Negative marking: For both papers, one‐third of the marks assigned to a question will be deducted for a wrong answer.

Medium: Bilingual (English & Hindi) for objective papers.

Syllabus / Topics Covered in Prelims

Paper I – General Studies covers a wide range of topics:

Current events of national & international importance

History of India & Indian National Movement

Indian & World Geography – physical, social, economic geography

Indian Polity & Governance: Constitution, political system, Panchayati Raj, etc.

Economic & Social Development: Sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics, social sector issues

General issues on Environmental ecology, biodiversity, climate change (without needing specialization)

General Science (basic understanding)

Paper II – CSAT is meant to test:

Comprehension

Interpersonal skills (including communication skills)

Logical reasoning & analytical ability

Decision making & problem solving

Basic numeracy (Class X level)

Data interpretation

(Note: While CSAT is qualifying in nature and its marks do not count toward merit, you must get at least 33% to pass.)

The Mains exam is descriptive / essay type. It consists of 9 papers, but two are language papers which are qualifying in nature (i.e., their marks are not counted in the final merit, but passing them is necessary).

Structure & Papers

Here’s how they are structured:

Total marks for papers counted for merit = 1750 (i.e., excluding the two qualifying language papers)

Syllabus / Content for Mains

Below is a broad overview of what each of the GS / Essay / Ethics papers cover:

Essay Paper

Candidates are expected to write essays on multiple topics. Topics can be social, economic, political, philosophical, etc.

Ability to organize, present arguments, clarity of thought, and effective writing are evaluated.

General Studies Paper I (GS-I)

Indian Heritage & Culture

History of India (ancient, medieval, modern)

Freedom Struggle & Post‐independence consolidation & reorganization

World History: 18th century onwards (industrial revolution, world wars, decolonisation, political philosophies)

Indian Society: social structure, diversity, urbanization, issues, etc.

Geography: physical, social, economic geography; environment; changes in critical geographical features

General Studies Paper II (GS-II)

Indian Constitution, Political System

Governance, issues of accountability

Separation of powers, federalism, devolution

Parliament, State Legislatures

Judiciary, executive, constitutional bodies, etc.

Public policy, rights issues, social justice

International relations & foreign policy

General Studies Paper III (GS-III)

Indian Economy & development

Science & Technology

Environment, Ecology, Biodiversity

Disaster Management

Internal Security, challenges to internal & external security

General Studies Paper IV (GS-IV): Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude

Ethics: concepts, determinants, consequences

Human interface, emotional intelligence, attitude, moral values

Contributions of philosophers and thinkers

Public service values, probity in governance, codes of conduct

Case studies relating to ethics & integrity in public administration

Optional Subject Papers (2 papers)

You choose one optional subject (from a list of subjects recognized by UPSC).

Optional subjects include (but not limited to): History, Geography, Sociology, Public Administration, Political Science, Law, Economics, Anthropology, etc.

Each optional subject has its own detailed syllabus in two papers, usually at degree / honours level.

Candidates who clear the Mains written exam are called for the interview/Personality Test.

The interview carries 275 marks (in many recent patterns) – though this may vary depending on the official notification.

There is no fixed syllabus. The questions are based on a candidate’s background, studies, current affairs, personality traits, etc.

The board evaluates intellectual qualities, social traits, interest in current affairs, clarity of expression, balance of judgement, leadership potential, etc.