The Civil Services Examination selects officers for the IAS, IPS, IFS and the central services. It runs in three stages: a two-paper objective Preliminary examination that is purely a screening test, a nine-paper descriptive Main examination that carries the merit, and a Personality Test. The Preliminary marks do not count towards the final ranking.
Two compulsory objective papers of 200 marks each. Paper I decides the Mains shortlist; Paper II (CSAT) is qualifying only — a candidate must score 33% in it. Marks from the Preliminary examination are not carried into the final merit.
Paper I — General Studies
Marks
200
Duration
Two hours
Type
Multiple choice, objective
General Studies Paper I
Current events of national and international importance
History of India and Indian National Movement
Indian and World Geography — physical, social and economic geography of India and the world
Indian Polity and Governance — Constitution, political system, Panchayati Raj, public policy, rights issues
Economic and Social Development — sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics, social sector initiatives
General issues on environmental ecology, bio-diversity and climate change that do not require subject specialisation
General Science
Paper II — CSAT (qualifying)
Marks
200
Duration
Two hours
Qualifying mark
33%
Civil Services Aptitude Test
Comprehension
Interpersonal skills including communication skills
Logical reasoning and analytical ability
Decision-making and problem-solving
General mental ability
Basic numeracy — numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude (Class X level)
Data interpretation — charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency (Class X level)
English Language Comprehension skills (Class X level)
UPSC CSE Main Examination syllabus
The Main examination assesses depth of understanding rather than range of information. The General Studies papers are set so that a well-educated person can answer them without specialised study; answers must be relevant, meaningful and succinct. Alongside the seven merit papers below, the Commission also sets two qualifying language papers (Paper-A in an Eighth Schedule language and Paper-B in English) whose marks are not counted in the merit.
Paper I — Essay
Marks
250
Essay
An essay on a specific topic, with a choice of subjects
Candidates are expected to keep closely to the subject, arrange ideas in orderly fashion and write concisely
Credit is given for effective and exact expression
English Comprehension and English Précis are tested at 10th standard level
Paper II — General Studies I
Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.
Marks
250
Indian Heritage and Culture
Salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times
Modern Indian History and the Freedom Struggle
Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present — significant events, personalities, issues
The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors and contributions from different parts of the country
Post-independence consolidation and reorganisation within the country
World History
Events from the 18th century such as the industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonisation and decolonisation
Political philosophies like communism, capitalism and socialism — their forms and effect on society
Indian Society
Salient features of Indian Society, diversity of India
Role of women and women's organisations, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanisation, their problems and their remedies
Effects of globalisation on Indian society
Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism and secularism
Geography of the World and Society
Salient features of world's physical geography
Distribution of key natural resources across the world, including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent
Factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world, including India
Important geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, tsunami, volcanic activity and cyclones
Geographical features and their location; changes in critical geographical features including water-bodies and ice-caps, and in flora and fauna, and the effects of such changes
Paper III — General Studies II
Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations.
Marks
250
Constitution and Polity
Indian Constitution — historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure
Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States; issues and challenges of the federal structure; devolution of powers and finances to local levels and challenges therein
Separation of powers between various organs; dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions
Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries
Parliament and State Legislatures — structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers and privileges and issues arising out of these
Structure, organisation and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary; Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the polity
Salient features of the Representation of People's Act
Appointment to various Constitutional posts; powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies
Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies
Governance and Social Justice
Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors, and issues arising out of their design and implementation
Development processes and the development industry — the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders
Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections by the Centre and States and their performance; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these sections
Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources
Issues relating to poverty and hunger
Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability; e-governance — applications, models, successes, limitations and potential; citizens' charters and institutional measures
Role of civil services in a democracy
International Relations
India and its neighbourhood — relations
Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India or affecting India's interests
Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests; Indian diaspora
Important international institutions, agencies and fora — their structure and mandate
Paper IV — General Studies III
Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management.
Marks
250
Indian Economy
Indian economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation of resources, growth, development and employment
Inclusive growth and issues arising from it
Government budgeting
Land reforms in India
Effects of liberalisation on the economy; changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth
Major crops and cropping patterns in various parts of the country; different types of irrigation and irrigation systems
Storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce; issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers
Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices
Public Distribution System — objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security
Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing
Food processing and related industries in India — scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management
Science, Technology and Environment
Science and technology — developments and their applications and effects in everyday life
Achievements of Indians in science and technology; indigenisation of technology and developing new technology
Awareness in the fields of IT, space, computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology, and issues relating to intellectual property rights
Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
Disaster and disaster management
Internal Security
Linkages between development and spread of extremism
Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security
Challenges to internal security through communication networks; role of media and social networking sites; basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention
Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organised crime with terrorism
Various security forces and agencies and their mandate
Paper V — General Studies IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude)
Tests the candidate's attitude and approach to issues of integrity and probity in public life, and the problem-solving approach to conflicts faced in dealing with society. Questions may use the case study approach.
Marks
250
Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
Ethics and Human Interface — essence, determinants and consequences of ethics in human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics in private and public relationships
Human Values — lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values
Attitude — content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion
Aptitude and foundational values for civil service — integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker sections
Emotional intelligence — concepts, their utilities and application in administration and governance
Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and the world
Public/civil service values and ethics in public administration — status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance
Probity in Governance — concept of public service; philosophical basis of governance and probity; information sharing and transparency in government; Right to Information; codes of ethics; codes of conduct; citizen's charters; work culture; quality of service delivery; utilisation of public funds; challenges of corruption
Case studies on the above issues
Papers VI and VII — Optional Subject
Two papers in one optional subject, 250 marks each. The scope is broadly of honours degree level — higher than a bachelor's degree and lower than a master's. For Engineering, Medical Science and Law the level corresponds to the bachelor's degree.
Papers
2
Marks
250 each (500 total)
Level
Honours degree standard
Group 1 — Optional subjects
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
Group 2 — Literature of a language
Answers must be written in the language concerned. For languages in the Eighth Schedule, the script is the one indicated in the Commission's Appendix I for the Main Examination.
Assamese
Bengali
Bodo
Dogri
English
Gujarati
Hindi
Kannada
Kashmiri
Konkani
Maithili
Malayalam
Manipuri
Marathi
Nepali
Odia
Punjabi
Sanskrit
Santhali
Sindhi
Tamil
Telugu
Urdu
UPSC CSE Personality Test syllabus
Candidates who qualify the Main examination are called for the Personality Test, worth 275 marks. The final merit is the total of the Main examination merit papers and the Personality Test.
Practise the UPSC CSE syllabus, section by section
Reading the syllabus tells you what is examinable; previous year papers tell you how it is actually asked. Every UPSC CSE paper on AI Test Planet runs in a real exam interface with worked solutions and a topic-wise breakdown of where you lost marks.
No. The Preliminary examination is only a screening test. The final merit is built from the Main examination merit papers and the Personality Test.
How many marks do I need in CSAT?+
Paper II of the Preliminary examination is qualifying in nature and requires 33%. Only Paper I decides the Mains shortlist.
What is the level of the optional subject papers?+
Broadly honours degree level — higher than a bachelor's degree and lower than a master's. For Engineering, Medical Science and Law, the level corresponds to the bachelor's degree.
Can I take a literature optional without a degree in it?+
Only if you have graduated in that literature with the literature as the main subject. Otherwise your optional must come from the Group 1 list.
Is General Studies IV really about ethics case studies?+
Yes. The paper is designed to test attitude and approach to integrity and probity in public life, and questions may use the case study approach. The syllabus explicitly lists 'Case Studies on above issues' as a component.
Union Public Service Commission, Civil Services Examination notification, Section-III “Syllabi for the Examination” (Part-A Preliminary Examination, Part-B Main Examination).
Last verified on 13 August 2026.Commissions revise patterns between cycles — confirm anything decisive against the current notification on upsc.gov.in.
