CSAT stands for Civil Services Aptitude Test. It is being conducted by Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) and hence it is also known as UPSC CSAT. Starting from 2011, CSAT will select candidates who can appear for Civil Services (Mains) Exam. The candidates who can score well in the Civil Services (Mains) Exam and the subsequent Interview, will be appointed for the prestigious IAS (Indian Administrative Service), IPS (Indian Police Service), IFS (Indian Foreign Service), IRS (Indian Revenue Service) and numerous other services (Source: IAS Exams website)

UPSC CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test) is an elimination test. So, of all the candidates appeared for the test, the top candidates in each category will be qualified to the next stage. So, the cut-off/pass score will vary each year depending on the caliber of the candidates taking the exam, the difficulty level of the questions and the number of vacancies projected.