As I came up with CSE-24 preparation post for GS, I got many queries regarding CSAT preparation strategy. Therefore, I conducted the same exercise that I did for GS i.e. floated a form in my Mains-23 group toask from those who cleared CSAT-2023 that how should CSE-2024 Aspirants go about it.
I had asked them following questions:
You have Background in CSAT?
What Source(s) did you follow for CSAT?
Which mock test is the best as per you?
Did you refer PYQs?
Did you take coaching/classes for CSAT?
If you took coaching then please mention its name.
On average, how many hours/week did you prepare for CSAT?
Please share some tips/tricks you followed in exam hall while solving CSAT-2023 Paper. (Example: How many questions, passage vs math ratio, how you kept cool, did any mock test help you in answering any question etc.)
What advice(s) you want to give to CSE-24 Aspirants regarding CSAT
43/125 i.e. 34.4% had no background in CSAT. 2024 Aspirants not having background in CSAT should specifically read strategy of these guys in above mentioned Excel File.
115/125 referred to PYQs thus validating the fact that solving PYQs and practicing similar questions is your best bet and way forward to clear CSAT-2024.
Only 18 out of 125 took any sort of formal coaching. Otherwise, most participants agreed to have relied upon PYQs and Mocks.
Sources:
PYQs are must as mentioned by almost all. Important to analyze themes, repeated areas and practice accordingly.
Mock Tests. Most mentions include Vision Abhyas and Forum. However, participants have clearly mentioned that no mock is able to match UPSC’s standards.
YouTube channels & Video Lectures that find mention: OnlyIAS, Amit garg (IAS setu), Edutap and edsarrthi free lectures, UPSC Prep, UPSC & you, Sunya, Vision ias lectures available on telegram, Civilstap etc. (Go through excel for complete list)
Books that find mention: Arihant, Ungist etc.
Study Hours: Most, even those who do not have background in CSAT, started preparing only in last 2-3 months.
Try advance level of questions do not ignore probability, P&C and Number System.
“My last experience taught me that I panic if I don’t solve at least 25 questions in first hour. Based on PYQ, I went with the mindset that I have to focus on English but to leave philosophy based questions. For Maths, I was focusing on accuracy. I went with that I will solve maximum 55 question and minimum 50 Don’t follow anyone strategy, devise your own based on your comfortable zone. Solve PYQ multiple times but paper wise, I mean take 2 hours, solve full paper. Check from only official answer keys. Do solve immediate last paper and related topic. 4- 5 questions get repeated in different form with similar answers”
“I first saw all the questions in first 5 minutes and found that quant was tough and hardly there were 10 questions that I can do with full conviction. Then I started with comprehension and this was easy part. I was done with comprehension in 35 minutes. This time is less because I had practiced somewhere near to 600 comprehension. FYI: I am from humanities background and used to get single digit marks in my school examination. Tips: practice with a timer to know yourself. Every section is important. Know what is your optimum number of attempts. (For me it was nothing less than 45) Don’t ignore comprehension. Practicing comprehension will give you an edge. You can easily score 40-45 marks from comprehension and rest 25-30 from quant and reasoning. Believe me it is a low hanging fruit. Just practice it. Mocks repeated pyqs in their questions which helped me. Above all it gave me the power to maintain calmness. I gave all the mocks at forum ias test centre every Sunday. I attempted 45 questions. All comprehension attempted (27). This was part of my strategy and 18 from quant and reasoning. Got somewhere near 80 marks. “
Plan was to attempt 30-35 Q of Reasoning and Quant and 10-15 Q of English. Could solve only 15 Q from Reasoning and Quant combined so immediately shifted to Comprehension and did as many as I could. Number of total que attempted: 39. Mock tests help only in time management.
“I didn’t qualify CSAT in 2022 although I scored good in GS1… In this attempt, I panicked because the questions were not my stronghold or I never studied Permutations and Combinations for UPSC.. although I was loving this topic in 11th and 12th… So learning is prepare for all topic in depth even if u feel u r well verse in it… At least test your knowledge before trusting it… I think every year in CSAT there is scope for clearing the 66.66 marks… For example this year comprehension was easy compared to all my previous 4 attempts (my feeling)… Many of my friends n me did only 4-6 questions wrong in comprehension… So we scored around 48+-3 marks (approx)… I.e. there was only need to score 20-24 marks in maths sections and that much questions were there in this year paper… I admit that finding those questions was the most difficult and panicking task…”
Mock tests of coaching institutes are not good especially for the English section. Newspaper reading helps. PYQs are very very important along with conceptual clarity regarding math portions. PLEASE DON’T TAKE CSAT CASUALLY.
“Analysis by PYQ they give you easy question always but try to practice to find them . Don’t Go atleast 56 to 60+ mathod if you are weak in maths, average in reasoning and paragraphs ….Like me.. Do minimum but get maximum right Target to right questions 36/56 You are safe”
In CSE 2021 and 2022, cleared CSAT on basis of maths and reasoning and in 2023 where maths was extremely tough (barring 3-4 questions) cleared majorly on basis of passage and some question (hardly 10-12) from maths and reasoning . So the strategy should be to be average in all the sections (dont leave any sections thinking cutoff is just 67 marks). Question selection is important as no matter what, there will always be 38-40 easy questions (could be from any section in any proportion) out of the 80 questions. This year passage was easy compared to the year of 2021 and maths was extremely tough. So be flexible with the attempt strategy as per the difficulty of the paper.
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