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The Exam Pattern of the UPSC Civil Services IAS Prelims Examination
The Prelims Examination is an Objective type of Examination with Multiple Choice Questions (the candidate has to choose an option from the given options for that question). This examination consists of two papers namely Paper I and Paper II. ThePaper I contains 200 marks and Paper II also contains 200 marks. The Duration forPaper I is 2 hours as well as Paper II is also 2 hours. The exam Pattern of the UPSC Civil Services IAS Prelims Examination is as follows:
Name of the Paper | No. of Questions | Duration Given | Marks |
---|---|---|---|
Paper I: General Studies. | 100 | 2 Hours. | 200 |
Paper II: Aptitude. | 80 | 2 Hours. | 200 |
Total Marks. | 400 |
Note: The marks which are secured in the prelims are only for qualifying the Mains Examination. It is not counted to determine the order of merit. The Qualifying marksfor Paper II: Aptitude is 33%. But the candidates will be promoted to the Mains only based on the Qualifying marks in Paper I: General Studies.
The Mains Examination is a written Examination. It consists of 9 Papers out of which 2 are Qualifying in nature namely Paper A and Paper B; remaining 7 papers which are namely Paper I to Paper VII which are based on Ranking. The Questions will beavailable in Hindi as well as English in the Question Papers.
S.No. | Name of the Paper. | Name of the Subject. | Marks. |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Paper-A. | Modern Indian Language. (Qualifying Paper). | 300. |
2. | Paper-B. | English (Qualifying Paper). | 300. |
3. | Paper-I. | Essay. | 250. |
4. | Paper-II. | General studies-I. | 250. |
5. | Paper-III. | General studies-II. | 250. |
6. | Paper-IV. | General studies-III. | 250. |
7. | Paper-V. | General studies-IV. | 250. |
8. | Paper-VI. | Optional Subject (Paper-1). | 250. |
9. | Paper-VII. | Optional Subject (Paper-2). | 250. |
Sub-Total. | 1750. |
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Interview. | 275. |
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Total. | 2025. |
The Final Ranking of the candidates: This is done based on the marks obtained in theMains and the Interview.
The preliminary examination of UPSC is for screening purpose only. It is also known as CSAT. The marks obtained in the UPSC prelims examination amount to a qualification to take the UPSC Main examination and will not be counted for determining a candidate’s final order of merit.
The Main examination of UPSC is designed to test a candidate’s academic expertise and ability to present his/her knowledge in a consistent manner. The UPSC Mains exam intends to assess the overall intellectual traits and understanding of concept by the candidates.
Syllabus of the Written Examination: The standard of the paper in General English will be such as may be expected of a Science Graduate. The papers on geological subjects (Geology, Geophysics, Chemistry & Hydrogeology) will be approximate of the MSc degree standard of an Indian University and questions will generally be set to test the candidate’s grasp of the fundamentals in each subject.
General English Paper: Candidate will be required to write a short Essay in English. Other questions will be designed to test their understanding of English and workmanlike use of words.
Qualifying nature: Marks not counted, Passing mandatory
Note 1: The Papers on Indian Languages and English will be of Matriculation or equivalent standard and will be of qualifying nature only. The marks obtained in these papers will not be counted for ranking.
Note 2: The candidates will have to answer the English and Indian Languages papers in English and the respective Indian language (except where translation is involved).
Qualifying nature: Marks not counted, passing mandatory
The aim of the paper is to test the candidates’ ability to read and understand serious discursive prose, and to express his ideas clearly and correctly, in English and Indian Language concerned.
The pattern of questions would be broadly as follows:-
(Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society)
Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location- changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.
(Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations)
(Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management)
(Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude)