- Aspirants of Civil Services Examination are at the right place to get the details of the UPSC Syllabus, Here, You will find the complete UPSC IAS syllabus with PDF for the Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The Civil Services Examination is widely considered one of the toughest and the most prestigious examinations conducted in India.
- To understand the UPSC exam, one needs to understand the UPSC syllabus. This helps to eliminate wasteful efforts like reading unnecessary topics leading to a loss of time and keeps one strictly aligned to the expectations of the UPSC from day one.
- The civil service exam is conducted by UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) every year to recruit officers for various government posts.
- UPSC is one of the most challenging examinations in our country because of its unpredictable nature.
- There are three stages of this examination:
- Prelims – [General Studies & CSAT]
- Mains – [9 Theory Papers (GS I-IV, Language Papers, Essay & Optional)]
- Interview – [Personality Test]
UPSC Syllabus: IAS Prelims Syllabus
- As we have discussed above that Prelims is the first stage of the UPSC Exam. Marks secured in the Preliminary Exam are not taken into account while preparing the final merit. UPSC Prelims comprises of two objective type papers (General Studies I and CSAT) for a total of 400 marks. Both papers are usually held on the same day in two sessions. CSAT or Civil Services Aptitude Test is actually the second paper of preliminary General Studies of the IAS syllabus introduced in 2011.
- The CSAT was introduced to end the use of a scaling system for varying subjects in the General Studies paper of the IAS mains examination or whole as the IAS syllabus.
- The benefit of introducing aptitude tests in the UPSC syllabus is that it assesses your logical reasoning and thinking performance. It is based on multiple-choice questions answered in exam conditions.
- In 2013, some changes are made in the format of the IAS Syllabus. It’s for the first time the Indian Forest Service (IFS) aspirants were combined with the Civil Services aspirants and are made to take the preliminary examination. Those Indian Forest Service aspirants who may eventually clear the first stage of the exam, they have to write the separate exam in place of the IAS Mains examination for their Mains Indian Forest Service examination.
- There are several other changes in the pattern of the IAS Mains examination from 2013. Now there are four compulsory papers of General Studies of the IAS mains examination and only one optional subject instead of two, one compulsory essay paper is also there. Besides, English and one language paper are of only qualifying nature.
- Giving an all-around approach to the UPSC IAS syllabus is the key to success for both the Preliminary and the IAS Mains examination.
Paper | Subjects | Total Marks | Duration |
---|---|---|---|
I | General Studies (GS) | 200 | 2 hours |
II | CSAT | 200 | 2 hours |
UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern | General Studies I | General Studies II or CSAT |
---|---|---|
Number of questions | 100 | 80 |
Negative Marking | Yes (1/3rd of the maximum marks for the question) -0.66 marks for every incorrect answer | Yes (1/3rd of the maximum marks for the question) -0.83 marks for every incorrect answer |
Language of exam | English/Hindi | English/Hindi |
Cut Off marks | Counted for Merit. Cutoff varies every year. | 33% qualifying criteria (66 marks) |
Duration of Exam | 2 hrs. (20 minutes per hour extra time for blind candidates & candidate with Locomotor Disability & Cerebral Palsy [minimum 40% impairment]) | 2 hrs. (20 minutes per hour extra time for blind candidates & candidate with Locomotor Disability & Cerebral Palsy [minimum 40% impairment]) |
Medium of Exam | Bilingual (Hindi & English) | Bilingual (Hindi & English) |
UPSC Prelims Syllabus for GS Paper (Prelims Paper I)
It has 100 questions broadly covering the following topics, carrying a maximum of 200 marks to be solved in 2 hours.
UPSC Prelims Syllabus for CSAT Paper (Prelims Paper-II)
It comprises of 80 questions from the following topics carrying a maximum of 200 marks to be solved in 2 hours.
General Studies Paper-II of UPSC IAS Exam is a qualifying paper with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%. It is mandatory for a candidate to appear in both the Papers of UPSC Prelims Exam for the purpose of evaluation.
UPSC Syllabus: IAS Mains Syllabus
- The Mains examination constitutes the 2nd phase of the Civil Services Examination. Only after successfully qualifying in the prelims exam would the candidates be allowed to write the IAS Mains.
- The Mains exam tests the candidate’s academic talent in depth and his/her ability to present his/her understanding according to the requirements of the question in a time-bound manner.
- 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.
- The UPSC Mains exam consists of 9 papers, out of which two are qualifying papers of 300 marks each.
- The two qualifying papers are:
- Any Indian Language
- English Language Paper
- The two qualifying papers are:
- The papers on Essay, General Studies, and Optional Subject of only such candidates who attain 25% marks in both the language papers as a minimum qualifying standard in these qualifying papers, will be taken cognizance of, for evaluation.
- In case a candidate does not qualify in these language papers, then the marks obtained by such candidates will not be considered or counted.
Paper | Subject | Marks |
---|---|---|
Paper-I | Essay (can be written in the medium of the candidate’s choice) | 250 |
Paper-II | General Studies – I (Indian Heritage & Culture, History & Geography of the World & Society) | 250 |
Paper-III | General Studies – II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice & International Relations) | 250 |
Paper–IV | General Studies – III (Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Security & Disaster Management) | 250 |
Paper–V | General Studies – IV (Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude) | 250 |
Paper–VI | Optional Subject – Paper I | 250 |
Paper–VII | Optional Subject – Paper II | 250 |
UPSC Syllabus: Mains General Studies Paper-1
Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society:
UPSC Syllabus: Mains General Studies Paper-2
Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations:
UPSC Syllabus: Mains General Studies Paper-3
Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security, and Disaster Management:
UPSC Syllabus: Mains General Studies Paper-4
Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude: This paper includes questions to check the candidate’s attitude and approach to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life, and his/her problem-solving approach to various issues and conflicts faced by him/her while dealing with society. Questions may utilize the case study approach to determine these aspects and covers area:
UPSC IAS Syllabus for Language and Essay Papers
Essay Paper – It is the Paper-I of UPSC Mains
- Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics.
- They will be expected to keep close to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in an orderly fashion and to write concisely. Credit will be given for effective and exact expression.
Qualifying Papers on Indian Languages and English
Structure of the language papers:
- The types of questions asked are –
- Essay – 100 marks
- Reading comprehension – 60 marks
- Precis Writing – 60 marks
- Translation:
- English to compulsory language (e.g. Hindi) – 20 marks
- Compulsory language to English – 20 marks
- Grammar and basic language usage – 40 marks
- The rest of the seven papers can be written in any of the languages mentioned under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India or in English.
- The aim of the papers is to test the candidates’ ability to read and understand serious discursive prose and to express ideas clearly and correctly, in English and Indian language concerned.
- The pattern of questions would broadly be as follows :
- (i) Comprehension of given passages.
- (ii) Precis Writing.
- (iii) Usage and Vocabulary.
- (iv) Short Essays.
- (v) Translation from English to the Indian Language and vice-versa.
UPSC SYllabus: IAS Interview/Personality Test (275 Marks)
- Candidates who qualify the UPSC Mains Exam will be called for the ‘Personality Test/Interview’. These candidates will be interviewed by a Board appointed by the UPSC.
- The objective of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in the civil services by a board of competent and unbiased observers.
- The interview is more of a purposive conversation intended to explore the mental qualities and analytical ability of the candidate.
- The Interview test will be of 275 marks and the total marks for written examination is 1750. This sums up to a Grand Total of 2025 Marks based on which the final merit list will be prepared.
UPSC Syllabus for Optional Subjects
A candidate may opt for any one Optional Subject from the following:
Literature Subjects
Each Optional Subject has 2 compulsory papers.