CSAT Books for UPSC

CSAT Books for UPSC – Best CSAT Book for IAS Exam PDF

Civil Services Aptitude Test is the CSAT and it is an important of Civil Services Exam in the first stage i.e., Preliminary Exams. It is known as General Studies II by the Union Public Service Commission. General Studies II is the Polity paper and you should get to know about the UPSC syllabus in detail so that you will have a precise understanding of how to prepare for the UPSC exams. It is essential for the candidates to go through the syllabus before initiating the IAS exam preparations.

A glimpse of CSAT in UPSC exam

The first phase of the Civil Services Exam is the prelims exam followed by two other stages namely UPSC Mains and final round interview. The UPSC Mains exam has nine papers whereas the Prelims exams have only two papers and those have multiple choice questions. General Studies I and II are the two papers in which GS II is considered as the Civil Services Aptitude Test. The CSAT was included in the UPSC exam a decade ago for evaluating the analytical skills of the UPSC aspirants and it is referred to as General Studies II.

Evaluating the CSAT pattern

There are a total of eighty objective questions in the CSAT question paper
The exam is conducted offline and you will be given two hours to completing the exams.
You can either choose Hindi or English as a medium to write the exams
One of the important things that you have to remember is that the UPSC CSAT is subjected to negative marking and .83 marks will be reduced for one incorrect answer.
You can score up to 200 but the minimum mark is 66 and 33% is qualifying percent.

How the marks are allotted in CSAT?

You will have two hours for completing the CSAT exams which imply you have to attend eighty questions in the given time. Remember that you will get 2.5 marks for every correct answer. As said earlier, the wrong answers will be given 1/3 or 0.83 marks so it is essential for you to stay alert while marking the answers. If you are confident about the answer, then mark it in the OMR sheet. Otherwise, think before you answer as you might lose marks. If the answer is marked for a particular question, then there will be no marks deducted.

CSAT syllabus

Before you choose the right CSAT books for the UPSC exam, it is essential to know about the topics included in the syllabus of the CSAT exam. CSAT comprises comprehension, Basic numeracy, Interpersonal skills, logical reasoning, decision making, General mental ability, analytical ability, problem solving, and communication skills as well.

Best CSAT books for UPSC exam

Knowing all the information about the CSAT paper, you can initiate the preparation. There are several books available out there and we have listed the best CSAT books for UPSC exams utilized by toppers. Check out them below.

McGraw-Hill’s General Studies Paper II 2020 for Civil Services Preliminary Examination

This book is very essential for all the candidates who are sincerely preparing for the CSAT exams. The revised books comprise new comprehension passages with updated facts and previous year question paper analyzed questions. This is an upgraded study material as per the new UPSC pattern so it is definitely helpful for the student. You can utilize the book for both UPSC and State Public Service preparations as well. The recent trend analysis is inculcated in the book that gives good insights about the CSAT question paper for the students. The trend analysis from 2011 to 2019 can be identified in the paper and the answers are flawless. Educators with several years of experience have worked together for revising the content in the book as per the new pattern and provide the best study material for candidates.

M.K. Pandey’s Analytical Reasoning

If you are preparing for logic and reasoning skills, then this book is very important. It comprises of two categories Logic based Reasoning and Rules based Reasoning which helps you to prepare well for the CSAT exams. It is essential for you to learn the topics by focussing solely on the book and you can utilize this book. Simple language is used in the book which helps you to prepare well for the exams. You will find crucial topics strengthening, Weakening Arguments, Evaluation Inferences, Coded relationships, Analytical Decision Making, and Data Sufficiency which will enhance your CSAT preparations. This book assures conceptual clarity in every topic and intriguing tricks are also inculcated that will save time while writing the CSAT exam. As the complete information is included, you will get several queries for practice to strengthen your CSAT preparations. You will get to read topics precisely and there are examples to provide a clear understanding.

Arihant’s Cracking the CSAT paper 2 – Civil Services Aptitude Test

As the name specifies, the General Studies II syllabus is completely covered and you will get an understanding of the topics available. The topics such as Analytical Ability, Problem solving, communication skills, data interpretation, General Mental Ability, Decision Making, and interpersonal skills are all covered. The main advantage of choosing this CSAT book for the UPSC exam is that every topic address will have solved exams along with charts, tables, and more. The trends from 2011 to 2019 are analyzed and there are sample sets available with in-depth elucidations. This book is an essential element to help in UPSC Prelims CSAT preparations and you can obtain more marks without any doubts.

Gautam Puri’s The Mantra of CSAT

Buy this book to improve your CSAT preparations by several notches. The UPSC CSAT syllabus is completely covered and the solutions along with examples are also provided. You can revise with the practice questions available which are beneficial for your preparations. The book incorporates UPSC based questions so it will be easier for you. Moreover, solved papers of the past few years are also provided along with innumerable questions to improve your preparations. To save time, the tricks and tips are also included in the book and it is easier to understand the context of the book as it is written in a simple language.

Dr. R.S.Aggarwal’s A modern Approach to Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning

You will find important topics like Basic Analogy, non-verbal reasoning, directions, and analytical reasoning. It offers additional queries with solutions and it also helps you to understand the concepts precisely so that you can solve the questions in the exams effectively. Solved examples are provided in the books which helps you to prepare well for the exams. With this book, you can also prepare for other competitive examinations effectively.

Other important CSAT books for UPSC exam.

K. Chopra’s Unique Quintessence of General Studies Paper II CSAT for UPSC exam
Dr Manish Ranjan’s CSAT Essentials 2018 Paper II
Madhukar Bhagat’s Concise CSAT for GS Paper II
Disha Experts’s IAS Prelims 22 Years General Studies Topic-wise Solved Papers from

Relates sources to aid CSAT preparations

Here are the important resources that you should not miss while preparing with the CSAT Books for UPSC exams. The below mentioned resources are reliable and it is very essential while learning for the UPSC exams as they will help you not only in the UPSC prelims but also in the Mains and final round interview.

Yojana Magazine
Kurukshetra Magazine
News and Current Affairs The Hindu and Indian Express

A few points to remember while reading CSAT books for UPSC

Though it is a qualifying paper, you have to put required efforts while preparing for the CSAT exams.
To qualify for the CSAT paper, a candidate should have a good command of English and Maths. If you have problems, then it is essential for the candidate to make use of the time for CSAT preparations as it is the initial stage for UPSC exams.
Candidates with different educational backgrounds might have lost touch over these subjects so it is essential to focus more and crack the UPSC CSAT exams.
If you are well versed in the topics, refer to previous year’s question papers and regular practice to solve the paper in time. As the UPSC CSAT exam is allotted only two hours, you have to improve the problem skills and complete marking answers for all the questions within two hours.
Candidates have to score 66 marks and qualify for the paper. Otherwise, they will not be able to clear the first stage even if they score more marks in General Studies I paper. So it is essential for a candidate to make use of the time equally and prepare for both the subjects.
A few topics like logical reasoning is uncomplicated when the candidate is familiar with the topic. However, it might be difficult for the candidates to answer correctly in the given time so you have to dedicate time to solving the question papers regularly.
When you check out the CSAT questions in previous years’ papers, certain questions are lengthy and consumes a lot of time to understand. When you practice the past years’ question papers regularly, it will be easier for you to understand the intention of questions asked by the board.

Way back to 2011 when CSAT was introduced!

Before 2011, the UPSC Prelims pattern was based on Kothari Committee suggestions in the year 1979. The old pattern also had two papers. The General Studies I paper will include 150 marks and the Paper II has 23 optional subjects with three hundred marks. the Union Prelims Service Exam revised the Prelims exam a decade ago by retaining the pattern of two papers by modifying the marks and revamping the II paper completely. The two papers were allotted two hundred marks equally. The General Studies Paper II now called as Civil Services Aptitude Test to evaluate the analytical skills of the candidates. Though General Studies II paper was considered as an important paper just like GS I, it was changed in 2014 as there were allegations that candidates with rural backgrounds will find it difficult to qualify for the UPSC exam. It was then announced that 33% as qualifying criteria and the pattern wasn’t changed after 2015. The Prelims paper I and paper are considered as the last merit qualifiers and the Mains exam is more important.

The UPSC prelims strategy for a successful score in CSAT

When reading the CSAT books for UPSC exams, candidates can make use of the below tips that aid the IAS exam preparations.

Know which topics or subjects are difficult for you

First off, make use of the previous year’s question paper and try solving it, and then, you can evaluate the answers using the solved sections that are included in many CSAT books for UPSC preparations. There are certain topics like logical reasoning, Mathematics, and verbal abilities that might be your tough spot. Ensure that you put maximum effort into areas in which you are lagging behind.

Improve your vocabulary

Make use of the newspapers and editorial sections to do well. It will help you to improve your English language and vocabulary. Instead of watching the English news channels, you can read the Newspapers as it is way too efficient. You will be able to improve your concentration as well as your vocabulary and you can keep upgrading the current affairs knowledge.

Use mock tests to manage your IAS preparations

Mental ability is one section in the CSAT question papers to evaluate the fundamental Mathematical skills. Make use of the NCERT books from the sixth standard to tenth and also practice the problems regularly.

That’s all about the CSAT books for UPSC. You can utilize the above-mentioned books to improve your preparations. Do not forget the NCERT books which play a crucial role in your UPSC preparations and it is also a reliable source for your UPSC preparations. The books, previous year question papers, and newspapers are all you need for the best CSAT preparations. Moreover, you should regularly practice the old question papers and take up mock tests to score more marks.