Prelims (Screening Test) UPSC Civil Services Prelims (Screening Test)

1. Prelims (Screening Test)

·         Structure: 2 Papers (GS & CSAT)

·         Marks, Duration, Question Types, Negative Marking

·         Syllabus: History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Environment, Science, Current Affairs

·         Real Sample Questions with Answers

·         Preparation Tricks & Tips

·         Time Management Strategies

UPSC Civil Services Prelims (Screening Test) – Complete Guide

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1. Structure

·         Two Papers:

1.      General Studies Paper I (GS I) – 200 marks

2.      Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT / GS II) – 200 marks

·         Mode: Offline, Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

·         Purpose: Screening for Mains exam; marks not counted for final ranking

Paper	Marks	Duration	Nature	Qualifying
GS I	200	2 hours	MCQs	No
CSAT (GS II)	200	2 hours	MCQs	Yes, 33% minimum

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2. Marks, Duration, Question Types, Negative Marking

·         Total Marks: 400

·         Negative Marking: 1/3rd of marks deducted for each wrong answer

·         Time: 2 hours per paper (120 minutes)

·         Question Types:

o    Objective MCQs (4 options, 1 correct answer)

o    Analytical, reasoning, comprehension, numerical, and factual

CSAT Qualifying Marks: Minimum 66/200 (33%) to qualify for Mains

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3. Syllabus

Paper I – General Studies (GS I)

Topic	Details
Current Affairs	National & international events, government schemes, awards
History	Ancient, medieval, modern Indian history, freedom struggle
Geography	Physical, economic, human geography; maps; environment
Polity	Indian Constitution, governance, Parliament, Panchayati Raj
Economy	Budget, economic surveys, inflation, poverty, schemes
Environment & Ecology	Biodiversity, climate change, environmental policies
Science & Technology	Basic science, IT, space, biotechnology
Miscellaneous	Ethics, disaster management, international organizations

Paper II – CSAT (GS II)

Topic	Details
Comprehension	Reading passages, understanding, inference
Logical Reasoning	Statements, conclusions, coding-decoding
Analytical Ability	Data interpretation (charts, tables)
Decision-Making	Situational analysis, problem-solving
Basic Numeracy	Arithmetic, percentages, ratios, averages, algebra

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4. Real Sample Questions with Answers

GS Paper I (General Studies)

1.      Which river does not flow into the Bay of Bengal?
a) Godavari
b) Krishna
c) Narmada
d) Mahanadi
Answer: c) Narmada

2.      The Ganga Action Plan was launched in:
a) 1985
b) 1986
c) 1990
d) 1992
Answer: b) 1986

3.      Which Article of the Indian Constitution deals with Fundamental Duties?
a) 32
b) 51A
c) 370
d) 21
Answer: b) 51A

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CSAT / GS II (Civil Services Aptitude Test)

1.      If 5 pens + 3 pencils = Rs. 46 and 3 pens + 2 pencils = Rs. 26, the cost of one pen = ?
a) Rs. 5
b) Rs. 6
c) Rs. 7
d) Rs. 8
Answer: b) Rs. 6

2.      A train 120 m long passes a pole in 10 seconds. Its speed is:
a) 36 km/h
b) 40 km/h
c) 42 km/h
d) 45 km/h
Answer: b) 40 km/h

3.      Read passage:
"Many farmers adopt organic farming to reduce environmental impact, but yields are lower than conventional farming."
Inference:
a) Organic farming is more profitable
b) Conventional farming has environmental issues
c) Farmers prefer organic for higher yield
d) Organic farming has no environmental impact
Answer: b) Conventional farming has environmental issues

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5. Preparation Tricks & Tips

Paper I (GS):

·         Read NCERTs (Class 6–12) for history, geography, science

·         Use Laxmikanth for Polity, Ramesh Singh for Economy

·         Follow The Hindu / Indian Express for current affairs

·         Make monthly notes for revision

·         Solve previous year papers

Paper II (CSAT):

·         Daily practice of numerical, reasoning, and comprehension questions

·         Attempt mock tests under timed conditions

·         Focus on speed and accuracy

General Tips:

·         Read questions carefully to avoid mistakes

·         Skip tough questions and return later

·         Mark answers properly on the OMR sheet

·         Revise at least 2 months before Prelims

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6. Time Management Strategies

·         Paper I: ~1 min per question (100–120 questions)

·         Paper II: ~1.5 min per question (80–100 questions)

·         Strategy:

1.      Attempt easy questions first

2.      Leave difficult questions for the end

3.      Keep 10–15 minutes for revision

4.      Avoid guessing excessively due to negative marking