<br/>The civil services test is being reformated by taking aptitude test in place of the preliminary examination. The Union Public Service Commission, UPSC, has recommended this change to the government. UPSC Chairman D P Agrawal said that the justification for introducing two objective type tests instead of the preliminary examination, the subject of which is selected by the candidate, is to provide a level playing field to applicants and test their decision-making skills. He said, the emphasis is on testing the aptitude of the candidate for the demanding life in the civil service, as well as on ethical and moral dimensions of decision-making. Mr.Agrawal said the commission was also in favour of a reduction in the number of attempts and lowering entry age. He, however, said that the interests of rural candidates who may complete their graduate education later than their urban counterparts needs also to be considered. AIR correspondent adds, the UPSC conducts 14 examinations every year including the prestigious civil services examination.