CSAT Qualifying Marks in UPSC: Tips to Qualify General Studies-I (CSAT)

UPSC has recently declared the result of UPSC CSE 2020. Last year around 10,40,060 candidates had applied for the exam. Among them, only 4,82,770 appeared and among them, only 770 students were able to successfully qualify.

The success rate of UPSC CSE is very low. However, what are the silliest yet grave mistakes students often make? Most of the students are not able to qualify for the first phase of the CSE just because they ignored CSAT.

Yes! CSAT. CSAT is that important paper that candidates ignore thinking of it as only qualifying in nature. But do you want to repeat the same mistake? Well, of course not. Therefore here is an article that briefs you about CSAT and what are the CSAT qualifying marks in upsc.

Also Read: Which Areas of UPSC CSE Syllabus should We Work on Before the Prelims? Which Can be Left for the mains?

Civil Services Examination

The union public service commission is the central recruitment agency of India. It is responsible to select candidates for various posts. Hence, it conducts several exams every year among which UPSC CSE is one of the most popular choices. It is the dream of millions of students. This is the reason why thousands of students every year embark on their UPSC journey.

Three Phases of Civil Services Examination

The recruitment of CSE is conducted in three phases:

# Preliminary Examination

# Mains Examination

# Interview

Also Read: How to Prepare a 3 Month Time Table for UPSC Preparation? Tips to Ace your Prelims 2021

Preliminary Examination

UPSC Prelims exam is the first phase among three phases of CSE. As it is the first step of your CSE dream, it toils to successfully clear it.

General Studies I

Total Questions	100
Total Marks	Each question carries 2 marks
Passing Marks	Cutoff differs
Negative Marking	0.66

General Studies II: CSAT

Total Questions	80
Total Marks	Each question carries 2.5
Passing Marks	66 marks
Negative Marks	0.83

General Studies- I Syllabus

# History of India and Indian National Movement. # Current events of national and international importance. # Indian and World Geography. # General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Climate Change. # Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, etc. # Economic and Social Development # General Science.

CSAT Exam Syllabus

Logical reasoning and analytical ability. # Decision-making and problem-solving. # General mental ability. # Comprehension. # Basic numeracy (Class X level) # Interpersonal skills including communication skills; # Data interpretation ( Class X level) # English language comprehension skills – Class X level. # Logical reasoning and analytical ability. # Decision-making and problem-solving.

Also Read: What is CSAT in the UPSC Exam? Everything to know about the CSAT Paper

CSAT Paper II: Trend Analysis

Year	Maths & Basic Numeracy	Logical & Analytical Reasoning	Decision Making	Reading Comprehension	Data Interpretation
2011	11	17	8	39	05
2012	03	28	9	40	00
2013	11	21	6	33	09
2014	20	23	0	31	06
2015	30	18	0	30	02
2016	31	21	0	28	0
2017	28	22	0	30	0
2018	18	22	0	26	14
2019	22	18	0	30	0
2020	39	10	0	25	1

What are the Qualifying Marks for CSAT Paper 2 in UPSC?

CSAT qualifying marks in UPSC is around 33%. This means the qualifying marks for UPSC is 33% i.e. 66 marks in total. A candidate who does not score 66 marks minimum will not be promoted for the next phase.

Booklist To Secure Qualifying Marks for CSAT UPSC

# CSAT Paper – 2 Manual by TMH

# Analytical Reasoning – M. K. Pandey

# Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning – R. S. Aggarwal

 Tips to Prepare for CSAT

# CSAT is qualifying in nature but you should not take it lightly or you won’t be able to clear it.

# Ensure to allocate proper time for CSAT preparation. Dedicate a whole day in a week to practice different questions. If you are weak in maths or English you should consider giving it more time.

# Solved different mock tests and previous year question papers to evaluate your strengths and weakness.

# Consider getting a standard book or guide for the CSAT paper.

# Remember you need to score at least 66 marks to qualify prelims paper.

# Practice different mathematical questions to increase the speed of solving questions.

# Read English newspapers, magazines, and debates to prepare for the comprehension section.

# Also learn new words daily to build your vocabulary.

Also Read: Best Website for UPSC CSAT Preparation: Take Your Preparations a Notch Higher

Conclusion

Preliminary is the first phase of UPSC CSE. As it is the first phase many candidates find it difficult to clear it. But they often make the grave mistake of ignoring CSAT. But without clearing this paper you cannot move to the next step i.e. Mains examination.

Do you want some help with your UPSC preparation? Well, UPSC Pathshala is the best website out there. It is devoted to helping aspirants to move one step closer to their dream. Check the website now and enrol yourself in the best-customized classes offered by it.