Welcome to the world of UPSC! It’s a challenging yet rewarding journey. Welcome to the world of UPSC! It’s a challenging yet rewarding journey. The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is a prestigious and highly competitive exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to recruit candidates for various top-level government services.

What is the UPSC Exam?

Full Form: Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination

Purpose: Recruits candidates for various administrative and managerial positions in Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and other central government services.

The UPSC exam is conducted in three stages:

1. Preliminary Examination (Prelims): This is an objective-type exam, consisting of two papers
2. Main Examination (Mains): This is a descriptive exam, consisting of nine papers
3. Personality Test (Interview): A personality test to assess the candidate’s suitability for public service.

Exam Structure

UPSC Exam Pattern 2024 for Prelims

Paper 1: General Studies (GS)

• Total Marks: 200
• Duration: 2 hours
• Type: Objective Type (Multiple Choice Questions)
• Subjects: Current events, History, Geography, Indian Polity, Economy, Environment, Science, and Technology.

Paper 2: Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT)

• Total Marks: 200
• Duration: 2 hours
• Type: Objective Type (Multiple Choice Questions)
• Subjects: Comprehension, Interpersonal skills, Logical reasoning, Analytical ability, Decision-making, General mental ability, and Basic numeracy.

Key Points

• Negative Marking: 1/3rd of the marks assigned to a question will be deducted for every incorrect answer.
• Qualifying Paper: Paper 2 (CSAT) is a qualifying paper; you need to score at least 33% in this paper to qualify for the Mains exam.
• No Interview: The Prelims exam does not include an interview or personality test.

Syllabus

UPSC CSE Prelims Syllabus

General Studies Paper I
The General Studies Paper I of the UPSC CSE Prelims exam covers the following areas:

Current Events: Current affairs of national and international importance.
History of India: Ancient India, Medieval India, Modern India
Geography: Physical Geography, Human Geography, Economic Geography
Indian Polity and Governance: Constitution, Political System, Governance and Public Policy
Economic and Social Development: Sustainable Development, Poverty Alleviation, Social Sector Initiatives
Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Climate Change: Ecological Concepts, Biodiversity Conservation, Climate Change Impacts and Mitigation
General Science: Physics , Chemistry, Biology

General Studies Paper II (CSAT)

The General Studies Paper II (CSAT) of the UPSC CSE Prelims exam includes the following topics:

Comprehension: Reading and understanding of passages, Drawing inferences and conclusions
Interpersonal Skills and Communication: Understanding communication strategies, Effective interpersonal interactions
Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability: Critical reasoning, Data interpretation, Analytical problem-solving
Decision Making and Problem Solving: Approaches to decision making, Problem-solving techniques
Basic Numeracy: Arithmetic operations, Data interpretation (graphs, charts)
English Language Comprehension Skills: Vocabulary and grammar, Reading comprehension

Ncert

Prelims

Mock Test

Study Plan

Prelims Preparation

Mains Preparation

Interview Preparation