Change in prelims question pattern troubles civil service aspirants

Kochi: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) civil services aspirants who appeared for the preliminary examination on Sunday said this year’s general studies (Paper I) was among the toughest in recent years, citing changes in question patterns, lengthy framing, and an increased focus on in-depth knowledge of subjects.

Many candidates who wrote the exam across the state expressed disappointment, saying that the paper demanded more time for comprehension and analysis than the previous editions.

Sarath B R, a candidate from Thiruvananthapuram, who has appeared for the exam multiple times, described the paper as unusually difficult. “I have been writing the exam for the last few years, and I found this exam the toughest UPSC prelims in recent times. Usually, the exam allows scope for applying logic and mental ability but this year many questions were based on random facts," he said.

However, Sarath added that the questions were not lacking quality. “But the unexpected change in pattern of the questions led caused confusion among candidates, especially the first timers,” he said.

Arjun M, a UPSC aspirant from Kannur who did not write the exam this year but reviewed the question paper, said the general knowledge section featured in-depth questions on subjects and the options provided for the questions could easily confuse candidates. “As many of the options were significantly close to the right answer, luck would play a key role in getting better scores,” he said.

Nikitha K, a first-time candidate from Kasaragod district, said the changed pattern made time management difficult. “Many questions were lengthy and took more time to understand, which led to lapse of time,” she said.

The candidates also think the cut-off marks for qualifications could significanltly come down in the wake of the changes to the examinations this year.