The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Exam, one of India’s toughest exams, has changed over time with the focus now being on testing thinking skills rather than just memory. Candidates now need to think critically and understand the bigger picture of public service.
In 2011, a major change occurred when the Optional paper in the Preliminary Exam was replaced by the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), which focused on reasoning and problem-solving. This meant that candidates had to think more. In the Main Exam, the General Studies became more important, and a new Ethics paper was introduced to test candidates on their value systems and understanding of ethics. This pushed aspirants to think about real-world issues.
Over time, though the CSAT is still a qualifying paper, its growing difficulty has made it harder for candidates, especially those from non-technical backgrounds. The exam, of late, focuses more on understanding concepts. For instance, Indian Polity connects textbook knowledge with current events. Candidates must think about how what they learn applies to real-world issues, like recent court decisions or political discussions or how the Fundamental Rights available to the minorities are connected to the recent Supreme Court verdict on the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
Current affairs are now a big part of the UPSC exam. Every subject, whether it be History or Economics, includes questions on recent events. Aspirants need to stay updated on the latest national and global news by reading newspapers, journals and online sources. Subjects like Macroeconomics require some knowledge in areas such as banking systems and bond prices, which were not part of the exam earlier.
The Ethics paper — one of the biggest changes in the UPSC exam — includes case studies based on real-life situations and test the candidate’s ability to solve problems, such as managing resources in disaster; misogyny; corruption; reasons for aspiring for the Civil Services, and so on. Aspirants are asked to think about how they would handle practical challenges in public service such as the bottom-up pressures in resource distribution; convincing people about a cleanliness, vaccination, and so on.
Tips to remember
Keep up with trends: As with every exam, CSE also has an established trend. It changes periodically, but an intelligent aspirant tries to locate the new patterns as they change. Instead of spreading time across the syllabus, it is critical that the recurrent topics and the pattern of the questions be detected so that preparation can be firmed up.
Quality over quantity: The focus is shifting from breadth of knowledge to depth of understanding. Instead of rewarding superficial coverage of many topics, the exam now prioritises a thorough grasp of the core subjects. Understand the fundamentals of recurring topics such as GMOs, space, judiciary, inflation and so on. Rely on specific material such as interviews and policy papers that contain perspectives and core details instead of reading multiple sources.
Practice tests: Mock tests are the new norm. It will show you how well-prepared you are, and if .you are going in the right direction. For the Preliminary exam, it is essential to be precise and, for the Main exam, the ability to present ideas coherently with optimum detail and depth is crucial.
The writer is Chief Mentor at SRIRAM’s IAS.
Published - January 19, 2025 06:00 pm IST
