Around 42 per cent candidates turned up for the preliminary round for Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) for selection to the central administrative services at 80 centres in Hyderabad City.
The confusion over the pattern of the main paper earlier this year led to a lower-than-average turnout for the examination as candidates were vary of using up available chances for attempting the paper though the pattern of questions for the preliminary paper remained the same as introduced in 2011.
Of the 38,982 candidates registered for the examination at Hyderabad, only 16,600 attended the second session of the examination. “The national average is 50 per cent absenteeism in the examination. The number is lower than usual and that is a cause of concern,” said V. Gopalakrishna, director of civil services training institute, Brain Tree.
The paper did not contain any major surprises and was of average difficulty level and easier compared to previous years. “For a student who reads newspapers regularly it was an easy paper. There were nearly 12 questions on general awareness and applications. A significant number of questions covered geography as well as environment and ecology. This paper was easier. The emphasis on theory was limited. English, Comprehension and Aptitude was mostly based on a general pattern,” said V Rakesh who appeared for his second take at the administrative services.