The Civil Services Aptitude Test the most prestigious and highest rated exams conducted in the India for finding the best brains in the country for the recruitment in the Indian Administrative Services or generally called the Civil Services. Indian Administrative Services is considered as the best job to be into, in India due to various reasons. The candidate, who successfully clears the Civil Services Aptitude Test, starts his career as Deputy Collector and can go up to holding the top posts in the administration of the state or the Union service.

Apart from the Indian Administrative Services, admission to other sectors like the Indian Police Service, Indian Foreign Services etc are also done on the basis on the merit occupied by the candidates in the Civil Services Aptitude Test.

Structure of CSAT

The Civil Services Aptitude Test is conducted in India by the Union Public Service Commission. Earlier, the pattern of the exam included topics like General Studies and Optional Subjects. But now, the Union public Service Commission has completely reworked the exam patterns of the Civil Services Aptitude Test. Now the Civil Services Aptitude Test mainly tests the student’s aptitude towards the job and concentrates on the moral and ethical aspects of decision making in general administration. The old model of conducting exams comprised of 150 marks of General Studies and 300 marks of Optional Subject paper has been completely refined to this new system. Candidates must note that there is negative marking for the wrong answers.

Syllabus for CSAT

The syllabus of the Civil Services Aptitude Test contains two compulsory subjects of two hundred marks each. Both the exams are of two hours duration.

Part I contain:

• Indian History (Both pre and post independence era)
• General Science
• Economics
• Indian Politics
• Current affairs questions of national and international importance.
• Questions relating to environment, biodiversity, geographic regions etc.

Part II contains

• General Mental Ability
• Analytical and Logical Ability
• Decision making and problem solving
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills
• English Language and Comprehension skills.
• Basic Numerical Ability

Eligibility Criteria for CSAT

The eligibility for The Civil Services Aptitude Test is given as follows:

Age: The candidate should have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 30 years.

Nationality: The subject should be an Indian National either by birth or otherwise. Or

• A subject of Bhutan Or
• A subject of Nepal Or
• A Tibetan refuge

Educational qualification: The candidate should posses a valid degree from a recognized university.

How to Apply for CSAT

The candidates applying for The Civil Services Aptitude Test can apply in both online and offline mode. Those applying in online mode can apply online through the official website of the Union Public Service Commission: http://www.upsconline.nic.in. Candidates applying online should remit an amount of Rs 50 in any of the branches of the State Bank or through the internet banking facilities of the State bank or through Visa card or Master Card or Debit card. Those candidates who are applying offline need to buy the application form from the nearest post office on the payment of Rs.100/- as Central Recruitment Fee Stamp.

The candidates should get the stamp cancelled from the same post office. Detailed instructions regarding the filling of the application is given with it. Candidates should also fill the acknowledgement form along with the application form. Please note that one application form can be only used once for applying for The Civil Services Aptitude Test.

How to Fill the Form for CSAT

Before applying for The Civil Services Aptitude Test, the candidate must read the detailed advertisement in the employment news or the detailed advertisement given in the Union Public Service Commission’s Website. Any mistake in filling the application form will lead to the rejection of the candidature.

Important dates (Tentative)

[Please note that we only provide tentative dates based on previous years dates. For exact dates related information it is always best to check official websites only.]

The date of notification will be on: Mid Week of February , 2012

The last date for receipt of CSAT applications is on: Third Week of March , 2012

The date of commencement of CSAT exam is: Second Week of June, 2012

List of CSAT Examination centers

• Ahmedabad
• Bhopal
• Mumbai
• Jammu
• Kohima
• Dehradun
• Jorhat
• Agartala
• Chandigarh
• Kochi
• Jaipur
• Allahabad
• Lucknow
• Itanagar
• Srinagar
• Madurai
• Jodhpur
• Aligarh
• Bangalore
• Dharwad
• Sambalpur
• Puducherry
• Imphal
• Kolkata
• Chennai
• Bareilly
• Delhi
• Port Blair
• Aurangabad
• Gangtok
• Hyderabad
• Aizaw
• Udaipur
• Ranchi
• Raipur
• Panaji (Goa)
• Shillong
• Nagpur
• Thiruvananthapuram
• Shimla
• Cuttack
• Patna
• Vishakhapatnam
• Tirupat
• Dispur

Contact Address for CSAT

• Union Public Service Commission
• Felicitation Center
• Exam Hall Building
• Delhi
• Phone: 011-23381125, 011-23385271
• Website: http://www.upsc.gov.in

Reference books for CSAT

• The Economic Survey of India
• An Introduction to Indian Constitution by D.D.Basu
• A History of India by Romila Thapar
• India Year Book
• A Wonder that was India by A.L Basham
• NCERT Text Books

Coaching Centers for CSAT

• Brilliance College
• Centre for Career and Development Studies
• Institute for Advanced Studies
• New Delhi IAS
• Career Plus
• Mitra IAS
• Paradigm IAS
• Education Point

Study Plan for CSAT

For The Civil Services Aptitude Test, it is always preferable that you have a regular and consistent approach. For clearing exams like the Civil Services Aptitude Test, preparation with a clear cut strategy is very important. Preparations are always the key to success. For getting a fairly good score in the examinations, one would have to be thorough with his subjects. Merely a pass in the examination will not get through. When it comes to the written examinations, reading Newspapers like The Hindu and other periodicals will help you in improving the general knowledge. In case of the Civil Services Aptitude Test, it is advisable that you read at least one English and one local newspaper daily.

If possible, try reading more than one newspaper.  If you are weak in your mathematics, start by getting base right. For this you would have to brush up your sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth standard mathematics. Try to solve more and more problems in mathematics. The more you practice, the more speed and accuracy you get while attempting the questions. Always learn shortcuts to solve problems. That will enable you to solve the Mental Ability part.

Students who are appearing for the Civil Services Aptitude Test should have a good knowledge of the Indian constitution and related areas. Latest Acts, amendments, Government policies, matters of national and International importance are all to looked up by the candidate in detail. Other areas of preparation will include Supreme Court verdicts on critical matters/incidents, a detailed study of Survey results, India’s Population etc. To get pass the Civil Services Aptitude Test is a tedious job. But with constant and consistent learning along with hard work will definitely bring success.

How and Where to get the results?

The results of the Civil Services Aptitude Test will be posted on the Union Public Service Commission’s Website: http://www.upsc.gov.in

Score Validity of CSAT

The score of The Civil Services Aptitude Test are valid till the main exams are conducted.