UPSC Civil Services (IAS) Syllabus & Exam Pattern
UPSC Civil Services (IAS) Syllabus & Exam Pattern — reference from Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), with the direct official link. The pattern below is taken from the most recent official notification. If it is revised, the new notice appears on this page automatically.
UPSC Civil Services (IAS) exam pattern
Preliminary examination
| Subject / section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| General Studies Paper I (counts for merit) | 100 | 200 |
| General Studies Paper II — CSAT (qualifying, 33%) | 80 | 200 |
2 hours per paper · one-third of the marks for a question deducted per wrong answer
Main examination (written, descriptive)
| Subject / section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper A — Indian language (qualifying) | — | 300 |
| Paper B — English (qualifying) | — | 300 |
| Essay | — | 250 |
| General Studies I, II, III and IV | — | 250 each |
| Optional subject — Paper 1 and Paper 2 | — | 250 each |
3 hours per paper
Mains counts for 1,750 marks and the interview for 275, so the final merit list is out of 2,025. Prelims marks are not added to the final score.
No new syllabus notice for this exam is in the live index right now. The pattern below is taken from the most recent official notification. If it is revised, the new notice appears on this page automatically.
About UPSC Civil Services (IAS)
The UPSC Civil Services Examination recruits for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and the other Group A and Group B central services. It is held once a year in three stages.
Selection process
- Preliminary examination — two objective papers
- Main examination — nine written papers
- Personality test (interview)
- Final merit list and service allocation
How to get the official UPSC Civil Services (IAS) Syllabus & Exam Pattern
- Open the latest official notification for the exam — it goes straight to Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)'s own website.
- The syllabus and scheme of examination are printed inside the notification PDF, usually as an annexure near the end.
- Check the number of questions, marks, time and negative marking against the table on this page — if the notification differs, the notification is correct.
- Save the PDF. Commissions do revise patterns between cycles, so re-check it every time a new notification is issued.
Latest syllabus & exam pattern notices
No new syllabus notice for this exam is in the live index right now. It will appear here automatically once Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) publishes it.
Other UPSC Civil Services (IAS) updates
Admit cards, answer keys, notifications and forms for the same exam.
Preparation guides
Questions students ask
Preliminary examination: General Studies Paper I (counts for merit) (100 questions, 200 marks); General Studies Paper II — CSAT (qualifying, 33%) (80 questions, 200 marks). 2 hours per paper · one-third of the marks for a question deducted per wrong answer.
Preliminary examination: 2 hours per paper · one-third of the marks for a question deducted per wrong answer. Main examination (written, descriptive): 3 hours per paper.
The syllabus is printed inside the official notification issued by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Open the latest notification from this page — it links straight to the official website. ExamChowk does not host copies of official documents.
Preliminary examination — two objective papers; Main examination — nine written papers; Personality test (interview); Final merit list and service allocation. Each stage is qualifying for the next, and the final merit list is published by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
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This page updates automatically from public sources every 30 minutes, last refreshed 29 Sep 2026. ExamChowk is not affiliated with Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The official notice on .gov.in / .nic.in is the only authority — always confirm there before acting.