When I realised I was failing csat in my third attempt as per answer keys, I joined a CSAT module. Did all the classes, and in the second iteration revised all the classes and did PYQs. (I had joined NEXT IAS, which was excellent).

With my experience with the paper, successes and failures, here’s sharing with all of you my approach to CSAT. It’s simple and if done sincerely, shall help you sail through.

Approach to CSAT

• Practice the basics- formulas should be on finger tips.
• Common sense even sharper, if a formula can’t be applied, make sure you are applying common sense.
• Reverse engineering: apply options to the question
• Don’t follow the arrangement of questions, else you are bound to get stuck, and not make it.
• Attempt maths and reasoning first because they can give you higher accuracy.
• If you are getting stuck in a question—- move past it, there are easier, simpler questions in the coming pages.
• Do comprehension in last 50 minutes (keeping a separate bracket of 12-15 minutes for circling omr in the end— if you fill it up in the end)
• There are enough low hanging fruits in the math and reasoning section, make sure you master them and accuracy here should be close to 95-100%. Attempt them first and super fast, these are:
  • Syllogisms
  • Set theory
  • Data Sufficiency
  • Blood relations
  • Seating arrangement
  • Profit and Loss
  • Direction based questions

• Then go on to approach the other math questions.
• Comprehension based questions:
  • How to prepare:
    • regularly read the options UPSC is choosing in its answer key for past year papers.
    • Highlight and re-read it.
    • Keep reading these options in the run up to the exam as well as on exam day during the break.
    • Your intuition will then guide you to choose the best option.
  • Read questions first, then the passage.
  • Eliminate extreme statement
  • Usually you will be left with 2 options, choose the one which is
    • Wider, generic
    • solution oriented
    • not narrow or negative
    • positive and forward looking

Finally in the next couple of months—-

1. Do pyq in timed environment see how much you are scoring
2. Join specific classes for CSAT, or find online ones on youtube, if you feel the need. don’t risk this.
3. Make sure you are giving timed tests in an exam like environment after giving the first paper, in the run up to the examination.

Please don’t take CSAT lightly, practise it everyday for a couple of hours in the run up to the exam. The most brilliant people are now failing CSAT and that’s a tragedy I hope nobody has to suffer.

Please be on the side of caution, give a lot of time to CSAT, work on weak areas. And most importantly do exam room simulations where you are doing csat papers in the second half after doing your Paper 1 in the first half.

Emphasising on this because this will be your situation on the final day. Where you will be exhausted and anxious after the first paper and yet be expected to solve the tough paper getting tougher by the year.

Nothing on 28th may must be new to you. There should be no novelty in sitting through for two hours straight solving 100 questions in morning and 80 in the second half.

Practice for yourself what will happen on 28th. Go to a test centre or ask your family and friends to help you simulate the situation at home— with the pressure, with the boundations of time, with the weight of everything that will be at stake on 28th May.

Be on an offensive, physically sharpest, mentally clearest and believe in your intuition. An intuition sharpened by multiple revisions, past year question practice.

All the best,

Rooting for your success. 🙂