UPSC Examination Module
UPSC Syllabus – Civil Services
Preliminary Exam
The Civil Services Preliminary exam comprises of two
compulsory papers of 200 marks each (General Studies Paper I and General
Studies Paper II). The questions will be of multiple choice, objective
type. The marks in prelims will not be counted for final ranking, but just for
qualification for the main exam.
The Commission will draw a list of candidates to be
qualified for Civil Service (Main) Examination based on the criterion of
minimum qualifying marks of 33% in General Studies Paper II of Civil Services
(Preliminary) Examination and total qualifying marks of General Studies Paper-I
of Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination as may be determined by the
Commission.
UPSC
Syllabus for Paper I – (200 marks) Duration: Two hours (Counted for the merit
rank in the Prelims)
- Current events of national and international importance.
- History of India and Indian National Movement.
- Indian and World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.
- Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayat Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
- Economic and Social Development Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.
- General issues on Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization.
- General Science.
UPSC
Syllabus for Paper II- (200 marks) Duration: Two hours (Not counted for the
merit rank in Prelims but a qualifying Paper; just needs 33% marks)
- Comprehension.
- Interpersonal skills including communication skills.
- Logical reasoning and analytical ability.
- Decision-making and problem-solving.
- General mental ability.
- Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. – Class X level).
UPSC
Syllabus – Civil Services Mains Exam
A candidate’s rank in UPSC Civil
Service Exam depends only on the mark scored in Main and Interview. The main
exam has 1750 marks while interview has 275 marks.
The written examination (main) will
consist of the following nine papers, but only 7 papers will be counted for
final merit ranking. For the rest two papers, the candidate should secure
minimum marks prescribed by UPSC each year.
Qualifying
Papers – Not counted for final ranking:
- Paper ‐ A – Indian Language – Syllabus. (One of the Indian Languages to be selected by the candidate from the Languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. This paper will not be compulsory for candidates hailing from the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim.) 300 Marks.
- Paper‐ B – English Language – Syllabus. 300 Marks.
Papers
to be counted for merit ranking:
- Paper‐I Essay – Syllabus. 250 Marks.
- Paper‐II General Studies – I – Syllabus. 250Marks. (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society).
- Paper‐III General Studies –II – Syllabus. 250 Marks. (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations).
- Paper‐IV General Studies –III – Syllabus. 250 Marks. (Technology, Economic Development, Bio‐diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management).
- Paper‐V General Studies –IV – Syllabus. 250 Marks. (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude).
- Paper‐VI Optional Subject – Paper 1 – 250 Marks.
- Paper‐VII Optional Subject – Paper 2 – 250 Marks.
UPSC
Syllabus – Civil Services Interview
- The candidate will be interviewed by a Board who will have before them a record of his/her career. He/she will be asked questions on matters of general interest. The object of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public service by a Board of competent and unbiased observers. The test is intended to judge the mental caliber of a candidate. In broad terms, this is really an assessment of not only his/her intellectual qualities but also social traits and his/her interest in current affairs. Some of the qualities to be judged are mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, balance of judgement, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion and leadership, intellectual and moral integrity.
- The technique of the interview is not that of a strict cross-examination but of a natural, though directed and purpose conversation which is intended to reveal the mental qualities of the candidate.
- The interview test is not intended to be a test either of the specialized or general knowledge of the candidates which has been already tested through their written papers. Candidates are expected to have taken an intelligent interest not only in their special subjects of academic study but also in the events which are happening around them both within and outside their own state or country as well as in modern currents of thought and in new discoveries which should rouse the curiosity of well-educated youth.
Sub Total (Written test): 1750 Marks
Personality Test: 275 Marks
Grand Total: 2025 Marks