UPSC CSAT 2021 Question Paper With Answer Key: GS Paper II

UPSC CSAT 2021 Question Paper PDF is now available here for free download. Out of three UPSC Civil Services exam stages i.e., Prelims, Mains and Interview, the Union Public Service Commission conducts the CSAT or GS Paper-2 in the Prelims stage. The UPSC CSE Prelims exam for the 2021 cycle was held back on 10th October 2021. Candidates had to appear for both the GS Paper I and Paper II on that same day in two shifts. The UPSC CSAT paper 2021 was conducted in the second i.e., the afternoon shift.

• A total of 9,70,000 candidates appeared for the UPSC Prelims 2021 exam, out of which around only 13,000 candidates qualified for Mains. 
• The UPSC CSAT or Civil Services Aptitude Test is actually the UPSC Prelims General Studies Paper-II that candidates need to pass with at least 33% marks.
• Candidates are asked to go through the official UPSC CSAT 2021 answer key once after solving the question paper to know their correct and incorrect attempts.
• In this article, our UPSC CSE team has curated the official UPSC CSAT 2021 question paper with the final answer key, GS Paper-II analysis, key topics, and benefits of practising it.

Want to get qualified for mains? Enrol in the best UPSC CSAT Coaching here!

You can also check out Topic Wise UPSC Prelims Questions here.

UPSC CSAT 2021 Question Paper PDF

As per the official UPSC IAS Notification, candidates will have to appear for two papers in the Civil Services Prelims exam. The UPSC CSAT or Civil Services Aptitude Test, also known as the UPSC Prelims GS Paper 2 is a part of the Prelims stage since the 2011 cycle. It’s a critical paper that carries 80 objective-type questions for a total of 200 marks. Also, candidates who scored a minimum of 33% (i.e, 66 marks) in UPSC CSAT paper 2021 were qualified for the next Mains round.

Now, aspirants can download the official UPSC CSAT 2021 Question Paper PDF by clicking on the direct link given below to start thorough practice.

Get all UPSC 2021 Question Papers on the linked article here!

UPSC CSAT 2021 Answer Key - Prelims GS Paper II Solutions

All candidates who have appeared for the UPSC CSAT 2021 question paper or just want to check the solutions during practice, must refer to this final answer key. The UPSC Prelims 2021 Paper 2 answer key contains question-wise solutions to the paper mentioned above. It will help candidates tally their right & wrong answers during practice as well as help them determine their overall score. As per the answers provided in UPSC CSAT 2021 answer key, our experts have concluded that most answers published by UPSC were right and the paper was moderately difficult.

Download UPSC CSAT 2021 Answer Key and Also, check out the CSAT Preparation Strategy For UPSC here.

UPSC CSAT Question Distribution (2014-2024): Subject-Wise Analysis

The below graph represents the trend of UPSC subject-wise weightage

Expert Analysis of UPSC CSAT Question Paper 2021

The UPSC 2021 prelims paper (CSAT) was held on 10th October 2021, upon asking the candidates, we found mixed reviews about the paper's difficulty. Some aspirants reviewed that the UPSC CSAT 2021 question paper was relatively easier than other UPSC CSAT Previous Year Question Papers. Another half felt that the questions were mixed and tricky in nature. Overall, it can be concluded that the UPSC CSAT Paper 2021 was moderate in level.

To help you understand this paper better, our experts have made a proper exam analysis of the UPSC CSAT 2021 paper. You will also be able to check out the IAS CSAT Subject Wise Questions Weightage for the same in the table below.

As per the expert note made for UPSC Prelims 2021 Question Paper 2 -

• Over 25 Reading Comprehension questions were asked in UPSC CSAT paper 2021 with a total of 5+ passages, carrying 1 long question each. 
• Syllogism, Puzzles & Seating Arrangements, and Coding-Decoding topics carried most questions in UPSC CSAT 2021 paper for Logical Reasoning.
• Data Sufficiency was the most difficult section among others.
• Basic level DI questions were asked.

Also, check out the official UPSC Cut Off for Prelims GS Paper-II here!

Official Syllabus of UPSC CSAT Question Paper 2021

Before starting to solve the UPSC CSAT 2021 question paper, candidates must know the detailed UPSC CSAT Syllabus which is mentioned below.

• Comprehension
• Interpersonal skills including communication skills
• Logical reasoning & analytical ability
• Decision-making & problem solving
• General mental ability
• Basic numeracy (numbers & their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) – Class X level)
• Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. – Class X level)

Also, check CSAT Books For UPSC to cover all the syllabus topics mentioned above.

UPSC CSAT 2021 Question Paper Pattern

All candidates who are preparing in reference to the UPSC CSAT 2021 Question Paper know that it is qualifying in nature. Some of the major points to be noted in terms of the UPSC Exam Pattern for Prelims GS Paper-II are as follows -

• All questions asked in the UPSC CSAT paper will be multiple choice type questions in an objective format. 
• A total of 80 questions will be asked.
• The CSAT GS Paper-II will be of 200 marks in total. 
• Qualifying marks is 66 (i.e., 33%)
• This paper will be held for a total of 2 hours.
• Aspirants will stand disqualified if they only appear for the UPSC CSAT paper and not for the General Studies Paper-I in Prelims. 

Implement tips from the UPSC Prelims Strategy to effectively solve CSAT practice papers. 

Importance of Solving UPSC CSAT 2021 Question Paper

Our experts have curated the official UPSC Prelims CSAT 2021 paper to help you practise each question in the best possible manner. The major benefits of solving it are given below -

• Candidates must practise the UPSC CSAT paper 2021 in order to analyse topic-wise questions with their varying difficulty levels.
• It will also help them understand the cut off trends for the paper going by the difficulty & type of questions asked. 
• It is always advisable to first solve the UPSC CSAT 2021 Question Paper and then check any relevant test series or mock papers to level up your preparation. 
• Going by the UPSC CSAT 2021 answer key, candidates can easily start solving questions for self-assessment on a daily basis.
• As the UPSC CSAT 2021 paper was easy to moderate, practising it for a month’s time will help you score minimum qualifying marks easily. 

Also, go through other UPSC IAS Previous Year Papers for Prelims & Mains exams here!

We hope that the article could help you easily download the UPSC CSAT 2021 Question Paper PDF to start practising right away. Our experts have also attached the final UPSC CSAT 2021 answer key for your easy reference. For more such UPSC question papers and expert analysis, download the Testbook App for free. You must also enrol in the market’s best UPSC Online Coaching offered by Testbook’s expert mentors who will guide you based on the latest exam trends.