The Union Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Ministry has announced changes in the pattern of the Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2011.

A statement issued on Monday said the examination will consist of two papers. Paper I and II are each worth 100 marks and have been allotted two hours each. In Paper I, candidates will be tested on their knowledge of Current Events of national and international importance, Indian History, the Indian National Movement, Indian and world Geography, including the physical, social and Economic Geography of India and the world. Questions will also be asked on the Indian Polity and governance as well as the Constitution, the political system, panchayati raj, public policy and rights. Candidates will have to be prepared for questions on economic and social development, sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics and social sector initiatives. Questions related to general issues on environmental ecology, bio-diversity, climate change and general science will also be posed.

Paper II will consist of :

• English Language Comprehension Skills of the Class X level
• Interpersonal Skills
• Including Communication Skills
• Logical reasoning and Analytical Ability
• Decision Making and Problem Solving as well as General Mental Ability

Candidates will be tested on basic numeric skills of the Class X level such as numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude and data interpretation.

Courtesy: Thehindu.com