SAMPLE QUESTIONS BASED ON REVISED PATTERN OF CS(P) EXAMINATION EFFECTIVE FROM 2011

A set of 14 sample questions for Paper-I and Paper-II of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, on the revised syllabus and pattern, are given below. These questions are indicative of the type of questions that may be constructed and used by UPSC in Paper-I and Paper II of CS (P) examination, 2011. However, neither the content nor the structure/type of questions may be construed as being exhaustive or limiting the freedom of UPSC to set questions based on the syllabus prescribed for the examination.

It may be noted that as per the existing practice, both the question papers would be bilingual (English and Hindi), except for some questions specifically intended to test English Language Comprehension skills, which would be in English only. Some more sample questions may be put up subsequently. Hindi version of the sample questions would follow.

CS(P) Examination SAMPLE QUESTIONS

(Based on revised syllabi & pattern effective from CS(P) Examination, 2011)

PAPER-I

1. With reference to Simon Commission’s recommendations, which one of the following statements is correct?

(a)     It recommended the replacement of diarchy with responsible government in the provinces.

(b)    It proposed the setting up of inter-provincial council under the Home Department.

(c)     It suggested the abolition of bicameral legislature at the Centre

(d)    It recommended the creation of Indian Police Service with a provision for increased pay and allowances for British recruits as compared to Indian recruits.

2. A geographic area with an altitude of 400 metres has following characteristics:

If this geographic area were to have a natural forest, which one of the following would
it most likely be?

(a)     Moist temperate coniferous forest

(b)     Montane subtropical forest

(c)     Temperate forest

(d)     Tropical rain forest

3. Other than Jatropha curcas, why is Pongamia pinnata also considered a good option for the production of bio-diesel in India?

1. Pongamia pinnata grows naturally in most of the arid regions of India.

2. The seeds of Pongamia pinnata are rich in lipid content of which nearly half of oleic acid.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a)        1 only

(b)      2 only

(c)       Both 1 and 2

(d)      Neither 1 nor 2

4. If a potato is placed on a pure paper plate which is white and unprinted and put in a microwave oven, the potato heats up but the paper plate does not. This is because:

(a)               Potato is mainly made up of starch whereas paper is mainly made up of cellulose

(b)              Potato transmits microwaves whereas paper reflects microwaves

(c)               Potato contains water whereas paper does not contain water

(d)              Potato is a fresh organic material whereas paper is a dead organic material

5.        With reference to India, consider the following:

1.    Nationalization of Banks

2.     Formation of Regional Rural Banks

3.     Adoption of villages by Bank Branches

Which of the above can be considered as steps taken to achieve the ‘financial inclusion” in India?

(a)          1 and 2 only

(b)         2 and 3 only

(c)         3 only

(d)         1, 2 and 3

6. Consider the following actions by the Government:

1.                 Cutting the tax rates

2.                  Increasing the government spending

3.                  Abolishing the subsidies

In the context of economic recession, which of the above actions can be considered a part of the ” fiscal stimulus” package?

(a)               1 and 2 only

(b)              2 only

(c)               1 and 3 only

(d)               1, 2 and 3

PAPER-II

Read the following passage and answer the given questions. Your answers should be drawn from the content of given passage only.The economy of contemporary India is a great paradox. It is a strange combination of outstanding achievements as well as grave failures. Since independence, India has achieved remarkable progress in overcoming its economic backwardness. From being a very poor country in the 1950s and a ‘basket case’ in the mid 1960s, it has emerged as the fourth largest economy in the world (in terms of purchasing power parity). Our economy has become one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Now the country is one of the leading players in the world knowledge economy with vast intellectual capital and booming software and information technology services. While our country has joined the league of the world’s top five fastest growing economies, we are in the bottom 20 among all countries in terms of the Human Development Index. While the country is celebrating its growth rate and technological wonders, it is witnessing social contradictions and the paradox and ironies of development. Thus, there are ‘two Indias’ in contemporary India.

1.     Why is the Indian economy considered ‘a great paradox’?

(a)  It is a leading player in information technology services with low levels of
literacy.

(b)  There is poverty amidst plenty in agricultural produce.

(c)  It is one of the largest economies with low human development.

(d)  It has scientific achievements with social contradictions.

2.      Why is India being referred to as a leading player in the world knowledge economy?

(a)  India’s knowledge base in science and technology is one of the world’s best.

(b)  India has huge reserves of human intellectual capitals and information technology services.

(c)  India is among the World’s five fastest growing economics and technology reserves.

(d)  India has a huge reservoir of human capital and scientific knowledge export potential.

3.     What does the author imply by the phrase ‘two Indias’ ?

(a)  There is the India that has vast intellectual capital and the other that is largely
illiterate.

(b)  There is the India of burgeoning growth and the India of widespread want and
misery.

(c)  There is the India of progressive mindsets and the other who are socially
conservative.

(d)   There is an India of outstanding achievements combined with gigantic failures.

4.        Consider the following statement and also the conclusions. Answer the question that follows:Statement : Education is in the Concurrent List. The State government cannot bring reforms in education without the consent of Central Government.

Conclusion I : For bringing about quick reforms in education, it should be in the State List .

Conclusion II: States are not willing to bring about quick reforms in Education.

Which one of the following is correct?

(a)   Conclusion -I only follows from the statement.

(b)   Conclusion -II only follows from the statement.

(c)   Both conclusions I & II follow from the statement

(d)   Neither conclusion I nor conclusion II follow from the statement

5.         Five persons P, Q, R, S, T are sitting in a row. Q is between P and T. To find who among them is in the middle, which of the information given in the following statements is/are sufficient?

1.  P is left of Q and right of S.

2.   R is at the right end.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 only

(b)        2 only

(c)        Either 1 or 2

(d)       Both 1 and 2

6. Which one among V2 , , V6 , is the smallest one?

7. The following pie charts show that a man spends 10% on clothes, 20% on rent, 30% on food and rest on miscellaneous items in the month of January and spends 15% on clothes, 25% on rent, 35% on food and rest on miscellaneous items in the month of February.

Consider the following statements:

1.            The money spent on food over rent in the month of January is same as the
money spent on food over rent in the month of February.

2.            The money spent on rent over clothes is same as money spent on food over
rent in the month of January.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a)         1 only

(b)        2 only

(c)        Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Note:The following question would be in English Language only to test
English Language Comprehension.

8. Whenever I had occasion to indulge in these surreptitious feasts, dinner at home was out of question. My mother would naturally ask me to come and take my food and want to know the reason why I did not wish to eat. I would say to her, ‘I have no appetite today; there is something wrong with my digestion.’ It was not without compunction that I devised these pretexts. I knew I was lying, and lying to my mother. l also knew that, if my mother and father came to know of my having become a meat- eater, they would be deeply shocked. This knowledge was gnawing at my heart.

Why did the author devise some pretexts not without compunction ?

(a)    He wanted to keep away from home some times.

(b)    Surreptitious feasts thrilled him.

(c)    Dinners outside were better than at home.

(d)    He wanted to eat meat.

These are very important as a person that too for a person to get a job in the civil service cadre, these skills are of course imperative. And if we look at the CSAT and compare it with the existed preliminary examination, then anyone could say easily that CSAT is the better option, especially for one of its major significant features that focuses on the ethical and moral dimension of the services.

This is in turn is really important in particular to the civil services examinations, because it is prominent for a person who is in the civil services position to act ethically, besides being a mandatory knowledgeable person.

The CSAT is seemed to be promising in its vision of enhancing, both the attitude and aptitude of the deserving candidates.

The CSAT is the new examination scheme, which is yet to be established, as a replacement for the existing preliminary examination. And this has been planned to get executed in the year 2011 onwards. The existing preliminary examination comprises of two objective type question papers, in which one paper consists of questions from general studies and the other paper consists of questions from the optional subjects.

The choice of the optional subject is left to the candidates and hence, the optional paper varies from one candidate to the other. The government was receiving constant complaints regarding the examination pattern, saying that it was based on some biased ground, etc… Hence, the government has come up with the concept of aptitude test.

The CSAT would be concentrating on the aptitude skills and logical reasoning skills of the candidates. Hence, the examination structure of CSAT comprises of one paper consisting of questions from general studies and the other paper focusing on the aptitude skills of the students. Thus, the CSAT would be a common civil service entrance examination, which means it is common to all the candidates.

The CSAT is only the first level of examination, but bears greater significance, as it serves as the entrance examination to series of procedures in the civil services examinations. There are many significant features of CSAT that makes it so significant and one of the most important features is that the aptitude test features of CSAT, this includes objective type questions to test the aptitude skills of the candidates, to measure the decision making and problem solving nature, interpersonal skills, mental ability of the students and many more..

According to my perception it is a better option, but there is been mixed feelings from the students. This is because in the previously existed preliminary examination, there was a choice available for the candidates, as the candidates could select their interested optional subjects.

So, there was a trend prevailing among the candidates, i.e. the candidates could choose a particular subject in which they feel, they are stronger and thus they could even adjust between the papers, as both the papers account to 200 marks each. Hence, a student who has scored huge marks in the examination need not necessarily be knowledge oriented and the confusion did happen, because the preliminary examination pattern couldn’t test the analytical skills and reasoning skills. Hence, some candidates are upset over the new scheme.

UPSC CSAT Sample Paper is released, go to http://csat.iupsc.com/sample-paper/

If we take a look at the point, why this would have happened, then we would know that the preliminary examination pattern consisted of two objective type papers, out of which one paper was based on the general studies and the other paper was based on the optional subjects that were in turn, chosen by the candidates. Hence, there would have been some question paper issues, like the level of one optional subject question would have been easier, when compared to the other, I guess! Hence in the earlier pattern, only the general studies paper was common, whereas the optional subject paper differs from candidate to candidate. This was complicating and little confusing and this was way too much complication for first level of the entrance exam, as there is main exam after the entrance exam, followed by the interview.

Many candidates weren’t aware of the Indian history, but would in turn score high marks in the preliminary examination, but without knowledge about the country, there is no use of getting appointed as the officers in the civil services cadres. And it is also said that both the papers in the CSAT would be bearing same weightage, when it is coming to marks allotment segment and also would be the same to all the aspiring candidates of the civil services examination.

The birth of CSAT has eradicated the complications that existed in the earlier system and appears promising in terms of syllabus pattern and objective.

The CSAT, which could also be expanded as the Civil Services Aptitude Test, is the new scheme of aptitude test that is been proposed in the IAS examination scheme instead of already existing preliminary examination.

The pattern of CSAT comprises of two objective papers, much similar to the preliminary examination structure, but differs from the preliminary examination pattern in its syllabus category. The CSAT syllabus structure comprises of objective type questions that in turn give special emphasize on the aptitude skills and decision making skills of the participating candidates. Another major objective of CSAT would be to measure the ethical and moral aptitude of the candidates.

Anyways, the CSAT also bears the common general studies paper and the other paper would be concentrating on the aptitude skills of the candidates, rather focusing on the optional subjects. According to my perception, this concept of CSAT is praiseworthy, because in the earlier pattern, i.e. in the preliminary examination pattern, the objective type question papers were based on the general studies and the optional subjects (the optional subjects are chosen by the candidates), hence the students weren’t brought to light regarding the ethical values and moral attributes.