UPSC CSE 2023: Candidates file petition alleging CSAT questions akin to JEE, CAT levels
The Part II Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) of the Civil Service Examination (CSE) 2023, held on May 28, alongside Part I, has come under fire from a few candidates who claim that its difficulty level is on par with the Common Admission Test (CAT) and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). Seeking a reduction in the cut-off for Paper II CSAT from 33% to 23%, several CSE 2023 candidates have filed a petition with the Central Administrative Tribunal, as stated in a report by LiveLaw.in. While not all candidates share this viewpoint and believe the qualifying paper can be easily cleared, the petition raises concerns about the paper's conformity to the prescribed syllabus.
The petition argues that as per the syllabus of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) CSE, CSAT is designed to assess candidates' basic abilities in Math, comprehension, reasoning, and logical questions up to the level of Class X. However, the paper allegedly deviates from this syllabus, making it challenging for candidates with only basic knowledge of Math. The petition, as per LiveLaw.in, asserts, “Going against the syllabus provided, UPSC has come up with a paper which cannot be cleared by anyone who possesses only basic knowledge of mathematic (Class X level) as the difficulty level of the questions is similar to that of questions asked in CAT examination and IIT JEE examination.”
The petition further contends that while the paper remains within the syllabus of UPSC CSE, it discriminates against candidates from disadvantaged backgrounds who lack access to specialised coaching or come from the Arts stream. Thus, the plea urges, “Alternatively, this tribunal should direct the commission to conduct a re-exam for Paper II (CSAT) as part of Civil Services Preliminary Examination 20.” The plea hearing is listed today, June 9, before the Principal Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal.
In addition, the candidates also claim that certain Math questions were beyond the Class X syllabus and borrowed from the Class XI syllabus of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), as well as from the JEE and CAT syllabi. “When a qualifying paper is made that difficult it excludes the candidates on the basis which has no nexus with the object of the exam,” the plea argues. Consequently, the petition calls for an expert committee to address questions outside the syllabus. Although the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has the discretion to set the question paper, it should not be exempt from judicial review if it is deemed discriminatory, arbitrary, or contrary to the Constitution.
How is the CSAT pattern usually?
Reflecting on the usual pattern of CSAT, it is an essential component of the UPSC CSE, serving as the second paper in the preliminary stage, with the first paper being the General Studies (GS) paper. It is worth noting that the CSAT is a qualifying exam intended to evaluate candidates' basic aptitude and reasoning abilities, rather than their knowledge of specific subjects. The marks obtained in CSAT do not contribute to the final merit list for selection. However, candidates must achieve the minimum qualifying marks established by UPSC to proceed to the next stage of the examination.
The paper consists of 80 multiple-choice questions and is designed to test the analytical and logical reasoning skills, and general mental aptitude of candidates. It covers various areas, including comprehension, interpersonal skills, communication skills, logical reasoning, analytical ability, basic numeracy, and data interpretation. To qualify for CSAT, candidates must attain the minimum qualifying marks set by UPSC. Nitin Kumar, an aspirant for the Indian Forest Service (IFS), suggests that correctly answering just 27 questions is sufficient to qualify for CSAT. "Reducing the percentage from 33 to 23 would be a difficult task," he adds, expressing doubts about the court's willingness to entertain the petition. “The court will probably reject it saying it is a policy matter,” he told EdexLive.
Nitin Kumar, who has been a part of the UPSC compensatory attempt movement for those who suffered during the pandemic, reflects on his own experience in this year's CSAT, and remarks, "The pattern changes every year; I think that has become a norm for UPSC. However, when it comes to CSAT, candidates can focus on other sections like comprehension and syllogisms to qualify.”
JEE-level maths?
When asked about the difficulty level of this year's questions, Nitin disagrees with the petitioners, stating that it is unfair to compare CSAT with the Math sections of JEE and CAT. "The main difference when it comes to the level of difficulty lies in the fact that JEE and CAT feature concept-based Math questions, whereas CSAT presents random questions," he remarks.
Nitin also reminds us of the Baswan Committee recommendations and the changes it suggested for the CSE exam pattern. Among the recommendations that the committee forwarded to the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) for their decision included the removal of optional for a level playing field for all candidates, reduction of the age limit from 32 years to 26 years for the general category and more case studies in general papers. These changes in the UPSC can be both a game changer or alienate a certain section of candidates from the race who appear for this prestigious and highly competitive exam year after year.
