UPSC Syllabus
The purpose of the UPSC curriculum is to evaluate applicants’ knowledge, aptitude, and analytical skills. It consists of two parts: the Main Examination (Mains) and the Preliminary Examination (Prelims), which are followed by a personality test and interview. The General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II (commonly known as the CSAT or Civil Services Aptitude Test) are two required papers in the UPSC Syllabus for Prelims. Numerous topics are covered in these articles, such as current events, science, geography, economics, politics, history, and environment. Nine papers total—four General Studies papers, two optional topic papers, two qualifying language papers, and one essay paper—make up the more specialized syllabus for the UPSC Mains test.
UPSC Prelims Syllabus
The first stage of the exam, i.e., the Civil Services Preliminary Exam is only a screening test and is conducted to shortlist candidates for the Main Examination. Marks secured in the Preliminary Exam are not taken into account while preparing the final merit. Preliminary Exam consists of two papers of objective type carrying a maximum of 400 marks.
| No. of Papers | 2 compulsory papers |
|---|---|
| Type of Questions | Objective (MCQ) type |
| Total Maximum Marks | 400 (200 each paper) |
| Duration of Exam | 2 hrs. each (20 minutes per hour extra time for blind candidates & candidate with Locomotor Disability & Cerebral Palsy [minimum 40% impairment]) |
| Negative Marking | 1/3rd of the marks assigned to a question |
| Medium of Exam | Bilingual (Hindi & English) |
General Studies Paper-I Syllabus
It has 100 questions broadly covering the following topics, carrying a maximum of 200 marks to be solved in 2 hours.
- Current events of National & International importance.
- History of India & Indian National Movement.
- Indian & World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India & the World.
- Indian Polity & Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
- Economic & Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
- General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity & climate change – that do not require subject specialization.
- General Science.
General Studies Paper-II Syllabus
It comprises of 80 questions from the following topics carrying a maximum of 200 marks to be solved in 2 hours.
- Comprehension.
- Interpersonal skills including communication skills.
- Logical reasoning & analytical ability.
- Decision making & problem solving.
- General mental ability.
- Basic numeracy (numbers & their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. – Class X level)
UPSC Mains Syllabus
Civil Services Main Examination consists of written examination and interview (personality test). Civil Services Main Examination consists of following papers divided into 2 categories – qualifying & papers to be counted for merit.
| Qualifying Papers | Subject | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper-A | One of the Indian Language to be selected by the candidate from the Languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution | 300 |
| Paper-B | English | 300 |
| Paper-I | Essay | 250 |
| Paper-II | General Studies-I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society) | 250 |
| Paper-III | General Studies-II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations) | 250 |
| Paper-IV | Genera Studies-III (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management) | 250 |
| Paper-V | General Studies-IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude) | 250 |
| Paper-VI | Optional Subject – Paper 1 | 250 |
| Paper-VII | Optional Subject – Paper 2 | 250 |
| Sub Total (Written Test) | 1750 | |
| Personality Test | 275 | |
| Grand Total | 2025 |