The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Main exam started Friday and will continue till September 29. Based on the feedback of students and experts, the recruitment exam is believed to be easier than last year. Several are of the opinion that the 2017 pattern has made a comeback after undergoing slight changes in 2018. "In the essay paper, UPSC is back to questions on current affairs in one section and philosophical topics in the other. So, it is a good mix that tests your skills for writing both kinds of essays. This is almost the template that UPSC followed until 2017, and it is back to it in 2019. The candidates would have felt confident seeing the topics, particularly after the extremely difficult topics in 2018," said Pulkit Sachdeva, co-founder, SleepyClasses, a UPSC preparation platform.