UPSC CSAT Syllabus (GS Paper 2)

CSAT is the name the Government uses for General Studies Paper II of the UPSC prelims; the notice calls it General Studies Paper-II. It carries 200 marks, you get two hours, and every question is multiple choice. It is qualifying: you need at least 33%, and its marks are not added to your prelims score. Only your GS Paper I score is compared with the cut-off.

The notice prints the CSAT syllabus as six lines. Here they are in UPSC's words, then in plain words, with what the notice says about the level and the marking.

The CSAT syllabus, as UPSC prints it

What each line asks of you

• Comprehension: understanding what you read.
• Interpersonal skills, including communication skills: how you deal with people and get a message across.
• Logical reasoning and analytical ability: drawing valid conclusions and breaking a problem into parts.
• Decision making and problem solving: choosing a sound course of action.
• General mental ability.
• Basic numeracy and data interpretation: numbers and how they relate, orders of magnitude, and reading charts, graphs and tables, including data sufficiency.

What "Class X level" covers

The notice attaches "Class X level" to the last line only: basic numeracy and data interpretation. It sets no level for the other five lines.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha in March 2026, the Government said that CSAT is a qualifying paper meant to ensure a minimum standard of quality and analytical competence, and that the level of its questions corresponds to the matriculation level.

The 33% rule

The notice makes Paper II a qualifying paper with the minimum fixed at 33%, which is 66 of its 200 marks. UPSC draws up the list for the mains from candidates who clear 33% in Paper II, using a qualifying mark in Paper I that it fixes each year. UPSC's cut-off notices say the same: the prelims cut-off is on GS Paper I only, and GS Paper II is qualifying at 33%.

Two things follow. Marks above 33% in CSAT don't improve your result. And below 33%, your Paper I score doesn't count, however high it is.

You must sit both prelims papers. If you skip CSAT you are disqualified, and because appearing in any one paper counts as an attempt, you still use up an attempt.

How CSAT is marked

CSAT follows the same rules as Paper I. Each question has four options. A wrong answer costs one-third of that question's marks, marking more than one option counts as wrong, and a blank costs nothing. You can't use a calculator in the objective papers, and the paper is set in Hindi and English. See negative marking explained.

For the GS Paper I syllabus and the other prelims rules, see the prelims syllabus guide; for how the stages fit together, see the exam pattern.

How to prepare

• Find your level with a past paper. Take a recent Paper II from UPSC's previous question papers in two hours and score it with negative marking. Previous year papers
• Aim for a margin above 33%. Every wrong answer costs marks, so a practice score just over the line is not safe.
• Use Class X mathematics as your base. That is the level the notice sets for numeracy and data interpretation, so make sure your school mathematics is secure. NCERT books for UPSC
• Read every day. Comprehension is the first line of the syllabus. Regular reading of serious writing builds speed and accuracy.
• Practise without a calculator. You can't use one in the exam, so do your practice calculations by hand.
• Keep CSAT in your weekly plan. Don't leave it to the last month just because it is qualifying.