Skip to main content

What is an Aptitude

The pattern of IAS Prelims examination has been restructured to test the aptitude of the aspirants so that problems related to mismatch in administrative mechanism can be avoided. What comes as a surprise is that most of the aspirants are not even aware of the meaning of the aptitude. The word aptitude is derived from the word Aptos which means “fit for”. Aptitude is the sum of capacity and interest of an individual. Aptitude is also the aptness or quickness to succeed in a specific field of activity. It is a present condition that is indicative of individual's potentialities for future.

Your aptitude is your inherent capacity, talent or ability to do something. Aptitudes a set of characteristics symptomatic of an individual's ability to acquire with training, some specific field of knowledge, skill or set of responses. In short aptitude is latent potentialities or undeveloped capacities to acquire abilities and skills and to demonstrate achievements.
{Courtesy: upscportal.com}

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

IAS MANTRAS

IAS continues to be the first choice for career aspirants in India. Every year, around four to five lakh candidates apply for the coveted civil services exam. Starting 2011, it will be CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test) in place of the present preliminary exam. Those who clear CSAT will be eligible for the main exam followed by the interview. Considering the revised syllabus and the new pattern of the IAS preliminary exam, here are a few pointers which may help you crack the IAS exam. Mantra 1: The thirst to excel and to keep your vision alive is important. Mantra 2: A clear focus and a practical roadmap till the prelims on June 12, 2011 are imperative. A precise plan on what to study each day is likely to work best. Mantra 3: First, study each topic from the IAS Prelims Magic Book, followed by the NCERT book along with other reference books. Further, continue noting down important points from the other recommended text books. Mantra 4: Make sure you read newspapers. Also, note down l...

Selecting optionals

Choosing the right optional subjects in the Civil Services Main exam will determine your success. Most often, candidates choose their main area of study as the first optional paper. And since a major part of the syllabus is taken care of while preparing for the Prelims, it’s time to deal with the second optional paper which will consume most of your preparation time. So how do you decide your second optional paper? Here are a few parameters that will help you decide. First, you must be interested in the discipline. Evaluate your aptitude to learn the subject; the choice should not merely see you graze through to the next level. Don’t let the length of the syllabus influence your decision. History and geography are known for their notoriously lengthy content whereas public administration and anthropology have the least topics to learn. The secret does not lie in selecting subjects which are short or lengthy but on how comfortable you are in grasping them. Here’s a litmus test. Pick up a...

Selecting Optionals

1. Selecting an optional is the most important step in CSE. But the prevailing trend is that one opts the subjects in which the largest number of students get through. I would like to mention that the most important factor is not the “numbers”, but the percentage. 1.1 The syllabus prescribed by the UPSC in all subjects is a little tougher than the degree level, but a little lighter than PG level. The reason is that the standard of Delhi University or Calcutta University is taken as the benchmark by the UPSC. In most of the universities, obtaining a Degree is easier than passing CBSE XIIth standard. The reason is lighter syllabus and liberal evaluation. As a result, a candidate who goes through the UPSC syllabus may think it very tough. The interesting aspect is that this toughness is felt in one’s own subject only. For example, a botany student may feel the botany syllabus in CSE is very tough. But when going through the syllabus of any other subject, he may feel it “easier”. The rea...