The Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), a part of the civil services preliminary examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission, will not be scrapped as the Minister of State for Personnel, Jitendra Singh reassured in a written response.

In a response to the query in Rajya Sabha, the minister confirmed that the pattern for the UPSC civil services exams will also not be changed. The interviews will not be replaced by a psychological test.

The minister had also informed that the examination conducting body for admission in higher education institutions, National Testing Agency (NTA) has conducted all the examinations even after one year of registration. He further informed that given the COVID-19 crisis, the maintenance of the release schedules of exam notifications could not be made from April.

“National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts entrance examinations for admission/fellowship in higher education institutions, has informed that there is no such entrance exam which has not been conducted even after one year of registration for the same. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, the declaration of result of Tier-III of Combined Graduate Level Examination 2018 has been delayed. However, every effort is being made to complete the process of declaration of result at the earliest,” said the minister.