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General Studies Paper II (CSAT) · Topic

General mental ability

Official syllabus

General mental ability;

UPSC CSE 2026 notification

What this covers

Identify the rule or relationship supplied by a mental-ability item, then test it against every observation. A plausible pattern is not a deduction unless the constraints exclude alternatives.

Key ideas

  • Series and patterns
  • Classification and analogy
  • Spatial and relational reasoning
  • Quantitative reasoning

Subtopics 4

  1. 01Series and patternsA series item asks for a relation among terms.
  2. 02Classification and analogyClassification groups items by a stated or inferred property. An analogy transfers a *relationship*, not merely a similar-looking word or object.
  3. 03Spatial and relational reasoningSpatial reasoning tracks an object's location or orientation under specified transformations.
  4. 04Quantitative reasoningQuantitative reasoning chooses a mathematical relationship before calculating.

Official wording is from UPSC's Civil Services Examination 2026 notification, the current baseline for CSE 2027 preparation. Always check the latest notification at upsc.gov.in. Scopes and key ideas are CSE One's study map and are being expanded.