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UPSC Syllabus

Detailed syllabus · Preliminary examination

UPSC CSAT Syllabus 2026: Paper II, Topic by Topic

Qualifying at 33% — and the paper that quietly ends attempts. UPSC's six lines, opened into 880 questions from 2016 to 2026.

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CSAT in short

80 questions, 200 marks, two hours; you need 33% (66 marks). Wrong answers cost one-third of a question's marks. Here is where UPSC's questions have come from:

Your CSAT checklist0 of 37 sub-topics covered

Tick the circle beside a sub-topic once you've covered it. Your ticks are saved in this browser on this device — nothing to sign up for.

Line 1 of 6 · UPSC's words

“Comprehension;”

Reading comprehension · 299 PYQs

All questions Timed sets

  1. Inference & assumptions

    132 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 6 more

    See all 132 questions

  2. Main idea, theme & conclusion

    88 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 6 more

    See all 88 questions

  3. Author's view & tone

    4 PYQs

    Asked in 2022, 2018, 2017

    See all 4 questions

  4. Word meaning in context

    1 PYQ

    Asked in 2026

    See all 1 question

  5. Facts & details from the passage

    78 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 6 more

    See all 78 questions
  6. Other questions on this topic (11)

Line 2 of 6 · UPSC's words

“Interpersonal skills including communication skills;”

UPSC tests this through the passages and situations in the comprehension and decision-making questions below.

Line 3 of 6 · UPSC's words

“Logical reasoning and analytical ability;”

Logical & analytical reasoning · 69 PYQs

All questions Timed sets

  1. Syllogisms & statement–conclusion

    33 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 5 more

    See all 33 questions

  2. Coding-decoding & series

    9 PYQs

    Asked in 2025, 2024, 2022, 2021, 2018 and 1 more

    See all 9 questions

  3. Blood relations & directions

    18 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2021 and 3 more

    See all 18 questions

  4. Clocks, calendars & dates

    Not asked yet

    In the syllabus; UPSC hasn't set a question on it since 2016 — read it, don't skip it.

  5. Other questions on this topic (10)

Line 4 of 6 · UPSC's words

“Decision making and problem solving;”

Decision making & interpersonal skills · 6 PYQs

All questions Timed sets

  1. Decision-making in administrative situations

    2 PYQs

    Asked in 2026

    See all 2 questions

  2. Communication & interpersonal skills

    4 PYQs

    Asked in 2026

    See all 4 questions

Line 5 of 6 · UPSC's words

“General mental ability;”

Puzzles, arrangements & general mental ability · 113 PYQs

All questions Timed sets

  1. Seating & linear arrangements

    10 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2023, 2022, 2020, 2019 and 3 more

    See all 10 questions

  2. Ranking & ordering

    21 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019 and 3 more

    See all 21 questions

  3. Grouping & selection

    11 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2025, 2021, 2017, 2016

    See all 11 questions

  4. Cubes, dice & figures

    17 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2019 and 3 more

    See all 17 questions

  5. Number & letter series

    17 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2021 and 3 more

    See all 17 questions

  6. Symbols & operations

    4 PYQs

    Asked in 2025, 2024

    See all 4 questions

  7. Clocks & calendars

    10 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2024, 2022, 2021, 2019 and 1 more

    See all 10 questions
  8. Other questions on this topic (25)

Line 6 of 6 · UPSC's words

“Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. — Class X level);”

Number system · 140 PYQs

All questions Timed sets

  1. Divisibility, remainders, HCF & LCM

    32 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 5 more

    See all 32 questions

  2. Digits, unit place & powers

    9 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2021 and 2 more

    See all 9 questions

  3. Number properties & sequences

    68 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 6 more

    See all 68 questions

  4. Fractions, decimals & simplification

    3 PYQs

    Asked in 2020, 2019

    See all 3 questions

  5. Sequences, cycles & extreme values

    27 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 6 more

    See all 27 questions
  6. Other questions on this topic (8)

Arithmetic: percentage, ratio, averages, time & work · 132 PYQs

All questions Timed sets

  1. Percentages, profit & loss

    28 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2025, 2024, 2022, 2021 and 5 more

    See all 28 questions

  2. Ratio, proportion & mixtures

    13 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2025, 2022, 2021, 2020 and 3 more

    See all 13 questions

  3. Averages & ages

    19 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2025, 2024, 2022, 2021 and 4 more

    See all 19 questions

  4. Time, speed & distance

    16 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2025, 2022, 2021, 2020 and 4 more

    See all 16 questions

  5. Time & work

    12 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2021 and 3 more

    See all 12 questions

  6. Interest

    2 PYQs

    Asked in 2023, 2018

    See all 2 questions

  7. Word problems & equations

    29 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2025, 2024, 2022, 2021 and 5 more

    See all 29 questions
  8. Other questions on this topic (19)

Counting, permutations & probability · 43 PYQs

All questions Timed sets

  1. Permutations & combinations

    4 PYQs

    Asked in 2023, 2021

    See all 4 questions

  2. Probability

    2 PYQs

    Asked in 2018, 2016

    See all 2 questions

  3. Counting figures & cases

    36 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 5 more

    See all 36 questions
  4. Other questions on this topic (2)

Data interpretation & sufficiency · 58 PYQs

All questions Timed sets

  1. Tables, charts & graphs

    17 PYQs

    Asked in 2022, 2021, 2018

    See all 17 questions

  2. Data sufficiency

    38 PYQs

    Asked in 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2 more

    See all 38 questions
  3. Other questions on this topic (3)

Geometry & mensuration · 20 PYQs

All questions Timed sets

  1. Lines, angles & triangles

    6 PYQs

    Asked in 2022, 2021, 2018, 2017, 2016

    See all 6 questions

  2. Area, perimeter & volume

    14 PYQs

    Asked in 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2 more

    See all 14 questions

FAQ

CSAT syllabus: questions, answered

What is the UPSC CSAT syllabus?

UPSC's syllabus for Prelims Paper II lists comprehension; interpersonal skills including communication skills; logical reasoning and analytical ability; decision making and problem solving; general mental ability; and basic numeracy and data interpretation at Class X level.

Is CSAT qualifying in UPSC Prelims?

Yes. Paper II is qualifying with minimum marks fixed at 33%. Its marks are not added to Paper I for the Prelims merit, but failing to reach 33% means you are out, whatever your Paper I score.

Which CSAT topics are asked the most?

From 2016 to 2026: reading comprehension (299 questions, about 34%), number system (140 questions, about 16%), arithmetic: percentage, ratio, averages, time & work (132 questions, about 15%).

What level of maths is in the CSAT syllabus?

UPSC sets basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude) and data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency) at Class X level.