Analysis of the Prelims held on May 25 suggests a structured shift toward application-based questioning. GS Paper I jumped from conceptual knowledge to real-world context, with tough sections in Geography and History. Paper II (CSAT) stunned candidates with its reasoning-heavy passages, and despite its qualifying nature, it emerged as a genuine weed-out tool. Experts say UPSC’s evolving pattern reflects its aim to gauge not just rote learning, but critical thinking under pressure.