A decision on whether to change the pattern of the civil services examination will be taken by the government within two-three days, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Monday. "Government will decide on the issue within another 2-3 days. Whatever decisions we take, we will take Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) into confidence," Singh told reporters here.

Singh, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, had earlier urged the UPSC, which conducts the civil services examination to select IAS, IFS and IPS officers among others, to postpone the preliminary exam in view of demands for changes in the exams pattern raised by various aspirants. The civil services (preliminary) examination 2014 is scheduled to be held on August 24. A three-member committee is looking into the demands of civil services aspirants who have been demanding that the pattern for the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) be changed to give level-playing field to those coming from rural areas.

They had recently held protests in various places in the national capital in support of their demands including that to postpone the date of prelims examination. There are two compulsory papers of 200 marks each in the preliminary examination. These papers are also known as CSAT I and CSAT II. The CSAT-II paper carries questions on comprehension, interpersonal skills including communication skills, logical reasoning and analytical ability, decision-making and problem- solving, general mental ability, basic numeracy, and English language comprehension skills (of Class X level).

Students have been objecting to the level of aptitude and English language questions being asked in the examination claiming they are much above the standard prescribed for the examination. The civil services examination is conducted in three stages--preliminary, main, and interview--to choose candidates for Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) among others.