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(IGP) CSAT Paper - II : Decision Making & Problem Solving

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• Solve Decision Making Questions In UPSC Csat Paper

How to Solve Decision Making Questions in UPSC CSAT Paper

The Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) or the General Studies Paper-II is one of the two papers of the UPSC civil services prelims exam. It is only a qualifying paper in which you have to score a minimum of 33%. As per the CSAT Syllabus, decision making is one of the four important segments. Know how to solve decision making questions in UPSC CSAT paper.

, check the following links:

Decision-Making for UPSC CSAT

Even then, a lot of IAS aspirants fear this paper especially if they are from a non-maths or non-science/engineering academic background. Although out of a total of 200 marks you only have to score at least 66, when you consider the fact that you will be penalized with negative marks for wrong answers, it can be safely said that proper planned preparation is needed even for the CSAT paper.

The CSAT generally consists of four types of questions:

• Logical reasoning
• Comprehension
• Decision making

Information about decision making questions:

• As a civil servant, you are expected to make quick and rational decisions that benefit the maximum. You should not buckle under political pressure and should discharge your duty fearlessly and honestly. The decision making questions test the same qualities. They put you in certain situations and ask you to solve a problem.
• Preparing for the decision making questions would also keep you in good stead for the General Studies Paper IV (ethics paper) in the UPSC civil services mains exam.
• These questions assess your abilities as an administrator.
• There is no negative marking for decision making questions.
• The official answer key gives two possible correct answers to these questions.

Decision making questions and answers for UPSC

Take a look at the following decision making questions from UPSC Prelims exam 2012:

Q) You are handling a time-bound project. During the project review meeting, you find that the project is likely to get delayed due to lack of cooperation of the team members. You would…

(a) Warn the team members for their non-cooperation.

(b) Look into reasons for non-cooperation.

(c) Ask for the replacement of team members.

(d) Ask for an extension of time citing reasons.

Answer: (b)

Q) You are competing with your batch-mate for the prestigious award to be decided based on an oral presentation. You have been asked by the committee to finish on time. Your friend, however, is allowed more than the stipulated time period.

a) Lodge a complaint to chairperson against the discrimination.

b) Not listen to any justification from the committee

c) Ask for withdrawal of your name

d) Protest and leave the place

Answer: (a)

The next question is taken from the 2013 UPSC Prelims CSAT GS paper II:

Q) You are handling a priority project and have been meeting all the deadlines and are therefore planning your leave during the project. Your immediate boss does not grant your leave citing the urgency of the project. You would…

1) Proceed on leave without waiting for the sanction.

2) Pretend to be sick and take leave.

3) Approach higher authority to reconsider the leave application.

4) Tell the boss that it is not justified.

Answer: (3)

Strategy to solve decision making questions for UPSC exam:

• Decision-making problems can be solved by a five-step approach:-
• Find the issue in the question
• Find the possible solutions
• Exclude the bad solutions
• Choose the best solution
• Take the final choice
• Eliminate choices that involve giving/taking bribes, showing arrogance, dishonesty, getting intimidated, ignoring wrong-doings, insubordination, biasness, impractical choices, short-term oriented, etc.
• Always choose answers which portray you as upright, honest, practical, humane, efficient, taking action-type of an officer, etc.
• Since there are two possible answers to these questions, you just need to figure out the two worst choices and pick any one of the two remaining choices.

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UPSC Prelims Topic Wise Questions – Decision Making and Problem Solving

Direction (Q. Nos. 1-9) Given below are eight questions. Bach question describes a situation and is followed by four Directions ossible responses. Indicate the response you find most Choose only one response for each question. The esponses will be evaluated based on the level of appropriateness ppropriate. ir the given situation. Please attempt all the questions. There sno penalty for wrong answers for these eight questions.

Table of Contents

Q1. You have been asked to give an explanation for not attending an important official meeting. Your immediate boss who has not informed you about the meeting is now putting pressure on you not to place an allegation against him/her. You would (2011)

(a) send a written reply explaining the fact (b) seek an appointment with the top boss to explain the situation (c) admit your fault to save the situation (d) put the responsibility on the coordinator of the meeting for not informing

Exp. As you have been asked to give an explanation, so it is the best way to give a written reply explaining the fact. Hence, answer is (a).

Q2. A local thug (bad element) has started illegal construction on your vacant plot. He has refused your request to vacate and threatened you of dire consequences in case you do not sell the property at a cheap price to him. You would (2011)

(a) sell the property at a cheap price to him (b) go to the police for necessary action (c) negotiate with the goon to get a higher price

Exp. In such a situation, going to the police for necessary action is the best action that should be taken. Hence, answer is (b)

Q3. You have to accomplish a very important task for your headquarters within the next two days. Suddenly you meet with an accident. Your office insists that you complete the task. You would

(a) for extension of deadline (b )ask for an extension of your ability to fishmay (c) suggest alternate person to headquarters who may do the needful (d) stay away till you recover

Exp. Informing headquarters of your inability to finish the work one time, explaining the reason is the best action. So, answer is (b)

Q4. You are an officer-in-charge for providing basic medical facilities to the survivors of an earthquake affected area. Despite your best possible effort, people put allegations against you for making money out of the funds given for relief. You would (2011)

(a) let an enquiry be set up to look into the matter (b) ask your senior to appoint some other person in your place (c) not pay attention to allegations (d) stop undertaking any initiative till the matter is resolved

Exp. As you are doing your work honestly and with complete on dedication, so thet best action is not to pay attention to the allegations. Hence, answer is (c).

Q5. You have been made responsible to hire boats at a short notice to be used for an area under flood. On seeing the price mentioned by the boat owners you found that the lowest price was approximately three times more than the approved rate of the government. You would (2011)

(a) reject the proposal and call for a fresh price (b) accept the lowest price (c) refer the matter to the government and wait (d) threaten the boat owners about a possible cancellation of the licence

Exp. Since, the price mentioned by the boat owners are three times the approved government rate so you cannot accept the lowest price at once, as you are a responsible government employee and the money given to you is not In yours. So, in such situation it is best to reject the proposal and call for a fresh price.

Q6. You are the officer-in-charge of a village istor administering distribution of vaccine in an isolated epidemic hit village and you are left with only one vaccine. There is a requirement of that vaccine from the Gram Pradhan and also a poor villager. You are being pressurised by the Gram Pradhan to issue the vaccine to him. You would (2011)

(a) initiate the procedure to expedite the next supply without issuing the vaccine to either (b) arrange vaccine for the poor villager from the distributor of another area (c) ask both to approach a doctor and get an input about the urgency (d) arrange vaccine for the Gram Pradhan from the distributor of another area

Exp. In the given situation, you need to consult a doctor’s advice before reaching to any conclusion. Then, after knowing the need and urgency, you can give medicine. So, answer is (c).

Q7. You have taken up a project to create night-shelters for homeless people during the winter season. Within a week of establishing the shelters, you have received complaints from the residents of the area about the increase in theft cases with a demand to remove the shelters. You would (2011)

(a) ask them to lodge a written complaint in the police station (b) assure residents of an enquiry into the matter (c) ask residents to consider the humanitarian effort made (d) continue with the project and ignore their complaint

Exp. As a responsible project manager, it is your responsibility to pacify the residents, who have complained to you. The best action in such situation is to assure residents of an inquiry into the matter.

Q8. You, as an administrative authority, have been approached, by the daughter-in-law of an influential person regarding harassment by her in-laws on account of insufficient dowry. Her parents are not able to approach you because of social pressures. You would (2011)

(a) call the in-laws for an explanation (b) counsel the lady to adjust, given such a circumstance (c) take action after her parents approach you (d) ask her to lodge a complaint with the police

Exp. Here, the best option is to ask her to lodge a complaint with the police for future actions. Hence, answer is (d). Directions (Q. Nos. 9-16) Given below are seven questions. Each question described a situation responses. Indicate the response you find most appropriate. Choose only one response for each question. The responses will be evaluated based on the level of appropriateness for the given situation. Please attempt all the questions. There is no penalty for wrong answers for these seven questions.

Q9. You have difference of opinion regarding the final report prepared by your subordinate that is to be submitted urgently. The subordinate is justifying the bos information given in the report. You would (2012)

(a) convince the subordinate that he is wrong (b) tell him to reconsider the results (c) revise the report on your own (d) tell him not to justify the mistaken

Exp. Considering the urgency, options (a) and (b) would result in loss of time. Option (c) would result in an unnecessary dispute. So, the best action is to revise the report on your own and after that you can guide subordinate about the report. So, option (c) is best course of action.

Q10. You are competing with your batch-mate for a prestigious award to be decided based on an oral presentation. Ten minutes are allowed for each presentation. You have been asked by the presenon time. Your friend, however, is than the stipulated time period. You would committee to

(a) lodge a complaint to the chairperson against the discrimination (b) not listen to any justification from the committee (c) ask for withdrawal of your name (d) protest and leave the place

Exp. Withdrawal of your name is an escapist attitude. Protesting is correct but lodging a complaint to the concerned authority will give the result. So, option (a) is the best course of action

Q11. You are handling a time-bound project. During the project review meeting, you find that the project is likely to get delayed due to lack of cooperation of the team members. You would (2012)

(a) warn the team members for their non-cooperation (b) look into reasons for non-cooperation (c) ask for the replacement of team members (d) ask for extension of time citing reasons

Exp. Looking into reasons for non-cooperation and then rectifying it is the correct step. Options (c) and (d) show lack of leadership qualities. Option (a) will not solve the problem permanently. So, option (b) is correct.

Q12. You are the chairperson of a state sports committee. You have received a complaint and later it was found that an athlete in the junior age category who has won a medal has crossed the age criteria by 5 days. You would (2012)

(a) ask the screening committee for a clarification (b) ask the athlete to return the medal (c) ask the athlete to get an affidavit from the court declaring his/her age (d) ask the members of the sports committee for their views

Exp. Since, it is proved that athlete has crossed the age criteria so options (a) and (d) are ruled out. Asking for an affidavit does not change the fact. So, best course of action would be to ask the athlete to return the medal. So, option (b) is correct.

Q13. You are handling a priority project and have been meeting all the deadlines and are therefore planning your leave during the project. Your immediate boss 10 does not grant your leave citing the urgency of the (2012) project. You would

(a) proceed on leave without waiting for the sanction (b) pretend to be sick and take leave (c) approach higher authority to reconsider the leave application (d) tell the boss that it is not justified

Exp. Option (a) shows your adamant attitude. Option (b) is ethically not permitted. Arguing with the immediate boss is not correct as it will not bring any result. Option (c) is the best course of action.

Q14. You are involved in setting up a water supply proje in a remote area. Full recovery of cost is impossib in any case. The income levels in the area are lo and 25% of the population is Below Poverty Lin (BPL). When a decision has to be taken on

(a) recommend that the supply of water be free of charge f you would all respects (2012 (b) recommendon a one time fixed sum t the installation of taps and the usage of water be free (c) recommend that a fixed monthly charge be levied onl on the non-BPL families and for BPL families wal should be free (d) recommend that the users pay a charge based on the consumption of water with differentiated charges for non-BPL families

Exp. Options (a) and (b) would result into wastage of water an loss for the project. Options (c) and (d) are good course action but differentiated charges according to income leve and consumption would be a better solution. So, option (d is correct.

Q15. As a citizen you have some work with a governmen department. The official calls you again and again and without directly asking you, sends out feelers for a bribe. You want to get your work done. You would

(a) give a bribe (b) behave as if you have not understood the feelers and persist with your application (c) go to the higher officer for help and verbally- complaining about feelers (d) send in a formal complaint

Exp. Option (a) is not correct and ethically not permitted. Option (b) will not solve your problem. Giving a written complaint about the feeler is logically not correct. So, best course of action is to go to the higher officer for help and verbally complaining about feelers.

Q16. Consider the following statements. (2013)

• A primary group is relatively smaller in size.
• Intimacy is an essential characteristic of a primary group.
• A family may be an example of a primary group.

In the light of the above statements, which one of the following is true?

(a) All families are primary groups (b) All primary groups are families (c) A group of smaller size is always a primary group (d) Members of a primary group know each other

Exp. Option (a) is incorrect because statement (3) says that a family may be an example of primary group and not that all families are. (b) is incorrect because we are told by statement (3) that a family may be a primary group and nothing about all primary groups. (c) is also incorrect because Statement (1) says that a primary group is relatively smaller in size and not whether it is actually small or not. (d) is correct. Statement (2) tells us that intimacy is an essential characteristic of a primary group which means that the members of a primary group know each other intimately.

• Directions (Q. Nos. 17-21) Given below are six questions. Each question describes a situation and is followed by four possible responses. Indicate the response you find most appropriate. Choose only one response for each question. The responses will be evaluated based on the level of appropriateness for the given situation. Please attempt all the questions. There is no penalty for wrong answers for these six questions.

Q17. You are the head of your office. There are certain houses reserved for the allotment to the office staff and you have been given the discretion to do so. A set of rules for the allotment of the houses has been laid down by you and has been made public. Your personal secretary, who is very close to you, comes to you and pleads that as his father is seriously ill, he should be given priority in allotment of a house. The office secretariat that examined the request as per the rules turns down the request and recommends the procedure to be followed according to the rules. You do not want to annoy your personal secretary.(2013)

In such circumstances, what would you do?

(a) Call him over to your room and personally explain why the allotment cannot be done (b) Allot the house to him to win his loyalty (c) Agree with the office note to show that you are not biased and that you do not indulge in favouritism (d) Keep the file with you and not pass any orders

Exp. Here, we have two objectives according to the question, not to annoy the secretary and to follow the rules and the law. Option (a) allows to both follow the rules as well as not to annoy the secretary and so it should be the first choice. Option (c) follows the rules but might disrupt the relationship with the secretary. In any case following the law and not showing any kind of favouritism are imperatives and cannot be compromised for any friendship. Thus (c) is also an acceptable solution. Option (b) is clearly wrong as it shows favouritism and bias and breaks the official rules. Option (d) is also clearly wrong as not doing your job because it might lead to unfavourable results for someone is also not acceptable.

Q18. While travelling in a Delhi-registered commercial taxi from Delhi to an adjacent city (another State), your taxi driver informs you that as he has no permit for running the taxi in that city, he will stop at its Transport Office and pay the prescribed fee of ₹ 40 for a day. While paying the fee at the counter you find that the transport clerk is taking an extra 50 for which no receipt is being given. You are in a hurry for your meeting. In such circumstances, what would you do? (2013)

(a) Go up to the counter and ask the clerk to give back the money which he has illegally take (b) Do not interfere at all as this is a matter between the taxi driver and the tax authorities (c) Take note of the incident and subsequently report the matter to the concerned authorities (d) Treat it as a normal affair and simply forget about it

Exp. Here, again we have two objectives. Firstly, it is our responsibility to report any case of corruption that we come across. Secondly, time is precious in this situation and reaching the destination on time is also important. In this case, we can either give priority to reaching the meeting. since reporting the case later on will not cause any imeversible damage or we can also take care of the matter then and there. Thus, option (c) is correct and option (a) is also acceptable. Options (b) and (d) are clearly wrong because they ignore the case of corruption. Taking cognizance of such matters even if they don’t fall in ones domain is every citizen’s public responsibility.

Q19. A person lives in a far off village which is almost two hours by bus. The villager’s neighbour is a very powerful landlord who is trying to occupy the poor villager’s land by force. You are the District Magistrate and busy in a meeting called by a local Minister. The villager has come all the way, by bus and on foot, to see you and give an application seeking protection from the powerful landlord. The villager keeps on waiting outside the meeting hall for an hour. You come out of the meeting and are rushing to another meeting. The villager follows you to submit his application. What would you do? (2013)\

(a) Tell him to wait for another two hours till you come back from your next meeting

(b) Tell him that the matter is actually to be dealt by a junior officer and that he should give the application to him

(c) Call one of your senior subordinate officers and ask him to solve the villager’s problem (d) Quickly take the application from him, ask him a few relevant questions regarding his problem and then proceed to the meeting

Exp. Here, we have two objectives to achieve at the same time. Firstly, we have to help the villager who has come from far off. Secondly, we have to reach the second meeting on time. Option (d) allows us to achieve both. Option (c) also achieves the same objectives though it means that the villager will have to wait for a little more time. Options (a) and (d) are wrong as, they will increase the troubles of the villager who might not be able to wait longer.

Q20. There is a shortage of sugar in your district, where you are the District Magistrate. The government has ordered that only a maximum amount of 30 kg sugar is to be released for wedding celebrations. A son of your close friend is getting married and your friend requests you to release at least 50 kg sugar for his son’s wedding. He expresses annoyance when you tell him about the government’s restrictions on this matter. He feels that since you are the District Magistrate you can release any amount. You do not want to spoil your friendship with him. In such circumstances, how would you deal with the situation? (2013)

(a) Release the extra amount of sugar which your friend has requested for (b) Refuse your friend the extra amount and strictly follow the rules (c) Show your friend the copy of the government instructions and then persuade ade him to accept the lower amount as prescribed in the rules (d) Advise him to directly apply to the allotting authority and inform him that you do not interfere in this matter

Exp. Here, we have two objectives, to follow the government orders and to not spoil the friendship. Option (d) allows us to achieve both since we are not directly refusing to help. Option (c) is also correct. However, it involves us into the situation by trying to persuade the friend directly. Option (a) is clearly wrong as it doesn’t follow the government orders. Option (b) is also less acceptable as it does not achieve the objective mentioned in the problem, that is not to lose the friendship since it risks annoying him

Q21. You are incharge of implementing the Family Planning Programme in an area, where there is a strong opposition to the present policy. You want to convince the residents of the need for keeping small families. What would be the best way of communicating this message? (2013)

(a) By logically explaining to the residents the need for family planning to improve health and living standards (b) By encouraging late marriages and proper spacing of children (c) By offering incentives for adopting family planning devices (d) By asking people, who have been sterilised or are using contraceptives to directly talk to the residents

Exp. Here, we have convince the villagers to accept the programme while keeping in mind the local sensibilities Option (a) is the right choice as villagers are more likely to be convinced, if they are presented with logic and reasons directly and clearly Option (d) is also correct. People, who have already had experience of the family planning ramme will be able to address the misgivings and programme concerns as well as explain the benefits and changes the programme has brought into their lives to villagers directly. Option (b) might not work. By directly asking the people to change certain things which are personal and might be part of their culture might not go down well with the villagers Option (c) also might not work. Incentives can only work to a certain extent and people might still consider it as an interference in their personal lives.

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CSAT Decision Making Questions

Decision making questions describe a situation followed by four possible responses. You have to indicate most appropriate response. There is no penalty of wrong answers, so you must attempt all these questions. These questions are part of CSAT Paper 2.

CSAT 2011 had 8 such questions, CSAT 2012 had 7 such questions and CSAT 2013 had 6 such questions. The objective of decision making is to judge your character, mindset and personality.

CSAT 2012 Questions

1. You have differences of the opinion regarding the final report prepared by your subordinate that is to be submitted urgently. The subordinate is justifying the information given in the report. You would

• a) Convince the subordinate that he is wrong
• b) Tell him to reconsider the results
• c) Revise the report on your own
• d) Tell him not to justify the mistake

2. You are competing with your batch-mate for the prestigious award to be decided based on an oral presentation. You have been asked by the committee to finish on time. Your friend however, is allowed more than the stipulated time period.

• a) Lodge a complaint to chairperson against the discrimination.
• b) Not listen to any justification from the committee
• c) Ask for withdrawal of your name
• d) Protest and leave the place

3. You are handling a time bound project. During the project review meeting, you find that project is likely to get delayed due to lack of cooperation of the team members. You would

• a) Warn the team members for their non-cooperation
• b) Look into the reasons for non-cooperation
• c) Ask for the replacement of the team members
• d) Ask for the extension of time citing reasons

4. You are a chairperson of a state sports committee. You have received a complaint and later it was found that an athlete in junior age category who has won a medal has crossed the age criteria by 5 days. You would

• a) Ask the screening committee for a clarification
• b) Ask the athlete to return the medal
• c) Ask the athlete to get an affidavit from the court declaring his/her age.
• d) Ask the members of the committee for their views

5. You are handling a priority project and have been meeting all the deadlines and planning your leave during the project. Your immediate boss does not grant leave citing the urgency of the project. You would

• a) Proceed on leave without waiting for the sanction
• b) Pretend to be sick and take leave
• c) Approach higher authority to reconsider the leave application.
• d) Tell the boss that it is not justified.

6. You are involved in setting up a water supply project in remote area. Full recovery of cost is impossible in any case. The income levels in the area are low and 25% of the population is below poverty line (BPL). When a decision has to be taken on pricing you would

• a) Recommended that the supply of water be free of charge in all respects
• b) Recommended that the users pay a onetime fixed sum for installation of taps and the usage of water be free
• c) Recommended that a fixed monthly charges be levied on the non-BPL families and for BPL families water should be free
• d) Recommended that the users pay a charge based on the consumption of water with differentiated charges for Non-BPL and BPL families.

7. As a citizen you have some work with a government department. The official calls you again and again; and without directly asking you, sends out feelers for a bribe. You want to get your work done. You would

• a) Give a bribe
• b) Behave as if you have not understood the feelers and persist with your application
• c) Go to the higher officer for help verbally complaining about feelers.
• d) Send in a formal complaint

CSAT 2011 Questions

8. You have been asked to give an explanation for not attending an important official meeting. Your immediate boss who has not informed you about the meeting is now putting pressure on you not to place an allegation against him/her. You would

• a) Send a written reply explaining the fact.
• b) Seek an appointment with the top boss to explain the situation.
• c) Admit your fault to save the situation.
• d) Put the responsibility on the coordinator of the meeting for not informing.

9. A local thug (bad element) has started illegal construction on your vacant plot. He has refused your request to vacate and threatened you of dire consequences in case you do not sell the property at a cheap price to him. You would

• a) Sell the property at a cheap price to him.
• b) Go to the police for necessary action.
• c) Ask for help from your neighbours.
• d) Negotiate with the goon to get a higher price.

10. You have to accomplish a very important task for your Headquarters within the next two days. Suddenly you meet with an accident. Your office insists that you complete the task. You would

• a) Ask for an extension of deadline.
• b) Inform headquarters of your inability to finish on time.
• c) Suggest alternate person to headquarters who may do the needful.
• d) Stay away till you recover.

11. You are an officer-in-charge for providing basic medical facilities to the survivors of an earthquake affected area. Despite your best possible effort, people put allegations against you for making money out of the funds given for relief. You would

• a) Let an enquiry be set up to look into the matter.
• b) Ask your senior to appoint some other person in your place.
• c) Not pay attention to allegations.
• d) Stop undertaking any initiative till the matter is resolved.

12. You have been made responsible to hire boats at a short notice to be used for an area under flood. On seeing the price mentioned by the boat owners you found that the lowest price was approximately three times more than the approved rate of the Government. You would

• a) Reject the proposal and call for a fresh price.
• b) Accept the lowest price.
• c) Refer the matter to the Government and wait.
• d) Threaten the boat owners about a possible cancellation of the licence.

13. You are the officer-in-charge of a village administering distribution of vaccine in an isolated epidemic hit village, and you are left with only one vaccine. There is a requirement of that vaccine from the Gram Pradhan and also a poor villager. You are being pressurized by the Gram Pradhan to issue the vaccine to him. You would

• a) Initiate the procedure to expedite the next supply without issuing the vaccine to either.
• b) Arrange vaccine for the poor villager from the distributor of another area.
• c) Ask both to approach a doctor and get an input about the urgency
• d) Arrange vaccine for the Gram Pradhan from the distributor of another area.

14. You have taken up a project to create night-shelters for homeless people during the winter season. Within a week of establishing the shelters, you have received complaints from the residents of the area about the increase in theft cases with a demand to remove the shelters. You would

• a) Ask them to lodge a written complaint in the police station.
• b) Assure residents of an enquiry into the matter.
• c) Ask residents to consider the humanitarian effort made.
• d) Continue with the project and ignore their complaint.

15. You, as an administrative authority, have been approached, by the daughter-in-law of an influential person regarding harassment by her in-laws on account of insufficient dowry. Her parents are not able to approach you because of social pressures. You would

• a) Call the in-laws for an explanation.
• b) Counsel the lady to adjust, given such a circumstance.
• c) Take action after her parents approach you.
• d) Ask her to lodge a complaint with the police.

CSAT 2013 Questions

16. You are the head of your office. There are certain houses reserved for the allotment to the office staff and you have been given the discretion to do so. A set of rules for the allotment of the houses has been laid down by you and has been made public. Your personal secretary, who is very close to you, comes to you and pleads that as his father is seriously ill, he should be given priority in allotment of a house. The office secretariat that examined the request as per the rules turns down the request and recommends the procedure to be followed according to the rules. You do not want to annoy your personal secretary in such circumstances, what would you do?

• (a) Call him over to your room and personally explain why the allotment cannot be done.
• (b) Allot the house to him to win his loyalty.
• (c) Agree with the office note to show that you are not biased and that you do not indulge in favoritism.
• (d) Keep the file with you and not pass any orders.

17. While travelling in a Delhi-registered commercial taxi from Delhi to an adjacent city (another State), your taxi driver informs you that as he has no permit for running the taxi in that city, he will step at it Transport Office and pay the prescribed fee of Rs. forty for a day. While paying the fee at the counter you find that the transport clerk taking an extra fifty rupees for which no receipt is being given. You are in a hurry for your meeting. In such circumstances, what would you do?

• (a) Go up to the counter and ask the clerk to give bark the money which he has illegally taken.
• (b) Do not interfere at all as this it a matter between the taxi driver and the tax authorities.
• (c) Take note of the incident and subsequently report the matter to the concerned authorities
• (d) Treat it as a normal affair and imply forget about it.

18. A person lives in a far off village which is almost two hours by bus. The villager's neighbor is a very powerful landlord who is trying to occupy the poor villager's land by force. You are the District Magistrate and busy in a meeting called by a local Minister. The villager has in all the way, by bus and on foot, to see you and give an application seeking protection from the powerful landlord. The villager keeps on waiting outside the meeting hall for an hour. You come out of the meeting and are rushing to another meeting. The villager follows you to submit his application. What would you do?

• (a) Tell him to wait for another two hours till you come back from your next meeting.
• (b) Tell him that the matter is actually to be dealt by a junior officer and that he should give the application to him.
• (c) Call one of your senior subordinate officers and ask him to solve the villager's problem.
• (d) Quickly take the application from him, ask him a few relevant questions regarding his problem and then proceed to the meeting.

19. There is a shortage of sugar in your District where you are the District Magistrate. The Government has ordered that only a maximum amount of 30 kg sugar is to be released for wedding celebrations. A son of your close friend is getting married and your friend requests you to release at least 50 kg sugar for his son's wedding. He expresses annoyance when you tell him about the Government's restrictions on this matter. He feels that since you are the District Magistrate you can release any amount. You do not want to spoil your friendship with him. In such circumstances, how would you deal with the situation?

• (a) Release the extra amount of sugar which your friend has requested for.
• (b) Refuse your friend the extra amount and strictly follow the rules.
• (c) Show your friend the copy of the Government instructions and then persuade him to accept the lower amount as prescribed in the rules.
• (d) Advise him to directly apply to the allotting authority and inform him that you do not interfere in this matter.

20. You are in-charge of implementing the Family Planning programmes in an area where there is a strong opposition to the present policy. You want to convince the residents of the need for keeping small families. What would be the best way of communicating this message?

• (a) By logically explaining to the residents the need for family planning to improve the health and living standards.
• (b) By encouraging late marriages and proper spacing of children.
• (c) By offering incentives for adopting family planning devices.
• (d) By asking people who have been sterilized or are using contraceptives to directly talk to the residents.

21. You are a teacher in a University and are setting a question paper on a particular subject. One of your colleagues, whose son is preparing for the examination on that subject, comes to you and informs you that it is his son's last chance to pass that examination and whether you could help him by indicating what questions are going to be in the examination. In the past, your colleague had helped you in another matter. Your colleague informs you that his son will suffer from depression if he fails in this examination. In such circumstances, what would you do?

• (a) In view of the help he had given you, extend your help to him.
• (b) Regret that you cannot be of any help to him.
• (c) Explain to your colleague that this would be violating the trust of the University authorities and you are not in a position to help him.
• (d) Report the conduct of your colleague to the higher authorities.

Test: Decision Making & Problem Solving - UPSC MCQ

15 questions mcq test - test: decision making & problem solving, all, except one of the following are important strategies that a manager can use to create a more effective decision making environment. which one is not.

Encourage others to make decisions

Be ready to try new things

Relying solely upon himself/herself

Recognise the importance of quality information

To get effective decision making environment, manager should encourage others to make decisions as well as should recognise the importance of quality information. Manager is also expected to try new things to improvise the outcome of decision. So, manager should encourage for participative/ democratic process of decision making rather relying solely upon himself/herself.

Errors in decision making occur because we use decision making heuristics

in an unplanned manner

haphazardly

beyond the range for which they are intended

without taking care of other aspects

• Heuristics are simple, efficient rules based on experiences which people often use to form judgements and make decisions. This usually involve focusing on one aspect of a complex problem and ignoring others.
• Although, these rules work well under many circumstances, but they can lead to systematic deviation from logic or rationality resulting errors in decision making.

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A manager’s steps in a decision making process are given below. Arrange them in correct sequence and choose the correct answer.  1. Define the problem. 2. Identify the limiting factors. 3. Develop potential alternatives. 4. Establish a control and evaluation system.

2, 1, 3, 4 

The correct sequence of a manager's steps in the decision-making process is: 1, 3, 4, 2. 1. Define the problem. 3. Develop potential alternatives. 4. Establish a control and evaluation system. 2. Identify the limiting factors..

A group effort of generating alternative ideas that can help a manager to solve a problem is called

The Delphi technique

Out of the box thinking

The nominal group technique

Brain storming

• The Delphi technique is used in structured communication technique to reach the correct response through consensus.
• Out of box thinking generates unconventional ideas.
• Nominal group technique is the decision making process which prevents the domination of discussion by single person, encourage the more passive group members to participate.
• In brain storming, individuals work alone and then groups were asked to brainstorm a list of ideas using procedures that encouraged creativity and discouraged criticism and evaluation. The scores of the individuals who worked alone were combined, averaged and compared with the scores of the groups.

A quantitative technique for decision making that shows a complete picture of potential alternative decision paths is called

A decision tree

Pay back analysis

Decision tree, a schematic tree-shaped diagram used to determine a course of action or show a statistical probability. Each branch of the decision tree represents a possible decision or occurrence. The tree structure shows how one choice leads to the next and the use of branches indicates that each option is mutually exclusive. This technique is used as quantitative technique decision making.

In decision making, judging a sample on the basis of similarity and random looking appearance is known as

Representativeness heuristic

Availability heuristic

Anchoring heuristic

Adjustment heuristic

Representativeness heuristic, a mental shortcut that helps us in making a decision by comparing information to our mental prototypes. e.g. if someone was to describe an older woman as warm and caring with a great love of children, most of us would assume that the older woman is a grandmother. She fits our mental representation of a grandmother, so we automatically classify her into that category.

While addressing people in an open ground, it begins to rain. Your address is important and you cannot afford to postpone it. What will you do? You would

ask some one to arrange an umbrella

stop your address for a while

continue the address without bothering the rain

postpone it for a day

Asking some one to arrange an umbrella as mentioned in option (a) will not be appropriate while options (b) and (d) do not serve the purpose as it is mentioned that it is important and you cannot afford to postpone it. Here, in this case continuing the address without bothering the rain as mentioned in option (c) will be the best course of action.

You are head of your office. Some media people come to your office and request you to brief them about the pension plan of your office. You will

aks the media people to come some another day

immediately accept the offer and brief them

get them turned out of your office

ask them to wait and to consult the officials concerned

Here, options (a) and (c) are not appropriate as these are not valid on ethical grounds while option (b) is also not valid as you are the head of the office and you have certain important tasks to accomplish. In this case, option (d) would be the best course of action as there are certain officials for each work in every office, so one has to consult them.

National Human Rights Commission took cognizance of a media report on the death of a lady by the wrong blood transfusion in a government hospital, issued a show cause notice as to why the monetary relief should not be given to the death’s kin. The notice was issued to the special secretary, health and family welfare of a district. Which of the following actions would solve the problem?

Special secretary should get confirmation from the medical superintendent whether it was transfusion reaction that caused the death, if is true the compensation should be paid

The lab technician should be removed from the post for giving wrong blood

Both ‘a’ and ‘b’

Do not reply to the notice given by the commission

Not replying to the Commission may lead to further undesirable situation as the truth is in the media report which made commission take cognizance. Thus, the option (c) will only solve the problem which led to death.

A district library in your town is facing numerous problems. The books are eating dust, it is too noisy and also dirty inside and outside the library. There is no staff to maintain the books or rooms to keep them in safe custody. You are a regular visitor to the library, but have stopped going to the library, because of above problems. Even after some days, when you saw the library it was under the same condition. Now, you will

write a detailed letter to the ministry of culture and ask the ministry to improve the library

not take any action as you know that no concerned authority is going to take care of it

write a letter to the local newspaper to make a detailed report on the problems faced by library

Both ‘a’ and ‘c’

Being a responsible citizen and a regular visitor to the library, you may not stop from taking some proper action to help improve the condition of the library. Informing newspaper reporter to make a report is the best way to tackle the problem besides this it is necessary to write to the concerned authority to take action. Thus, option (d) is the best answer.

As a citizen you have some work with a government department. The official calls you again and again and without directly asking you, sends out feelers for a bribe. You want to get your work done. You would

give a bribe

behave as, if you have not understood the feelers and persist with your application

go to the higher officer for help and verbally complaining about feelers

send in a formal complaint

Option (a) is not correct and ethically not permitted. Option (b) will not solve your problem giving a written complaint about the feeler as mentioned in option (d) is logically not correct. So, best course of action is to go to the higher officer for help and verbally complaining about feelers.

You are competing with your batchmate for a prestigious award to be decided based on an oral presentation. Ten minutes are allowed for each presentation. You have been asked by the committee to finish on time. Your friend, however, is allowed more than the stipulated time period. You would

lodge a complaint to the chairperson against the discrimination

not listen to any justification from the committee

ask for withdrawal of your name

protest and leave the place

Option (b) would not be moral as everyone has the right to give justification while option (c) is an escapist attitude. Protesting is correct, but lodging a complaint to the concerned authority will give the result, so, option (a) is the best course of action.

You are a District Collector and are going to approve a proposal for payment of subsidy under government rules to an industrialist. You approve it as a normal duty. The same industrialist attends a social gathering at your home and gifts you a packet, on opening which you find a costly diamond jewellery set. You are shocked for a few minutes. Which is the best among the following you consider?

Sell the diamond jewellery to get cash

Ask your wife to deposit the diamond jewellery in their bank locker

Keep in the house locker

Return it back to the industrialist

Option (a) shows you made the proposal to get cash in kind and (b) or (c) shows you are money minded and not honest to the work. Only option (d) shows that you are honest and not glutton for money or gifts.

You are a Senior Police Officer. You sent your subordinate on some work by jeep. The driver and the constable in the jeep are unarmed. On the way they happen to notice a jeep in broken condition. A few persons sitting inside it ask for their help. As your subordinate gets down to help those persons, he is attacked from behind by a gang of criminals. They loot him and escape quickly with the persons sitting inside the car. The officer is charged for his negligence, now you as a senior officer, will

suspend him for his lack of common sense

frame charge against him for stopping the jeep mid-way

not hold him responsible for this accidental happening

accuse him of not being precautious

Opting for (a), (b) and (d) are improper. The decisions will be without information and also lack in empathy. Thus, option (c) is the correct one as the incident was an accident and not the deliberate mistake or negligence in the performance of duty at the part of the subordinate.

You are a Police Commissioner and you notice that one of your subordinate was a good officer with good manners, but over a few months his appearances and ways have changed. He has changed his behaviour, looks shabby other officers have also complained about his ill-mannered behaviour. You fear something might be wrong and also worry the effect of his shabby looks that might affect his relationship adversely with his colleagues. How do you approach him?

You will meet him separately and talk at length and try to know the cause of his problem

You will call on him at his chamber and warn about his shabby appearance

Show him sympathy and ask him to seek his transfer

You will send him on leave to help recover himself

Option (a) will be most appropriate answer; option (b) will be negative approach whereas options (c) and (d) are irresponsible and negligence and show that you lack in coordination as a higher officer. So, option (a) suits to be a best option.

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UPSC Prelims

Preliminary pattern and syllabus .

Civil Services Preliminary exam comprises of two compulsory papers of 200 marks each (General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II). The questions will be of multiple choice, objective type. The marks in prelims will not be counted for final ranking, but just for qualification for main exam.

The Commission will draw a list of candidates to be qualified for Civil Service (Main) Examination based on the criterion of minimum qualifying marks of 33% in General Studies PaperII of Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination and total qualifying marks of General Studies Paper-I of Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination as may be determined by the Commission.

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UPSC Syllabus for Paper II- (200 marks) Duration: Two hours (Not counted for the merit rank in Prelims but a qualifying Paper; just needs 33% marks)

• Comprehension.
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• Decision-making and problem-solving.
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UPSC CSAT Question Paper 2023 PDF Download, Get Complete Analysis

UPSC CSAT question paper 2023 is very important for the UPSC aspirants preparing for the UPSC CSE Exam. Get the complete analysis of UPSC CSAT Previous Year Question Paper 2023.

UPSC CSAT Question Paper 2023

UPSC CSAT Question Paper 2023 Now available on the official website of UPSC. Aspirants preparing for UPSC CSE Exam. 

UPSC conducts the Prelims, Mains and Interview stages of the UPSC CSE Exam to select candidates for prestigious Civil Service positions in the nation. While the Prelims Exam is not considered for merit calculation, it is essential for candidates to clear it with minimum marks to qualify for the UPSC IAS Mains Exam. 

Let us have a look at the UPSC CSAT Previous Year Question Paper, direct link and the method to Download the UPSC CSAT Question paper 2023.

UPSC CSE Prelims 2023 

The Preliminary exam consists of two papers: GS Paper I and GS Paper II (CSAT Paper). Candidates must obtain a minimum of 33% marks in the UPSC CSAT Exam. The UPSC CSAT Paper for 2023 was conducted on 28th May. The difficulty level of the CSAT 2023 paper varied, encompassing a mix of challenging and moderate questions.

The UPSC CSAT Question paper 2023 is now available on the official website of UPSC. The direct link is also provided here.

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UPSC CSAT 2023 Question Paper PDF Download

The CSAT 2023 Paper took place on 28th May 2023 during the shift timing from 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM. To gain insights into the question trends and topic-wise weightage, candidates can easily download the UPSC 2023 CSAT Question Paper PDF from the provided table below.

UPSC CSAT Question Paper 2023 Analysis

The primary objective of the UPSC 2023 CSAT Question Paper was to assess candidates’ aptitude and comprehension abilities. It encompassed various sections including comprehension, interpersonal skills, logical reasoning, decision-making, basic numeracy, English language comprehension, and data interpretation. Analysing the CSAT 2023 Paper offers valuable insights into the level of difficulty, distribution of topics, and performance trends observed during the exam.

Math & Basic numeracy	37
Logical & Analytical reasoning	15
Reading comprehension	28
Decision making	0
Data Interpretation	0

UPSC CSAT previous Question Paper Topic wise Analysis

The topic wise analysis of UPSC CSAT previous year Question Papers is given in the graph below:

The detailed analysis of UPSC CSAT Question paper 2023 can be checked in the video below:

UPSC CSAT 2023 Question Paper Difficulty

The UPSC CSAT 2023 Question Paper encompassed a variety of difficulty levels, with some questions being highly challenging and requiring advanced analytical skills, while others were of moderate difficulty. Candidates were expected to apply their aptitude and comprehension abilities to effectively solve the questions. 

The table provided below outlines the difficulty level of the questions in the CSAT 2023 Paper.

Easy Questions	30%
Moderate Questions	50%
Difficult Questions	20%

UPSC CSAT Question Paper 2023 with Answers

For those who are practising the UPSC CSAT 2023 Question Paper, it is important to evaluate their performance and identify their areas of improvement. To assist with this, we have provided the answers PDF of the CSAT 2023 question paper. This resource will help aspirants assess their performance and determine their strengths and weaknesses.

UPSC CSAT Question Paper 2023 in Hindi

For candidates who have chosen Hindi as their medium for the Civil Services Examination, it is important to access the CSAT 2023 Question Paper in Hindi. To facilitate this, we have provided direct links for candidates to download the Hindi CSAT 2023 question paper. These links will enable candidates to access the question paper in their preferred language and effectively prepare for the examination.

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CSAT Question Paper 2023 Difficulty Level

The UPSC CSAT 2023 examination took place in the forenoon session from 2:30 PM to 4:40 PM on 28th May 2023. According to the analysis of CSAT 2023, the question paper was moderately difficult overall. The comprehension section was noted to be lengthy. Below is a breakdown of the difficulty level for each section in the CSAT exam.

Reading Comprehension	Moderate-Difficult
Data Interpretation	Moderate
Logical & Analytical Reasoning	Moderate
Decision Making	Moderate
Data Sufficiency	Moderate
Basic Numeracy	Difficult

How to Download CSAT Question Paper 2023?

To download the CSAT 2023 Question Paper, candidates can follow these steps:

• Visit the official UPSC website, www.upsc.gov.in .
• In the top menu, look for “Examination” and take the mouse cursor on it. A drop down list will appear.
• From the drop down list, select “Previous Question Papers”. The previous Question paper page will open.
• In the Search Bar, search “Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination” and press Enter.
• Then a page with all previous year Questions Papers of UPSC CSE Prelims will appear. The “General Studies Paper II” for every year is the UPSC CSAT paper.
• Click on “General Studies Paper II” and download the UPSC CSAT Paper. 

UPSC CSAT Question Paper 2023 Topic Wise Weightage

The distribution of questions by topic in the CSAT varies each year. However, the question distribution in the CSAT 2023 Question Paper is as follows:

Basic numeracy and maths	33
Data interpretation	2
Data sufficiency	0
Decision making	0
Logical and analytical reasoning	16
Reading comprehension	27
Visual reasoning	2
Total	80

UPSC CSAT Previous Year Question Papers PDF

The UPSC CSAT Previous Year Question Papers with Answers PDF are available for download, providing valuable resources for candidates to plan their preparation strategies for upcoming exams. In the table below, you will find the links to access the UPSC CSAT Question Papers and CSAT Answer Keys for the years 2013-2022.

To download the previous year papers and CSAT Answer Keys, simply click on the respective links provided in the table.

2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2016
2015

UPSC CSAT Question Paper 2023 – Important Topics

When preparing for the CSAT exam, it is essential to give equal attention to all the topics in the syllabus. However, based on past trends, certain topics have been given more importance by UPSC in the CSAT paper. It is recommended that candidates cover the entire syllabus comprehensively and prioritise these important topics for the UPSC CSAT 2023 Question Paper.

Below are some of the key topics that carry significance in the CSAT exam:

• Reading Comprehension: Candidates should focus on developing skills in analysing and interpreting data presented in the form of tables, graphs, charts, or diagrams. The candidates should know the complete UPSC CSAT Reading Comprehension Syllabus for a better understanding of the subject.
• Quantitative Aptitude (Maths): Quantitative aptitude is a significant portion of the CSAT question paper that tests candidates’ numerical and mathematical abilities. The candidates should go through the complete UPSC CSAT Maths Syllabus for a better understanding of the subject.
• Reasoning: The CSAT 2023 Question Paper evaluates candidates’ ability to evaluate data and relationships to come up with logical conclusions. The candidates should know the complete UPSC CSAT Reasoning Syllabus for a better understanding of the subject. 

UPSC CSAT Question Paper 2023 FAQs

Is csat becoming tougher, how can i clear csat in the first attempt, is csat easy to crack, is the upsc csat paper tough, how was the upsc prelims 2023 question paper.

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UPSC CAPF Syllabus 2024: Check Exam Patter and Download PDF for Important Topics of Assistant Commandant

Upsc capf ac syllabus 2024: the central armed police forces written exam syllabus includes topics from subjects like quantitative aptitude, logical reasoning, indian history, geography, polity, current affairs, etc. check out the detailed syllabus and updated capf exam pattern..

UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus 2024: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) releases the official syllabus and exam pattern for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) examination. Candidates must check the latest syllabus to prepare only the topics that are important from the exam point of view. The UPSC CAPF syllabus contains topics from subjects like general ability and intelligence, general studies, essays and comprehension.

Apart from the prescribed syllabus, candidates should also check the UPSC CAPF updated exam to get insights into the exam structure, maximum marks, number of sections, and other important details. This will allow aspirants to align their strategy based on the latest requirements and adhere to expert guidance to score well in the exam.

UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus 2024

The UPSC CAPF assistant commandant written exam syllabus will consist of two papers, i.e., paper 1 and paper 2. Paper 1 will have 250 marks and will contain questions about general ability and intelligence. The questions in this paper will be of the objective type. However, Paper 2 will be of 200 marks and will contain questions from general studies, essays and comprehension.

UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus 2024: Overview

UPSC CAPF AC Syllabus PDF Download

UPSC CAPF Syllabus: Important Topics

UPSC CAPF Selection Procedure 2024

The candidates in the UPSC CAPF will be selected on the basis of their performance in the written exam, physical test. Check the list below for UPSC CAPF selection procedure

Written Exam

Physical Test

UPSC CAPF Exam Pattern 2024

• The UPSC CAPF written exam pattern comprises two papers, i.e., Paper 1 and Paper 2.
• Paper 1 contains Objective questions. Questions asked in Paper 2 will be descriptive in nature.
• The medium of Paper 1 is English as well as Hindi. 
• In Paper 2, candidates will be allowed the option of writing the Essay Component in English or Hindi, but the medium of Precis Writing, Comprehension Components, and other communications/ language skills will be English only.
• There shall be a negative marking of 1/3rd mark for every incorrect answer in Paper 1, whereas there is no negative marking in Paper 2

How to Cover UPSC CAPF Syllabus 2024?

• Check the UPSC CAPF exam syllabus 2024 to cover the topics asked in the exam.
• Choose the expert-recommended books and study material to cover the fundamentals and core topics of all the subjects.
• Attempt endless questions from mock papers and UPSC CAPF previous year's question papers to review their performance and identify their strengths for better results.
• Revisit all the covered chapters frequently to remember concepts for a definite period of time.

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How to learn Interpersonal Skills Including Communication Skills for CSAT

Last updated on September 29, 2023 by Alex Andrews George

Interpersonal Skills is a topic for CSAT (General Studies Paper 2 – Civil Service Prelims Exam) .

But candidates who appear for Preliminary Exam, often seem to be unaware of this topic.

Before getting into the details of Interpersonal Skills, let’s analyze the syllabus for Civil Service Prelims Paper 2.

Table of Contents

Syllabus for Civil Service Prelims Paper 2

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

How to learn Interpersonal skills including communication skills?

So, it is clear from the UPSC syllabus that there is a separate topic called Interpersonal Skills . Let’s have a quick look at what are the interpersonal skills a person needs to have.

Interpersonal skills:

Interpersonal Skills are also known by the names of soft skills or people skills. These are skills which you need while you deal with people, for better and healthy results. A master of interpersonal skills knows how to deal with different people during different situations.

Basic Interpersonal skills can be briefed below

UPSC CSE 2025: Study Plan ⇓

(1) ⇒ UPSC 2025: Prelims cum Mains

(2) ⇒ UPSC 2025: Prelims Test Series

(3) ⇒ UPSC 2025: CSAT

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• Communication Skills
• Listening Skills
• Stress Management
• Assertiveness
• Decision Making
• Problem-Solving
• Verbal Communication
• Non-Verbal Communication

Question 1:

You are part of a team working on a critical project, and two of your team members, Arun and Sarah, have been having frequent disagreements that are affecting the project’s progress. How would you approach resolving this conflict?

• A) Avoid intervening and let them sort it out themselves.
• B) Speak to your supervisor and ask them to handle the conflict.
• C) Initiate a private meeting with Arun and Sarah to facilitate open communication and seek a mutually agreeable solution.
• D) Side with one team member to end the conflict quickly.

Correct Answer: C) Initiate a private meeting with Arun and Sarah to facilitate open communication and seek a mutually agreeable solution.

Question 2:

You are attending a professional conference, and you want to expand your network and make meaningful connections. What strategies would you employ to effectively network at the conference?

• A) Avoid engaging in conversations and focus solely on attending sessions.
• B) Share your business card with everyone you meet, whether or not there is a connection.
• C) Set clear networking goals, actively listen to others, exchange contact information, and follow up after the conference.
• D) Attend the conference but keep to yourself and not interact with other attendees.

Correct Answer: C) Set clear networking goals, actively listen to others, exchange contact information, and follow up after the conference.

Question 3:

You are working on a team project, and one of your team members, Maria, has a different approach to problem-solving that often leads to longer discussions and delays. How would you demonstrate tolerance in this situation?

• A) Insist that Maria adopts your approach to problem-solving for the sake of efficiency.
• B) Speak to the team leader and request Maria’s removal from the project.
• C) Practice open and respectful communication with Maria, seek compromise and show patience with differing work styles.
• D) Avoid working with Maria altogether to prevent conflicts.

Correct Answer: C) Practice open and respectful communication with Maria, seek compromise, and show patience with differing work styles.

These multiple-choice questions assess your understanding and application of interpersonal skills in various scenarios, including conflict resolution, networking, and tolerance.

Interpersonal skills including communication skills and UPSC

Those who expected Sentence Correction, Fill up the blank – grammar/language questions or Para-jumbles as there is a term called ‘communication skill’ in the syllabus – were disappointed by UPSC, by not asking any questions from these areas at all. There were no questions in the Interpersonal skills section, but questions came coupled with decision-making and problem-solving – as you can see these two are also an inseparable part of Interpersonal skills.

Having said that, it doesn’t mean UPSC will stick to the same type of questions in the future too. They can go for language skill-testing questions, but that may put students from rural backgrounds at a disadvantage, and that’s probably the main reason why UPSC has not tried those areas directly in the question paper.

As of now for solving the Decision-making and problem-solving section, the best answer is often derived by using interpersonal skills too, and that’s what UPSC expects from future Civil Servants.

How to study Interpersonal Skills for CSAT?

We recommend the below sources to learn the subject.

• Join CSAT Course: UPSC Prelims Paper 2 Program
• Go through  ClearIAS YouTube Classes on CSAT.
• Read  books on CSAT .

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About Alex Andrews George

Alex Andrews George is a mentor, author, and social entrepreneur. Alex is the founder of ClearIAS and one of the expert Civil Service Exam Trainers in India.

He is the author of many best-seller books like 'Important Judgments that transformed India' and 'Important Acts that transformed India'.

A trusted mentor and pioneer in online training , Alex's guidance, strategies, study-materials, and mock-exams have helped many aspirants to become IAS, IPS, and IFS officers.

Reader Interactions

March 13, 2019 at 4:16 pm

We need a material or a recommendation of which book to buy

August 9, 2019 at 8:15 am

How can we download the PDF by your site of interpersonal skills including communication skills???

May 23, 2020 at 8:41 am

Sir I am now 9th standard, Can I join your website.

July 11, 2020 at 7:51 am

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