The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE) for the IAS, IPS, IFS and other Central Services. It has two successive stages: the Preliminary Examination (objective, a screening test) and the Main Examination (written papers and an Interview / Personality Test).
Exam pattern and selection process may vary by recruitment notification. Candidates should check the latest official notification on upsc.gov.in. This page follows UPSC Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE.
UPSC CSE Selection Process
- Preliminary Examination (screening only) – two objective papers of 200 marks each. General Studies Paper-II (CSAT) is qualifying with a minimum of 33%; candidates are shortlisted on General Studies Paper-I marks. Prelims marks are not counted in the final merit. About twelve to thirteen times the number of vacancies are admitted to the Mains.
- Main Examination (written) – nine essay-type papers. Papers A (Indian Language) and B (English) are qualifying only (25% each); Papers I to VII (Essay, GS I–IV and two Optional papers) are counted for merit.
- Interview / Personality Test – 275 marks, with no minimum qualifying marks. About twice the number of vacancies are called.
- Final merit – marks of Papers I to VII (1750) plus the Personality Test (275), out of 2025. Services are allotted by rank and the candidate's preferences.
UPSC CSE Exam Pattern
Preliminary Examination
| Paper | Marks | Duration | Nature |
|---|
| Paper I: General Studies | 200 | 2 hours | Decides who qualifies for the Mains |
| Paper II: General Studies (CSAT) | 200 | 2 hours | Qualifying (minimum 33%) |
| Total | 400 | — | — |
Both papers are objective (multiple choice) and set in Hindi and English, and a candidate must appear in both. For each wrong answer, one-third (0.33) of the marks assigned to that question is deducted; more than one answer counts as wrong; a question left blank carries no penalty.
Main Examination: Qualifying Papers
| Paper | Marks | Duration | Nature |
|---|
| Paper A: One Indian Language (Eighth Schedule) | 300 | 3 hours | Qualifying (minimum 25%) |
| Paper B: English | 300 | 3 hours | Qualifying (minimum 25%) |
Both are of Matriculation standard and their marks are not counted for ranking. Paper A is not compulsory for candidates from Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim, and for eligible hearing-impaired candidates as set out in the notice.
Main Examination: Papers Counted for Merit
| Paper | Subject | Marks | Duration |
|---|
| Paper I | Essay | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper II | General Studies-I: Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper III | General Studies-II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper IV | General Studies-III: Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper V | General Studies-IV: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper VI | Optional Subject – Paper 1 | 250 | 3 hours |
| Paper VII | Optional Subject – Paper 2 | 250 | 3 hours |
| Sub-total (written) | — | 1750 | — |
Personality Test and Final Merit
| Component | Marks |
|---|
| Main Examination written papers I–VII | 1750 |
| Interview / Personality Test (no minimum qualifying marks) | 275 |
| Grand total | 2025 |
If final marks are tied, the candidate with more marks in the compulsory papers (Essay and GS I–IV) plus the Personality Test is ranked higher, then in those papers alone, then the older candidate.
Preliminary Examination Syllabus
General Studies Paper I (200 marks)
The official syllabus lists seven areas; current events run through all of them.
Current Events
- Current events of national and international importance
History of India and Indian National Movement
- Ancient, medieval and modern India
- Freedom struggle
Indian and World Geography
- Physical, social and economic geography of India and the world
Indian Polity and Governance
- Constitution and political system
- Panchayati Raj, public policy, rights issues
Economic and Social Development
- Sustainable development, poverty, inclusion
- Demographics, social sector initiatives
Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change
- General issues that do not require subject specialisation
General Science
Preparation tip: Build each subject from basic textbooks, then link it to current events; practise with timed question sets because of negative marking.
Practice: Indian History BITS · Indian Polity BITS · Indian Geography BITS · Indian Economy BITS · General Science BITS · General Awareness BITS
General Studies Paper II – CSAT (200 marks, qualifying)
Only 33% is needed, but it must be cleared for the Paper I marks to count.
Comprehension
- Reading passages and answering questions
Interpersonal Skills including Communication Skills
Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability
Decision Making and Problem Solving
General Mental Ability
Basic Numeracy and Data Interpretation (Class X level)
- Numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude
- Charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency
Preparation tip: Take a few timed CSAT practice sets early to check you clear 33% comfortably, then keep your accuracy steady.
Practice: Reasoning Ability BITS · Quantitative Aptitude BITS · English Language BITS
Main Examination Syllabus
Qualifying Papers A and B: Indian Language and English
Tests the ability to read serious discursive prose and to express ideas clearly and correctly.
Question Pattern
- Comprehension of given passages
- Précis writing
- Usage and vocabulary
- Short essays
- Translation between English and the Indian language (Paper A only)
Preparation tip: Practise précis and short essays; these papers only need to be cleared, but failing them means the other papers are not evaluated.
Paper I: Essay
Essays on multiple topics. Credit is given for keeping to the subject, orderly arrangement of ideas and concise, exact expression.
Preparation tip: Write a timed essay every week and plan the structure before writing.
Paper II: General Studies-I
Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.
Indian Culture
- Art forms, literature and architecture from ancient to modern times
Modern Indian History and the Freedom Struggle
- From about the middle of the eighteenth century: events, personalities, issues
- Stages of the freedom struggle and contributors from different parts of the country
- Post-independence consolidation and reorganisation
World History
- Events from the 18th century: industrial revolution, world wars, colonisation and decolonisation
- Political philosophies such as communism, capitalism and socialism
Indian Society
- Salient features and diversity of India
- Role of women, population, poverty, urbanisation
- Effects of globalisation; social empowerment, communalism, regionalism and secularism
Geography
- Salient features of world physical geography
- Distribution of key natural resources; location of industries
- Earthquakes, tsunami, volcanic activity, cyclones and changes in critical geographical features
Preparation tip: Make short notes topic by topic and practise linking history and geography to present-day issues.
Practice: Indian History BITS · Indian Geography BITS
Paper III: General Studies-II
Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations.
Constitution and Polity
- Historical underpinnings, features, amendments and basic structure
- Union and States, federal issues, separation of powers
- Parliament and State legislatures; Executive and Judiciary
- Representation of People's Act; constitutional, statutory and regulatory bodies
Governance and Social Justice
- Government policies and interventions; role of NGOs and SHGs
- Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections; health, education and human resources
- Poverty and hunger; transparency, accountability and e-governance; role of civil services
International Relations
- India and its neighbourhood
- Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements
- Indian diaspora; important international institutions
Preparation tip: Read the Constitution's key provisions and follow current policy and international news with them in mind.
Practice: Indian Polity BITS
Paper IV: General Studies-III
Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management.
Indian Economy
- Planning, resource mobilisation, growth, development and employment
- Inclusive growth; government budgeting
- Liberalisation, industrial policy, infrastructure and investment models
Agriculture
- Cropping patterns, irrigation, storage and marketing
- Farm subsidies, MSP, PDS and food security
- Food processing; land reforms
Science and Technology
- Developments and applications in everyday life
- IT, space, computers, robotics, nano- and bio-technology; intellectual property rights
Environment and Disaster Management
- Conservation, pollution and environmental impact assessment
- Disaster and disaster management
Internal Security
- Development and spread of extremism
- Cyber security, money laundering, border management
- Security forces and agencies and their mandate
Preparation tip: Keep economy and science notes updated with the Budget, Economic Survey and recent developments.
Practice: Indian Economy BITS · General Science BITS
Paper V: General Studies-IV
Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude; questions may use case studies.
Ethics and Human Interface
- Essence, determinants and consequences of ethics; human values
Attitude and Aptitude
- Attitude and its influence on behaviour
- Foundational values for civil service: integrity, impartiality, objectivity, empathy
Emotional Intelligence and Moral Thinkers
- Emotional intelligence in administration
- Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and the world
Public Service Values and Probity
- Ethics in public administration and international relations; corporate governance
- Probity in governance: RTI, codes of ethics and conduct, citizen's charters, corruption
Case Studies
- Case studies on the above issues
Preparation tip: Practise case studies with a clear structure: stakeholders, options, and a justified decision.
Papers VI and VII: Optional Subject (two papers)
Each candidate chooses ONE optional subject and writes its two papers; candidates do not attempt every optional. The level is broadly of honours degree (bachelor's level for engineering, medical science and law).
Optional Subjects (choose one)
- 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
- Literature of one language: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu or English
Preparation tip: Choose an optional you can study in depth and that overlaps with your background; the full paper-wise syllabus for each optional is in the notice.
Practice and Preparation Resources
