What is CSAT? Know about why civil services aptitude test.

Why we study Civil services aptitude test

We must first understand the meaning of the word ‘aptitude’ before understanding the objectives of the civil services aptitude test. The dictionary meaning of the word aptitude are capability, ability, innate or acquired capacity for something, talent, the state or quality of being apt, the readiness or quickness in learning, intelligence etc. It is thus that through aptitude tests, the innate or acquired capability could be tested. Career counselors; often take the help of myriad aptitude tests to give advice regarding selection of career to a person. If a person adept at mathematical calculations, he/she is advised to purse mathematics as a career, if a person is good at reasoning, he/she could bea good manager or scientist. Similarly , a civil servant must possess the capability to deal with specific situations arising during the discharge of the job responsibilities. Just, to measure up this aptitude the structure of Civil Services (Prelims) Exam has been designed as CSAT.

As an officer on duty, a candidate will find himself/herself in situations in which he/she would have to take urgent decisions, and for this the individual must possess good decision making and problem solving skills with analytical and mental abilities. As a Civil servant, a person comes across various data types and structures, and would have to base the decisions on interpretations of the given data structures. Keeping all these aspects in kind there was a need of including such test items in place of optional subjects from curricula, which could rate the decision making and problem solving abilities, logical and analytical abilities, how a person deals with numerical calculations and data, as well as interpersonal communication skills. Also how a person comprehends the given situation should also to be tested, with English Language Skills. Also there have to  be included the test items to gauge the ethical and moral dimensions of the personality of a candidate desiring to enter the civil services.

(101)