UPSC Exam Syllabus

UPSC Exam Syllabus – The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) regulates civil services examinations, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) exam. The UPSC exam is conducted in three phases – UPSC Prelims, UPSC Mains, and the Personality Test.

UPSC Preliminary Examination:

The Preliminary Exam is the first stage of the UPSC exam. It consists of two papers, each carrying 200 marks, with objective-type multiple-choice questions. Paper-2 is a qualifying paper, with a minimum qualifying mark of 33%. Candidates have 2 hours to attempt each exam. The marks of Prelims Paper 1 and Paper 2 are not counted in the final merit list. There is negative marking, with 1/3rd marks deducted for every wrong answer. The question papers are set in both Hindi and English.

UPSC Prelims Pattern:

Paper I: General Studies (Objective-type)
– Covers topics like History, Polity, Geography, Science, Economy, Current Affairs
– Total marks: 200
– Time allotted: 2 hours

Paper II: CSAT (Objective-Type)
– Covers topics like Maths, Logical Reasoning, reading comprehension
– Total marks: 200
– Time allotted: 2 hours

UPSC Prelims Syllabus:

General Studies Paper 1:
1. Current events of national and international importance.
2. History of India and Indian National Movement.
3. Indian and World Geography
4. Indian Polity and Governance
5. Economic and Social Development
6. General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity, and Climate Change
7. General Science

General Studies Paper 2:
1. Comprehension
2. Interpersonal skills including communication skills.
3. Logical reasoning and analytical ability.
4. Decision making and problem solving.
5. General mental ability.
6. Basic numeracy, Data interpretation

UPSC Mains Examination:

UPSC Exam Syllabus- Candidates who qualify the Preliminary exam are called for the Main exam. The Main exam consists of 9 papers, including qualifying papers and merit exams. Each paper is of 3 hours duration, with an additional 30 minutes given to blind students. Papers A and B are of 300 marks each, and the remaining papers are of 250 marks each. The questions in Mains are subjective type and can be written in either Hindi or English.

UPSC Mains Pattern:

Paper A: Compulsory Indian language – 300 marks (3 hours)
Paper B: English – 300 marks (3 hours)
Paper I: Essay – 250 marks (3 hours)
Paper II: General Studies I – 250 marks (3 hours)
Paper III: General Studies II – 250 marks (3 hours)
Paper IV: General Studies III – 250 marks (3 hours)
Paper V: General Studies IV – 250 marks (3 hours)
Paper VI: Optional I – 250 marks (3 hours)
Paper VII: Optional II – 250 marks (3 hours)
Total marks for written test: 1750
Personality Test: 275
Grand Total: 2025

UPSC Mains Syllabus:

General Studies Paper I:
1. Indian Culture
2. Modern Indian History
3. History of the world
4. Society
5. Geography

General Studies Paper II:
1. Indian Constitution
2. Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States
3. Separation of powers and dispute redressal mechanisms
4. Structure, organisation and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary
5. Parliament and State Legislatures

General Studies Paper III:
1. Indian Economy
2. Agriculture
3. Science and Technology
4. Environment
5. Disaster Management
6. Security

General Studies Paper IV:
1. Ethics and Human Interface
2. Attitude
3. Aptitude
4. Emotional Intelligence
5. Contributions of Thinkers and Philosophers
6. Public/Civil Service Values

These are the details of the UPSC Exam Pattern. Prepare well and good luck with your exams!