UPSC prelims: Candidates find geography section most difficult | Patna News – Times of India
Patna: IAS aspirants found this year’s UPSC civil services preliminary examination papers slightly tougher than previous years with many describing the geography section as the most challenging.Shashank Kumar, who appeared for the exam at the College of Commerce, Arts and Science, said, “The questions were tougher compared to last year, especially in geography as 23 questions were from that section alone. Most were conceptual and based on current affairs. This was my second attempt. I cleared the prelims last year but didn’t perform well in the mains. This time, I attempted 70 questions.”Arushi Agarwal, a first-time aspirant, described the paper as moderate but said the experience was intense. “The pattern was more or less the same as before, but there were more comprehension-based questions. Except for the general science section, most areas were either moderate or difficult. I got a good sense of the pressure one faces during what is arguably the toughest exam in the country,” she said.Pankaj Sinha, who wrote the exam at Magadh Mahila College, observed significant variation in this year’s paper. “The science, technology and economics questions ranged from easy to moderate. Most economics questions were from the static part. Very few were linked to current events. Geography and economics were the most demanding. However, the language of the exam was simpler than in past years,” he said.Despite the challenging content, the exam was conducted smoothly across Patna. Nearly 60% of registered candidates appeared for the test held at 91 centres in the city. A total of 44,063 candidates sat for the exam across the state.Patna district magistrate Chandrashekhar Singh said, “Almost 60% of candidates appeared across both shifts. Attendance in the first shift was 60.48% (26,647) with 17,415 absent. In the second shift, 60.09% (26,478) appeared and 17,584 were absent. The exam was conducted peacefully and no candidates were expelled.”The first paper, general studies, was held from 9.30am to 11.30am while the second paper, the civil services aptitude test (CSAT), took place from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. The administration maintained tight security and order at all centres throughout the day.
