UPSC UPDATES
EXAM Pattern
UPSC -Civil Services Exam Pattern
UPSC conducts this exam under 3 stages:
1. Prelims Examination
2. Mains Examination
3. Personality Test (Interview Process)
STAGE 1 : PRELIMS
Preliminary examination is the first and very important stage of the three stages of the civil service examination.
|
Name of the Paper |
No. of Questions |
Duration |
Total Marks |
Nature of Exam -MCQ |
|
General Studies Paper- I |
100 |
2 hours |
200 |
Considered for cut-off |
|
General Studies Paper-II (CSAT – Civil Services Aptitude Test) |
80 |
2 hours |
200 |
Qualifying (33% marks required) |
Negative Marking: There is negative marking associated with every wrong answer in UPSC Prelims Exam. 1/3rd of the total marks allotted to a question will be deducted if it is wrongly answered.
The Question Paper is bilingual i.e. asked in both English & Hindi.
Nature of Prelims Questions are Multiple Choice Question (MCQ).
STAGE 2 : MAIN EXAMINATION
Only those candidates who secure at least the declared cut off in General Studies I and 33% in General Studies II in Prelims are allowed to appear for the Mains Examination.
Main exam consists of a total of 9 papers which include 2 qualifying papers and 7 merit-based papers. Each paper will be of three hours duration.
Nature of Mains Exam is Subjective, where student have to write their answers in detailed explanation.
|
Paper |
Qualifying Papers |
Duration |
Total Marks |
|
Paper A |
English Language |
3 Hours |
300 |
|
Paper B |
Regional Language |
3 Hours |
300 |
|
Paper |
Merit Papers |
Duration |
Total Marks |
|
Paper I |
Essay |
3 Hours |
250 |
|
Paper II |
General Studies - I |
3 Hours |
250 |
|
Paper III |
General Studies - II |
3 Hours |
250 |
|
Paper IV |
General Studies - III |
3 Hours |
250 |
|
Paper V |
General Studies - IV |
3 Hours |
250 |
|
Paper VI |
Optional Paper I |
3 Hours |
250 |
|
Paper VII |
Optional Paper II |
3 Hours |
250 |
|
Total |
|
1750 |
List of Optional Subjects for Mains Exam
Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Anthropology, Botany, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Commerce and Accountancy, Economics, Electrical Engineering, Geography, Geology, History, Law, Management, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Medical Science, Philosophy, Physics, Political Science and International Relations, Psychology, Public Administration, Sociology, Statistics, Zoology
The literature of any one of the following languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and English.
STAGE 3 : INTERVIEW
The aspirants who qualify the UPSC mains exam are called for the Interview Round. This Interview is conducted by the UPSC board to assess the candidates’ suitability for a career in civil services and associated responsibilities.The board would judge the candidate’s mental and social traits by asking questions of general interest.
The maximum marks allotted for the interview stage are 275 making the total marks for the merit list consideration to 2025 marks (1750+275).