Civil Service Gurus Give Thumbs Up To Csat Plan

By Author: Sarfraj Ahmed
Total Articles: 9
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Will the aptitude test that is set to replace the Civil Services Exam prelims from next year help in the selection of better officers?

Civil Services aspirants will have to face an aptitude test in place of the existing preliminary examination to get shortlisted for the next step, the main exam, from next year onwards.

The new system means that the candidates will have to appear for two objective- type papers having special emphasis on testing their “aptitude for civil services” and on “ ethical and moral dimension of decision- making” under a Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT).

How beneficial or difficult will the new pattern of examination prove for the candidates? Experts from leading civil service coaching institutes in the city share their views. The new pattern will ensure greater transparency and fairness in the selection process,” says V. P. Gupta, director, Rau’s IAS Study Circle. “ The test will provide a level playing field to all the candidates who would now appear for the common papers.

This will also eliminate the need for moderation applied by the Union Public Service ...
... Commission (UPSC) under the present pattern of preliminary examination.

The UPSC conducts the Civil Services examination every year to select candidates for the elite All India Services including the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, Indian Foreign Service, Indian Revenue Service and a host of other central government jobs.

The new system means that students will have to ultimately bank upon their aptitude instead of burning the midnight oil to collect heaps of facts Initially, the personality and aptitude of a candidate was assessed only at the interview level. Now, only candidates with the right attitude will write the main examination,” he says.

That’s a view also shared by Nilesh Tripathi, director, Career Point. He says that the aptitude test will ensure that only those candidates with genuine interest will get into the services. “ A lot of candidates who enter the administrative service now are there thanks to their memory power and rote learning,” says Tripathi.

The proposed test will examine a candidate’s logical and reasoning skill. “ It will also gauge how he/ she reacts to a particular situation, in an intelligent and sensible manner,” he says.

However, Gupta of Rau’s Study Circle believes that testing a candidate on his/ her moral and ethical dimension may prove to be tricky as the board may find some difficulty in framing the right type of questions. “ The principles of psychometric testing can be helpful in this connection.

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