UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) Full & Detailed Syllabus

1. Preliminary Examination (Objective Type)

The UPSC Prelims consists of two papers: General Studies-I and CSAT (General Studies-II).

Paper I: General Studies-I (200 Marks, 2 Hours)

• Current Affairs: National and International events of importance.

• History of India & Indian National Movement:

  • Ancient History (Harappan Civilization, Vedic Age, Maurya & Gupta Empires, South Indian Kingdoms, etc.)

  • Medieval History (Delhi Sultanate, Mughal Empire, Marathas, Vijayanagar Empire, Bhakti-Sufi movements, etc.)

  • Modern History (British rule, Revolt of 1857, Social Reforms, Freedom Struggle, Partition, Independence)

• Indian & World Geography:

  • Physical Geography (Earth’s structure, Landforms, Climate, Oceanography, etc.)

  • Economic & Human Geography (Agriculture, Industries, Trade, Population, Urbanization)

  • Indian Geography (Rivers, Monsoon, Soil, Natural Vegetation, Biodiversity, etc.)

• Indian Polity & Governance:

  • Constitution, Preamble, Fundamental Rights & Duties, Directive Principles of State Policy

  • Parliament, President, Prime Minister, Council of Ministers, Judiciary

  • Panchayati Raj, Local Governance, Public Policies, Government Schemes

• Economic & Social Development:

  • Indian Economy (Five-Year Plans, Budget, Banking, Inflation, etc.)

  • Poverty, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, Sustainable Development, Inclusive Growth

• Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity & Climate Change:

  • Conservation, Environmental Legislation, Pollution Control, Climate Change Policies

• General Science:

  • Physics, Chemistry, Biology (basic school-level knowledge)

  • Developments in Science & Technology, Space Programs, Biotechnology, Artificial Intelligence

Paper II: CSAT (General Studies-II) (200 Marks, 2 Hours, Qualifying - 33% required)

• Comprehension & Interpersonal Skills

• Logical Reasoning & Analytical Ability

• Decision Making & Problem Solving

• General Mental Ability (Numerical ability, ratio-proportion, percentage, profit-loss, time-work, etc.)

• Basic Numeracy & Data Interpretation (Class X level)

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2. Mains Examination (Descriptive Type - 1750 Marks)

The Mains exam consists of 9 papers, out of which two are qualifying, and seven are counted for merit.

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Qualifying Papers (Only for Evaluation Purpose)

Paper A: Indian Language (300 Marks)

(Any language from the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution)

• Comprehension

• Precis Writing

• Usage and Vocabulary

• Short Essays

• Translation (English to Indian language and vice versa)

Paper B: English (300 Marks)

• Comprehension

• Precis Writing

• Vocabulary & Grammar

• Short Essays

(Minimum 25% required to qualify these papers; marks are not counted in the final merit list.)

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Merit-Based Papers (1750 Marks Total)

Paper 1: Essay (250 Marks)

• Two essays (each around 1000-1200 words) on diverse topics such as politics, economy, philosophy, science & tech, social issues, etc.

• Clarity, coherence, and structure are evaluated.

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General Studies Papers (1000 Marks Total - 250 Each)

Paper 2: General Studies-I (Indian Heritage, History, and Geography of the World and Society)

• Indian Culture:

  • Art, Architecture, Literature from Ancient to Modern India

  • Important cultural movements, socio-religious reform movements

• Modern Indian History:

  • Major events from 18th century onwards (East India Company, British expansion)

  • Revolt of 1857, Freedom Struggle (various phases and leaders)

  • Independence and Partition of India

• World History:

  • Industrial Revolution, Colonization & Decolonization

  • World Wars, Cold War, Globalization

• Indian Society & Social Issues:

  • Diversity, Communalism, Secularism, Globalization, Regionalism

  • Role of Women, Social Empowerment, Poverty, Education & Health

• Geography:

  • Physical (Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Tsunamis, Climatology, Oceanography)

  • Human (Urbanization, Population trends, Industrial Location theories)

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Paper 3: General Studies-II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, International Relations)

• Indian Constitution:

  • Evolution, Features, Amendments, Important Judgments

• Governance & Polity:

  • Parliament, Executive, Judiciary, Federalism, Elections, Political Parties

• Social Justice & Welfare Schemes:

  • Government Policies & Schemes for vulnerable sections

• International Relations:

  • India & Neighbors, Bilateral/Multilateral Relations, UN, WTO, BRICS, etc.

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Paper 4: General Studies-III (Economy, Science & Tech, Environment, Security, Disaster Management)

• Economy:

  • Indian Economy, Planning, Agriculture, Infrastructure, Industrial Growth

• Science & Technology:

  • Space, Defense, Biotech, IT, AI, Robotics, Quantum Computing

• Environment & Ecology:

  • Biodiversity, Conservation, Climate Change, Pollution

• Security:

  • Internal Security, Cybersecurity, Terrorism, Border Security

• Disaster Management:

  • Natural & Man-made Disasters, Risk Mitigation

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Paper 5: General Studies-IV (Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude)

• Ethics & Human Interface:

  • Ethics in Public Administration

• Integrity & Governance:

  • Corruption, Transparency, Right to Information

• Emotional Intelligence & Aptitude:

  • Case studies on Ethical Issues

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Optional Subject (500 Marks)

Candidates choose one Optional Subject consisting of two papers (250 Marks each). Some popular options:

• Public Administration

• Political Science & International Relations

• Geography

• History

• Sociology

• Philosophy

• Economics

• Anthropology

(Full list provided earlier.)

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3. Personality Test (Interview) – 275 Marks

• Objective: To assess intellectual ability, social traits, leadership qualities, and moral integrity.

• Focus Areas: Current Affairs, Knowledge, Communication Skills, Decision-Making, and Personality.

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Final Merit Calculation

• Mains (1750 Marks) + Interview (275 Marks) = 2025 Marks

• Ranks are based on total marks obtained.