CIVIL SERVICES EXAMS
The Civil Services PT (Preliminary) examination consists of two objective-type papers: General Studies Paper 1 and the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT). Paper 1 is for merit ranking, while CSAT is a qualifying paper with a minimum qualifying percentage required for candidates to pass. Both papers are 2 hours long, have 200 marks each, and feature a negative marking scheme of one-third for each incorrect answer.
- General Studies (Paper 1): Includes a broad range of subjects such as current events, history, geography, Indian polity, economy, and general science.
- CSAT (Paper 2): Assesses candidates' comprehension, logical reasoning, decision-making, and basic numeracy skills.
CIVIL SERVICES EXAMS | 2025
UPSC CSE – Complete IAS Exam Syllabus for Prelims & Mains
The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is one of India’s most prestigious and competitive exams. Conducted annually by the Union Public Service Commission, it aims to recruit candidates for top government posts like IAS, IPS, IFS, and IRS. Understanding the UPSC syllabus is the first step towards an effective preparation strategy.
Scroll down for a comprehensive overview of the UPSC Prelims and Mains syllabus, including detailed subject-wise breakdowns, optional subjects, and the essay and interview components. Download the latest UPSC Syllabus PDF 2025 and gear up for structured, smart preparation.
The
Civil Services Mains exam is a descriptive, 9-paper exam with two qualifying
papers and seven merit-ranking papers, totaling 1750 marks. The papers include
one essay, four General Studies papers, two optional subject papers, and two
qualifying language papers (one Indian language and English). All papers are 3
hours long, except for the two qualifying papers which are 3 hours each.
Qualifying
papers
Paper A: Indian Language (300
marks)
Paper B: English Language (300
marks)
Merit-ranking
papers
Paper I: Essay (250 marks)
Papers II-V: General Studies (4
papers, 250 marks each)
Papers VI-VII: Optional Subjects (2
papers, 250 marks each, based on the candidate's chosen subject)
Key
details
The two qualifying papers have a minimum qualifying mark of 33% but are not counted towards the final merit list. The remaining seven papers are descriptive and their marks are used for the final merit ranking. All merit-ranking papers have a duration of 3 hours, with the exception of qualifying papers that can take up to 3 hours.
