Prelims CSAT (Paper II)Reading ComprehensionHigh-yield
Critical Reading & Analysis
आलोचनात्मक पठन और विश्लेषण
Critical Reading & Analysis is part of the UPSC Prelims CSAT (Paper II) syllabus, under Reading Comprehension. It appeared in Prelims CSAT (Paper II) question papers in 5 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025 (2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024). It is marked high-yield: a topic worth revising more than once.
What should you study in Critical Reading & Analysis?
- Main idea identification — explicit & implicit
- Critical reading — tone, purpose, assumption
- Inference questions — not directly stated
- Vocabulary in context — meaning from passage
How often is Critical Reading & Analysis asked in UPSC Prelims?
Asked in 5 of 10 years, including 2 of the last 5. Highlighted years below are the ones it appeared in.
- 2016: asked
- 2017: not asked
- 2018: asked
- 2019: not asked
- 2020: asked
- 2021: not asked
- 2022: asked
- 2023: not asked
- 2024: asked
- 2025: not asked
About the Prelims CSAT (Paper II) paper
CSAT is Prelims Paper II: 80 multiple-choice questions for 200 marks. It is qualifying — you need 33% to pass, and the marks do not count towards the cut-off. See all 24 Prelims CSAT (Paper II) topics.
Related topics to study next
- Inference & ImplicationHigh-yieldasked 4/10 yrs
- Tone & Central IdeaHigh-yieldasked 4/10 yrs
- Interpersonal Skills & Communicationasked 2/10 yrs
- Logical Deduction & SyllogismsHigh-yieldasked 5/10 yrs
- Data SufficiencyHigh-yieldasked 5/10 yrs
- Number Systems & DivisibilityHigh-yieldasked 5/10 yrs
- Ratio, Proportion & PercentageHigh-yieldasked 5/10 yrs
- Bar Charts AnalysisHigh-yieldasked 5/10 yrs
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