UPSC-Civil Services Exam

1. Exam Stages

UPSC CSE has 3 stages:

1. Preliminary Exam (Objective, Qualifying)

2. Main Exam (Descriptive)

3. Personality Test/Interview

2. Exam Pattern

Prelims (2 papers, 400 marks total, same day):

• Paper I: General Studies (GS) – 100 questions (Polity, History, Economy, Environment, etc.).

• Paper II: CSAT (Aptitude) – 80 questions (Comprehension, Reasoning, Basic Numeracy).

  • Qualifying: Only Paper I marks counted; Paper II requires 33% to qualify.

Mains (9 papers, 1750 marks):

1. Essay (250 marks)

2. GS-I (History, Geography, Society)

3. GS-II (Polity, Governance, IR)

4. GS-III (Economy, Environment, Security)

5. GS-IV (Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude)

6. Optional Paper-I

7. Optional Paper-II

8. Indian Language Paper (Qualifying, 25% marks needed)

9. English Paper (Qualifying, 25% marks needed)

Interview (275 marks):

• Personality test assessing leadership, ethics, and communication.

Final Merit = Mains (1750) + Interview (275) = 2025 marks.

3. Key Dates

• Notification: February/March 2024 (for 2025 exam).

• Prelims: May/June 2024.

• Mains: September/October 2024.

• Interview: January–April 2025.

• Check upsc.gov.in for exact dates.

4. Eligibility Criteria

• Nationality:

  • IAS/IPS: Indian citizen.

  • Other services: Varies (e.g., Nepal/Bhutan origins eligible for some posts).

• Age (as of August 1, 2024):

  • General: 21–32 years (6 attempts).

  • OBC: 21–35 years (9 attempts).

  • SC/ST: 21–37 years (Unlimited attempts till age limit).

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in any discipline.

• Physical Standards: Required for IPS/IFS.

5. Syllabus Highlights

Prelims (GS Paper I):

• Current events, History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Environment, Science.

Mains:

• GS-I: Art & Culture, Modern History, Post-Independence India, World Geography.

• GS-II: Constitution, Parliament, Welfare Schemes, International Relations.

• GS-III: Economy (Budget, Agriculture), Environment (Climate Change), Security.

• GS-IV: Ethics, Emotional Intelligence, Case Studies.

• Optional Subject: Choose 1 from 48 subjects (e.g., Sociology, Geography, Public Administration).

6. Important Strategies

1. Prelims Focus:

   • Prioritize high-weightage topics (Polity, Economy, Environment).

   • Solve 10+ years of past papers and mock tests.

2. Mains Focus:

   • Answer Writing Practice: Use the Pyramid Approach (Introduction → Body → Conclusion).

   • Current Affairs: Link news to syllabus (e.g., AI regulation → GS-III Science & Tech).

3. Optional Subject: Pick a subject you enjoy or have a background in.

4. Interview Prep: Stay updated on your DAF (Detailed Application Form) details.

7. Critical Resources

• Books:

  • Polity: Laxmikanth.

  • Economy: Sanjeev Verma or Sriram IAS.

  • History: Spectrum (Modern), NCERTs (Ancient/Medieval).

• Current Affairs: The Hindu, Indian Express, Yojana magazine.