UPSC Paper A and Paper B are the two compulsory language papers of the Civil Services (Main) Examination — the Indian Language paper and the English paper. Candidates sat them on 29 August 2026, the day before the optional papers. They carry 300 marks each and contribute nothing to your rank, which is precisely why they are misunderstood: a candidate who fails one of them has their entire Mains performance discarded, however well the Essay, General Studies and Optional papers went. This guide sets out the rules exactly as they stand, the full exemption list, and what actually happens if you fall short.
Quick Answer
Paper-A (Compulsory Indian Language) and Paper-B (English) are 300 marks each, three hours each, and qualifying in nature. The qualifying standard is 25 per cent — that is, 75 marks out of 300 in each paper. Marks scored are not counted in the final merit. If a candidate fails to qualify in either paper, the Essay, General Studies and Optional papers are not evaluated at all. Candidates from Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim are exempt from Paper-A, as are certain candidates with a hearing benchmark disability. Paper-B has no state-based exemption.
Paper A vs Paper B at a Glance
| Paper-A | Paper-B | |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | One Indian Language from the Eighth Schedule | English |
| Marks | 300 | 300 |
| Duration | 3 hours | 3 hours |
| Qualifying standard | 25% (75 marks) | 25% (75 marks) |
| Counted in merit | No | No |
| State exemption available | Yes — six states | No |
| Language of answers | The chosen Indian language, in its own script | English |
| Standard of the paper | Matriculation or equivalent | Matriculation or equivalent |
| 2026 exam date | 29 August 2026 (forenoon) | 29 August 2026 (afternoon) |
Both papers sit outside the 1750-mark merit total. The merit papers are the Essay, General Studies I to IV and the two Optional papers, at 250 marks each, with the Personality Test adding 275 for a final total of 2025. See the full structure on our UPSC Mains exam page.
The 25 Per Cent Rule, Precisely
- The qualifying standard is 25 per cent of 300, i.e. 75 marks, and it applies to each paper separately. Scoring 200 in Paper-B does not compensate for 70 in Paper-A.
- The qualifying standard is fixed by the Commission and has not been treated as a moving cut-off in the way the merit cut-offs are.
- The papers are set at roughly matriculation level. They are not designed to be difficult; they are designed to establish functional literacy in an Indian language and in English.
- Marks obtained are never added to your total and are not disclosed in the marksheet published for recommended candidates.
What Actually Happens If You Fail
The Consequence Chain
- The Commission evaluates Paper-A and Paper-B first.
- If a candidate does not reach 75 in either paper, the remaining seven answer books are not evaluated.
- The candidate does not appear in the Mains written result, regardless of how the merit papers went.
- The attempt is counted as an attempt against the permitted number.
- There is no re-evaluation, no re-totalling and no separate intimation of the language paper marks.
This is why the two papers deserve three focused weeks rather than the two days most candidates give them. A qualifying paper you fail is worth more negative marks than any paper you sit for merit.
Who Is Exempt from Paper-A
Two exemptions exist, and both are narrower than aspirant forums usually suggest.
- State-based exemption. Candidates who belong to the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim are exempt from the Compulsory Indian Language paper. These are the six north-eastern and Himalayan states where the Eighth Schedule language requirement does not reflect the local linguistic position.
- Disability-based exemption. Candidates with a benchmark disability in the hearing-impairment category are exempt from Paper-A, subject to the conditions and certification the Commission specifies in the notification.
Three Things the Exemption Does Not Cover
- It does not extend to Paper-B. Every candidate sits the English paper.
- It is based on belonging to the state, not on having studied or currently residing there. The Commission’s definition in the notification governs.
- It does not apply to other north-eastern states outside the list of six. Assam and Tripura, for instance, are not covered.
Which Indian Languages You Can Choose
Paper-A may be taken in any language included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India — twenty-two languages in total:
- Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri
- Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi
- Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu
The language is declared in DAF-I, not on exam day, and it cannot be changed afterwards. The question paper is set in that language and answers must be written in it, in its prescribed script. Candidates who choose a language they last used at school are the group that most often runs into trouble — not because the paper is hard, but because writing 300 marks’ worth of prose in an unpractised script within three hours is a physical skill that decays.
A practical footnote from this cycle: when UPSC published the Mains 2026 question papers on 1 September 2026, compulsory language papers appeared for sixteen Indian languages — Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Maithili, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu — alongside the English paper. The notification itself permits any Eighth Schedule language; candidates choosing one of the less commonly opted languages should confirm the position directly in the notification for their cycle.
What the Papers Contain
| Component | Paper-A (Indian Language) | Paper-B (English) |
|---|---|---|
| Comprehension | Passage with questions | Passage with questions |
| Précis writing | Yes | Yes |
| Essay / composition | Short essay | Short essay |
| Usage and vocabulary | Yes | Yes |
| Translation | English to the Indian language and back | Not applicable |
The translation component is the one part of Paper-A with no counterpart in Paper-B, and it is where marks are most often lost — not through poor vocabulary but through literal rendering that produces unnatural sentences in the target language.
Myth-Bust
- “Nobody fails the language papers.” Candidates do fail them every cycle, and it ends the attempt outright. The papers are easy in content and unforgiving in consequence.
- “Extra marks above 75 help somewhere.” They do not. There is no tie-breaking or secondary use of qualifying paper marks.
- “If I write in English in Paper-A the examiner will understand.” Answers not written in the declared language and script are not evaluated.
- “The exemption covers the whole north-east.” It covers six named states only.
- “Paper-A is the same as taking a Literature optional.” They are unrelated. Paper-A is matriculation-level and qualifying; a Literature optional is a 500-mark merit subject.
A Three-Week Plan for the Next Cycle
If you are preparing for the next attempt, three weeks is enough — but it has to be three weeks of writing, not reading.
- Week one — diagnosis. Sit one past Paper-A and one past Paper-B under full time conditions. You will discover whether your problem is comprehension, speed or script.
- Week two — the mechanical components. Précis and translation are the most learnable sections and the most commonly neglected. Do one of each, daily.
- Week three — endurance. Two full papers a week under timed conditions. The failure mode in Paper-A is almost always incomplete attempts, not wrong answers.
For the wider calendar — including the CSE 2027 notification on 13 January 2027 and the Prelims on 23 May 2027 — see the UPSC calendar, and for what follows this year’s Mains, our guide to the UPSC Mains Result 2026 timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the qualifying marks for UPSC Paper A and Paper B?
25 per cent in each paper, that is 75 marks out of 300. The standard applies separately to each paper; a high score in one does not offset a shortfall in the other.
Are Paper A and Paper B marks added to the final merit?
No. Both are qualifying papers. The merit total of 1750 comes from the Essay, four General Studies papers and two Optional papers, with 275 more from the Personality Test.
What happens if I fail the compulsory Indian language paper?
Your Essay, General Studies and Optional answer books are not evaluated, you do not appear in the Mains written result, and the attempt is counted against your permitted number of attempts.
Which states are exempt from the UPSC Paper A language paper?
Candidates belonging to Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim. Candidates with a hearing benchmark disability are also exempt, subject to the conditions in the notification. No state exemption exists for Paper-B.
When were Paper A and Paper B held in UPSC Mains 2026?
On 29 August 2026 — Paper-A in the forenoon session and Paper-B in the afternoon session, the day before the Optional subject papers on 30 August 2026.
Can I change my Paper A language after applying?
No. The Indian language for Paper-A is declared in DAF-I and cannot be changed once the form is submitted. Choose a language you can write at length, in its own script, under time pressure.