UPSC syllabus in short
The UPSC Civil Services Exam has three stages. Prelims has two objective papers of 200 marks each; only GS Paper 1 counts for merit, and CSAT needs 33%. Mains has nine written papers, of which seven (1,750 marks) count for merit, and two language papers are qualifying. The interview carries 275 marks, so the final merit is out of 2,025.
UPSC Prelims
| Paper | Questions | Marks | Time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS Paper 1 | 100 | 200 | 2 hours | Counts for merit |
| GS Paper 2 (CSAT) | 80 | 200 | 2 hours | Qualifying, 33% |
Each wrong answer costs one-third of the marks for that question. GS Paper 1 covers current events, Indian history and the national movement, Indian and world geography, polity and governance, economic and social development, environment and ecology, and general science. CSAT covers comprehension, communication skills, logical reasoning, decision making, basic numeracy and data interpretation.
UPSC Mains
| Paper | Subject | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper A | Indian language (qualifying, 25%) | 300 |
| Paper B | English (qualifying, 25%) | 300 |
| Paper I | Essay | 250 |
| Paper II | GS I: Indian heritage and culture, history and geography of the world and society | 250 |
| Paper III | GS II: Governance, Constitution, polity, social justice and international relations | 250 |
| Paper IV | GS III: Technology, economic development, biodiversity, environment, security and disaster management | 250 |
| Paper V | GS IV: Ethics, integrity and aptitude | 250 |
| Papers VI and VII | Optional subject, Papers 1 and 2 | 250 each |
| Merit total | 1,750 |
Interview
The personality test carries 275 marks. Therefore, the final merit is out of 2,025 (1,750 + 275).
UPSC vs UKPSC
UKPSC Mains GS I to IV mirror UPSC GS I to IV. However, UKPSC adds General Hindi, a three-section essay and two full papers on Uttarakhand, and it has no optional subject. See the UKPSC Upper PCS syllabus, or prepare for both with our UPSC + UKPSC coaching.
Frequently asked questions
UPSC Mains has nine papers: two qualifying language papers, Essay, four GS papers and two optional papers. Seven papers worth 1,750 marks count for merit.
Yes. GS Paper 2 (CSAT) is qualifying with a minimum of 33%. Merit is based on GS Paper 1 only.
The final merit is out of 2,025: 1,750 for Mains and 275 for the interview.