was a need to test not just the knowledge of aspirants in particular subjects but their aptitude for a demanding life in the civil services.

The committee has been given time till April-end. Then the UPSC will discuss its recommendations with the government and finalise the content of the paper," the official added. The UPSC had earlier recommended bringing down the number of attempts a candidate could take. But the PM has kept this aspect on hold.