Union Public Service Commission
UPSC Civil Services
India's most prestigious examination for IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, and 24 other All India Services. Three stages: Prelims (2 papers) → Mains (9 papers) → Interview (Personality Test).
2 objective papers · June each year
Prelims
General Studies Paper I
History (Ancient, Medieval, Modern, Freedom Struggle), Indian Polity, Geography, Economy. 200 marks, 100-question MCQ paper.
Prelims
General Studies Paper II — CSAT
Comprehension, Logical Reasoning, Analytical Ability, Decision Making, Basic Numeracy, Data Interpretation. Qualifying paper (33% = 66 marks).
9 written papers · September each year
Mains
Mains GS Paper I — Heritage, History & Geography
Indian culture, Post-independence consolidation, World History (18th–20th century), Physical and Human Geography, Disaster Management.
Mains
Mains GS Paper II — Governance, Constitution, IR
Indian Constitution, Governance and Public Policy, Social Justice, International Relations, contemporary issues.
Mains
Mains GS Paper III — Economy, Science, Security
Indian Economy, Agriculture, Science & Technology, Environment & Biodiversity, Internal Security, Disaster Management.
Mains
Mains GS Paper IV — Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude
Ethics theory, Values and Integrity, Emotional Intelligence, Civil service foundational values, and Ethics Case Studies.
Mains
Essay Paper
Writing two essays from different sections on philosophical, socio-political, economic, and literary topics. 250 marks.
Practice Mode
Prelims GS-I Mock Test
20 PYQ-style questions · 24 minutes · Negative marking · Full solutions
UPSC CSE Exam Pattern at a Glance
Prelims (Objective)
- GS Paper I — 200 marks, 100 questions, 2 hrs
- CSAT Paper II — 200 marks, qualifying (66 marks min), 2 hrs
- Negative marking: –1/3 per wrong answer
Mains (Descriptive)
- GS Papers I–IV — 250 marks each
- Essay Paper — 250 marks
- Optional Paper (2 papers) — 250 marks each
- 2 language papers — qualifying only
Interview (Personality Test)
- 275 marks
- Final merit = Mains + Interview
- Total: ~2025 marks for final rank