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UPSC CSAT 2021 PYQs

UPSC CSAT 2021 Paper II with comprehension passages on environment, economy and democracy alongside number system, arithmetic and reasoning questions, with written solutions.

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Choose Normal practice or a Simulated test.

Questions, answer key and solutions.

Questions
74
Duration
120 min
Marks
185

Negative marking

Attempts
100
Access
Free
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Normal practice, or a Simulated test

Both use the same questions. Normal practice is untimed and needs no account: choose an option and the answer and solution appear at once. The Simulated test is the real computer-based format, with one 120-minute clock, a question palette and full screen, and your score, the key and the solutions arrive when you submit.

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How the two modes differ
No account needed

Normal

Untimed

Every question on one page, loading as you scroll. Choose an option and see straight away whether it was right.

  • No timer. Nothing to start and nothing to submit. Stop whenever you like.
  • Answered as you choose. Tap an option and it is marked at once, with the correct answer shown.
  • Solutions in place. The explanation, and the video where one has been added, sit under the question.
  • Open to guests. Normal practice needs no sign-in.
Real exam conditions

Simulated

Timed CBT

The computer-based test format: one clock, a question palette, and a score the moment you submit.

  • A clock that does not pause. 120 minutes from the moment you begin, and the paper is submitted for you when it reaches zero.
  • Question palette. Answered, not answered and marked for review, section by section, as the real interface has it.
  • Full screen, proctored. The test takes over the screen; leaving it three times submits the paper.
  • Answers hidden until you submit. The key, the explanations and your score all arrive together at the end.

About this test

UPSC CSAT 2021 Question Paper: Comprehension, Maths and Reasoning PYQ

The UPSC CSAT 2021 paper is General Studies Paper II of the Civil Services Preliminary Examination, mixing reading comprehension passages with number system, arithmetic and logical reasoning questions. Aptitude360 provides written solutions for every included question, so you can review the reasoning behind each answer.

What the UPSC CSAT 2021 paper tests

  • Reading comprehension: passages on animal pollinators, climate change in the Cauvery basin, Bisphenol A and stem cells, fig trees, agroecology, computerised cars and the Internet of Things, hygiene, antibiotics in poultry, food prices, inequality and democracy
  • Number system: unit digits of large powers, divisibility by seven, digit sums over a range, sums of three-digit numbers
  • Arithmetic: percentages, population doubling, relative speed, scores in a given proportion, averages after shifting students
  • Reasoning: statements and conclusions, direction sense, mirror images of letters, classification of books by given attributes, number series, matrix patterns, alphabet rearrangement, rank-based data sufficiency, sets

Key concepts for CSAT 2021 revision

  • Identifying the crux and the logical inference of a short passage
  • Cyclicity of unit digits for powers
  • Divisibility tests and digit-sum counting
  • Percentages, population doubling and overlapping groups
  • Testing each statement alone before combining them in data sufficiency

Preparation tips for UPSC CSAT

  • Answer comprehension questions only from the passage, not from your own views on the topic
  • In direction questions, sketch each turn on paper rather than tracking it mentally
  • For mirror-image questions, check which capital letters are symmetric about a vertical axis
  • In ranking questions, convert positions from the bottom into positions from the top using the class size

Who should practise this CSAT paper

UPSC Prelims aspirants who want to check their readiness for the qualifying CSAT paper with a real past question set.

FAQs about UPSC CSAT 2021 PYQs

Is CSAT qualifying in UPSC prelims?
Yes. CSAT, or General Studies Paper II, is qualifying in nature and candidates need to score at least 33 percent in it. Its score is not counted for the prelims merit list.
What is the syllabus of UPSC CSAT?
The CSAT syllabus covers comprehension, interpersonal and communication skills, logical reasoning and analytical ability, decision making and problem solving, general mental ability, basic numeracy of Class X level and data interpretation.
How do you find the unit digit of a large power?
Unit digits of powers repeat in cycles of at most four. Divide the exponent by four and use the remainder to pick the matching unit digit from the cycle, taking a remainder of zero as the fourth position.
What is the divisibility rule for 7?
Double the last digit and subtract it from the number formed by the remaining digits. If the result is divisible by seven, so is the original number, and the step can be repeated for large numbers.

Test structure

How the paper is split, and how long each part runs. A section you have finished cannot be returned to.

SectionQuestionsTime
UPSC - CSAT 202174120 min

Marking & rules

Total marks
185 across 74 questions.
Negative marking
A wrong answer costs marks. Leaving a question unanswered costs nothing.
Attempts
100 in total. An attempt is spent the moment you begin one.

What you get when you submit

The analysis is ready the moment you submit the paper.

Score and accuracy

Marks, percentage, right, wrong and skipped, and the time you took.

Section by section

The same figures for each section, so a weak one cannot hide in an average.

The full answer key

Every question with your answer, the right one, the working, and the video where there is one.

Where you stand

Your score against the spread of everyone else who has sat this test.

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