UKPSC Upper PCS is the Uttarakhand Combined State Civil/Upper Subordinate Services Examination. It is the main route to posts such as SDM, DSP and Assistant Commissioner. Therefore, this guide gives you a clear strategy and book list for the current pattern.
Many aspirants prepare for UPSC and UKPSC together, and that is a sound plan. After all, the two syllabi overlap widely. However, UKPSC needs extra depth in Uttarakhand topics and a descriptive Mains style.
1. Latest UKPSC Upper PCS Exam Pattern
First, know the pattern well. The exam has three stages: Preliminary, Mains and Interview.
Stage 1: Preliminary Examination (Objective)
- Paper I – General Studies: 150 questions, 150 marks, 2 hours. Your merit depends on this paper.
- Paper II – General Aptitude Test (CSAT): 100 questions, 150 marks, 2 hours. It is qualifying, so you need at least 33%.
- Negative marking: UKPSC deducts one-fourth of a question’s marks for each wrong answer.
Stage 2: Mains Examination (Descriptive)
Next, the Mains has eight compulsory papers and no optional subject. Each paper lasts three hours.
| Paper | Subject | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Hindi | 150 |
| 2 | Essay | 150 |
| 3 | General Studies-I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society) | 200 |
| 4 | General Studies-II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations) | 200 |
| 5 | General Studies-III (Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management) | 200 |
| 6 | General Studies-IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude) | 200 |
| 7 | General Studies-V (Knowledge of State of Uttarakhand) | 200 |
| 8 | General Studies-VI (Knowledge of State of Uttarakhand) | 200 |
| Written exam total | 1500 |
Note: You must score at least 35% in General Hindi.
Stage 3: Interview
Finally, the interview carries 150 marks. So, the grand total is 1650 marks.
For paper-wise topics, see our UKPSC Upper PCS Syllabus. Also, Hindi-medium readers can use our UKPSC syllabus in Hindi.
2. Prelims Strategy: Three Parts of the GS Paper
Broadly, the GS paper has three parts:
- Basic GS: History, Polity, Geography, Economy and Science.
- Current affairs: state, national and international events.
- Uttarakhand special: the state’s history, geography, culture, economy and schemes.
Uttarakhand Special: The Deciding Factor
In our estimate, about one-third of Prelims questions relate to Uttarakhand. Yet many aspirants master national topics and lose marks on state facts. So, read state material topic-wise and practise every related UKPSC question.
- Uttarakhand Vishesh Adhyayan (Parikshavani): concise, factual and full of practice questions. Even English-medium students should read it once.
- Uttarakhand Ka Rajnaitik Itihas (Ajay Rawat): detailed coverage of the state’s history.
- Winsar Publication (English and Hindi): useful for the state’s economy and infrastructure data.
- Arihant Uttarakhand (English and Hindi): a good second source for practice.
- Latest Uttarakhand Economic Survey and Budget: essential for schemes and project data.
Current Affairs
Current affairs form a large share of the paper. Even so, many good students skip them and miss the cut-off by a few marks. Therefore, follow one monthly magazine and never leave current affairs for the last month.
- Hindi medium: Samsamayik Ghatnachakra.
- English medium: eDristi.
- Uttarakhand: our free Uttarakhand Current Affairs monthly magazine (PDF).
- Regular updates: our Uttarakhand current affairs and national news sections.
3. UKPSC Book List: Subject-wise
For basic GS, read the same standard books you would use for UPSC. Below is our subject-wise list for Prelims and Mains.
| Subject | Recommended Books |
|---|---|
| Indian Polity | M. Laxmikanth |
| Modern History | Spectrum (Rajiv Ahir) |
| Ancient and Medieval History | Old NCERTs, Lucent, Tamil Nadu Board Class 11 |
| Geography (India and World) | NCERT Class 6–12, Mahesh Barnwal, Oxford Student Atlas |
| Indian Economy | Ramesh Singh or Nitin Singhania, with the latest Economic Survey of India |
| Science and Technology | Lucent’s General Science, Arihant |
| Uttarakhand Special | Parikshavani, Ajay Rawat, Winsar |
| Current Affairs | Ghatnachakra or eDristi, with the Samveg IAS monthly magazine |
| Reasoning (CSAT) | A New Approach to Reasoning – Verbal and Non-Verbal (Sijwali, Arihant) |
| Mathematics (CSAT) | Fast Track Objective Arithmetic (Rajesh Verma, Arihant) |
| General Hindi | Aadhunik Hindi Vyakaran aur Rachna (Dr Vasudev Nandan Prasad); Lucent’s Sampurna Hindi Vyakaran aur Rachna |
| Previous-year practice | Ghatnachakra Purvalokan |
4. CSAT (General Aptitude) Strategy
Although CSAT is only qualifying, it still knocks out many serious candidates. In fact, aspirants with SSC or bank-exam practice often find it easier. So, practise enough reasoning and arithmetic questions at exam level.
Then, take timed mocks. For example, our UKPSC 2026 Prelims Test Series includes two full CSAT papers.
5. Previous Year Papers: Your Best Guide
Above all, practise every paper UKPSC has set. Its question level stays similar across exams. So, first read a topic from a standard book. Then, solve all past questions on it.
- UKPSC Prelims previous year papers (PDF)
- UKPSC Mains previous year papers (2012–2025)
- UKPSC Upper PCS 2025 Prelims paper (GS + CSAT)
Also, Ghatnachakra Purvalokan collects questions from UKPSC, UPPSC, MPPSC and RPSC papers.
6. Mains Strategy: Writing for Success
UKPSC Mains uses a question-cum-answer booklet. Since space is limited, precise answers score best.
Step-by-Step Plan
- First, read the syllabus carefully. It lists every topic UKPSC can ask.
- Next, mark your strong and weak areas.
- Then, list your weak topics and collect basic material on each. Aim to write 250 words, not a PhD thesis.
- Also, read basic Uttarakhand geography, history and economy early.
- Think about what UKPSC can ask and how you will answer it.
- Meanwhile, revise the static portion regularly.
- Finally, practise the same topic in 20, 50, 125 and 250 words.
Time-Bound Practice
Most aspirants write well without a time limit. However, the real test is speed. So, give one minute per mark during practice. In the exam, write fast from the very first question.
Uttarakhand in Mains
GS-V and GS-VI both cover Uttarakhand, so the state carries 400 marks in Mains. Therefore, build detailed notes on every topic in these two papers.
7. General Hindi: Clear the 35% Bar
For English-medium aspirants, General Hindi is the biggest hurdle. Writing correct Hindi in limited time needs regular practice. Meanwhile, Hindi-medium aspirants should also revise it to maximise marks.
- Grammar scores highly because it is factual.
- Letter writing, lokokti and muhavare are the next scoring areas.
- Sankshepan, vyakhya and bhavarth separate high scores from average ones.
For grammar, use Dr Vasudev Nandan Prasad or Lucent’s Sampurna Hindi Vyakaran aur Rachna.
8. Essay and Ethics: High-Scoring Papers
- Essay: UKPSC lists the essay areas in its syllabus. So, prepare two topics in each section thoroughly. Then, write 8–10 practice essays within the word limit.
- Essay ideas: the “Baaten Nibandh Ki” series by Ghatnachakra gives useful content and approach.
- Ethics (GS-IV): use real-life case studies and quotes from Indian thinkers to score high.
Final Checklist for Success
- Solve PYQs: past UKPSC papers show the real nature of the exam.
- Practise against the clock: the language and GS papers are lengthy.
- Cover the whole syllabus first: go wide at a basic level, then go deep.
- Revise your own notes: in the final weeks, avoid adding new books.
Prepare with Samveg IAS
Want guided preparation? Then, join our UKPSC Upper PCS 2026 Crash Course or our Prelims Test Series. You can also explore our UKPSC coaching in Dehradun.
For details, call or WhatsApp 8475904943. Also, ask us for demo classes on the SAMVEG IAS app.