UPSC Civil Services Examination – Detailed Syllabus (Latest)
1. Preliminary Examination (Objective)
Paper I – General Studies I (200 marks; 2 hours)
- Current Affairs: National and international developments across governance, economy, society,
environment, technology, etc.
- History of India: Ancient, Medieval, Modern history including the freedom movement.
- Geography: Physical, Social, Economic geography of India and the World.
- Indian Polity & Governance: Constitution, political system, Panchayati Raj, public policy, rights
issues.
- Economic & Social Development: Sustainable development, poverty, demographics, inclusion,
social sector initiatives.
- Environment & Ecology: Biodiversity, climate change, ecological issues.
- General Science: Basics of physics, chemistry, biology, S&T; developments.
Paper II – CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test) (200 marks; 2 hours;
Qualifying)
- Comprehension (English and Hindi)
- Interpersonal Communication Skills
- Logical Reasoning & Analytical Ability
- Decision Making & Problem Solving
- General Mental Ability
- Basic Numeracy (Class X level)
- Data Interpretation (graphs, charts, tables)
2. Main Examination (Descriptive)
Qualifying Papers (Not counted for ranking)
- Paper A: One Indian language (from the Eighth Schedule) – 300 marks
- Paper B: English – 300 marks
Merit-based Papers (250 marks each)
1. Essay – Write two essays on given topics (often socio-political or philosophical).
2. General Studies I – Indian Heritage & Culture, History, Geography of the World & Society.
3. General Studies II – Polity, Constitution, Governance, Social Justice, International Relations.
4. General Studies III – Indian Economy, Science & Technology, Environment, Disaster
Management, Security.
5. General Studies IV – Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude (with case studies).
6 & 7. Optional Subject Papers I & II – Candidate chooses one subject from UPSC’s list.
Personality Test (Interview)
- Marks: 275
- Evaluates mental alertness, leadership, judgement, ethics, communication, and interest in current
issues.
3. Examination Overview
Prelims: GS I (200 marks) + CSAT (200 marks; qualifying).
Mains: 9 Papers – 2 Qualifying (not in merit), 7 Merit Papers (1750 marks).
Interview: 275 marks.
Grand Total: 2025 marks.
