India's premier central recruitment agency for the recruitment of all the Group 'A' officers under the Government of India, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) prelims was conducted on May 28 across India. Post this, candidates, several officers and others have taken to social media saying the exam paper was tough and the overall cut-off rate may decrease.
When EdexLive spoke to Dr Vaishnavi SD, Managing partner of Shankar IAS Academy, Chennai, she said that her students have informed her that the General Studies paper was equally tough as last year. "The pattern was actually changed and the majority of the question paper was dominated by statement questions," she briefed.
Giving more details, she said that the afternoon paper Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) was very tough. When asked what can be the reason, she disclosed that "Almost 35 questions were about quantitative aptitude and since time was not sufficient, it was difficult to answer." Maths was equally tough and because of all these, the cut-off may be reduced as against 88/200 of last year's.
On the contrary, the Director of Classic IAS Academy, Delhi, Balraj Solanki opines that "Nothing is easy or tough, it is how we look at the exam paper."For those who get questions which they have prepared for, feel that the paper was easy and for others, it is vice-versa, he added.
Change in the paper pattern
"The major change in paper pattern is Association Reasoning," said Dr Vaishnavi. Earlier, before CSAT, we had an optional paper in which the statement type pattern was followed. But now it is added to the General Studies paper itself, she highlighted.
Sharing views on the paper pattern, Solanki said, there is no change in the paper pattern. As UPSC is looking for a versatile administrator besides a geographical or a historian, every candidate should be aware of what's happening in their country. "Anything that is happening in India from the last two years will be asked in the UPSC," he stressed.
Solution to the new changes
Saying that the UPSC is bringing in new changes in the paper pattern, Dr Vaishnavi stressed that "we should evolve with the trend and pattern USPC is bringing." Further, "equal importance should to given to both General Studies and CSAT paper so that candidates won't be filtered with CSAT marks," she said.
On the other hand, Solanki opines that "Candidates are chasing the exam and not knowledge. But in reality, they should chase the knowledge and not the exam."
