UPSC Exam Structure

PART-A : PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION

Two compulsory papers based on objective questions : (Duration 2 hours each)

PAPER I - 200 Marks

Current Events: National/International importance.
Indian and World Geography - Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.
Economic and Social Development - Sustainable Development, Poverty.
General issues on Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate.
History of India and Indian National Movement.
Indian Polity and Governance - Constitution, Political System.
Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues etc.
Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.
Change - that do not require subject specialization.
General Science

PAPER II- 200 Marks

Comprehension Interpersonal skills including communication skills.
Decision-making and problem-solving.
Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level).
Logical Reasoning and analytical ability.
General mental ability.
Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc.)
English language Comprehension skills (Class X level).

PART-B, MAIN EXAMINATION (SUBJECTIVE TYPE)

Total Marks : 1750, Four papers of General Studies + one optional subject (consisting 2 papers) and one Essay paper. There are two qualifying papers, one is General English and one is from any other language of 8th Schedule of the Indian constitution. All papers are of 3 hours duration each. The Paper A on Indian Language is not compulsory for students hailing from Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Meghalaya.

Qualifying Papers

Paper-A 300 Marks & 3 Hours : Oneof theIndianlanguagestobeselectedbythecandidatesfrom the 8th schedule of the constitution.
Paper-B 300 Marks & 3 Hours : English

Papers to be counted for merit

Paper - I Essay 250 Marks
Paper - II General Studies - I 250 Marks Indian Heritage and Culture, History & Geography of the World & Society
Paper - III General Studies - II 250 Marks Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice & International relations
Paper - IV General Studies - III 250 Marks Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security & Disaster Management
Paper - V General Studies - IV 250 Marks Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
Paper - VI Optional Subject - Paper - 1 250 Marks
Paper - VII Optional Subject - Paper - 2 250 Marks
Sub Total Written Test - 1750 Marks

Interview / Personality Test

Total Marks - 275
-- The objective of the interview is to access the personal suitability of the candidates for a career in public services by a board of competent and unbiased observers.
-- The test is intendedto judge the mental caliber of a candidate