UPSC Civil Services Syllabus, Exam Pattern, Eligibility

Preliminary

Both on the same day. A wrong answer costs one third of that question's marks. CSAT needs 33% (66 of 200) and doesn't count for ranking; who goes to the Main is decided on Paper I alone.

Main

Each paper is three hours. Papers A and B (600 marks) only have to be passed, but fail either and your other papers aren't marked.

Personality Test

An interview before a UPSC board, 275 marks. Final total: 1,750 + 275 = 2,025.

Preliminary Paper I: General Studies

Current events of national and international importance; history of India and the national movement; Indian and world geography; Indian polity and governance (Constitution, political system, panchayati raj, public policy, rights issues); economic and social development (sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics, social sector initiatives); environmental ecology, biodiversity and climate change; general science.

Preliminary Paper II: CSAT

Comprehension; interpersonal and communication skills; logical reasoning and analytical ability; decision making and problem solving; general mental ability; basic numeracy and data interpretation to class 10 level.

Main: Essay

Two essays from a choice of topics, judged on staying on the subject, ordering ideas and writing concisely.

General Studies I

Indian heritage and culture; art forms, literature and architecture from ancient to modern times; the freedom struggle and post-independence consolidation; world history from the industrial revolution, the world wars, redrawal of boundaries, colonisation and decolonisation, political philosophies; Indian society and diversity, women, population, urbanisation, globalisation, communalism, regionalism, secularism; physical geography, geophysical phenomena and resource distribution.

General Studies II

The Constitution and its features, federalism, separation of powers, parliament and state legislatures, executive and judiciary, statutory and regulatory bodies; government policies and welfare schemes; health, education and human resources; transparency, accountability and e-governance; the civil services in a democracy; India and its neighbourhood, bilateral and global groupings, international institutions.

General Studies III

The Indian economy and planning, inclusive growth, budgeting, agriculture and food processing, land reforms, liberalisation, infrastructure and investment models; science and technology including IT, space, computers, biotechnology and intellectual property; environmental impact assessment; disaster management; internal security, media and social networking, cyber security, money laundering and border management.

General Studies IV: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude

Ethics and human interface, attitude, aptitude and foundational values for civil service, emotional intelligence, moral thinkers and philosophers, values and ethics in public administration, probity in governance, and case studies.

Optional Subject

Two papers of 250 marks in one subject from the notification's list: humanities, sciences, engineering, medical science, management, commerce, law, and the literature of many Indian languages and English.

Nationality

For the IAS and IPS you must be an Indian citizen. For the other services, subjects of Nepal or Bhutan, Tibetan refugees who came before 1 January 1962, and certain people of Indian origin who have migrated to settle permanently can also apply, with a Government of India eligibility certificate.

Education

A degree from a recognised university, or equivalent. Final-year students can apply for the Preliminary but must show they've passed when applying for the Main.

Age and attempts

Age is counted as on 1 August of the exam year. Minimum age is 21 for everyone.

An attempt counts only if you sit at least one Preliminary paper. Applying and not turning up doesn't use one.

1. Preliminary. Pass CSAT at 33%; you're ranked on General Studies Paper I. Roughly twelve to thirteen times the vacancies go through to the Main.
2. Main. Pass Papers A and B, or nothing else is marked. About twice the vacancies are called for interview.
3. Personality Test, 275 marks.

Services are allotted on your rank and the preference list you submit, subject to category and vacancy, so two candidates a few ranks apart can end up in very different services.

There's no single salary: the exam recruits to more than twenty services, each with its own pay and career path. Entry levels:

Dearness, house rent and transport allowances come on top, and several services carry substantial non-cash entitlements that a pay level doesn't show. Each service's own rules set its pay.

The fee comes in two parts

Women, SC, ST and PwBD candidates pay neither. The Main fee window doesn't reopen, so don't miss it. Pay by net banking, card or UPI.

Attempts

If you're not ready, skipping the Preliminary after applying doesn't cost an attempt.

Choices you can't change later

Optional subject, medium, the Indian language for Paper A, and centre are fixed in the form. UPSC allows no change afterwards, at this or any other of its exams, on any ground.

All India Services

• Indian Administrative Service (IAS)
• Indian Police Service (IPS)
• Indian Forest Service (IFoS): same Preliminary, its own Main

Group A central services

Indian Foreign Service, Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Indian Civil Accounts Service, Indian Corporate Law Service, Indian Defence Accounts Service, Indian Defence Estates Service, Indian Information Service, Indian Postal Service, Indian P&T Accounts and Finance Service, Indian Railway Management Service, Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Indirect Taxes), Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax), Indian Trade Service, the Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service and others.

Group B services

DANICS and DANIPS (Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli) and PONDICS and PONDIPS (Puducherry).

The CSE 2026 notification expected approximately 933 vacancies, including 33 for candidates with benchmark disabilities. The number changes most years.

The Preliminary is held at more than sixty centres, from Agartala and Aizawl to Sri Vijaya Puram and Thiruvananthapuram. The Main uses far fewer, and the Personality Test is only at UPSC in New Delhi.

Centres fill first come, first served. Once a centre hits its limit it's frozen, so late applicants can end up in another city. You can't change your centre after applying.

UPSC fixes the dates a year ahead in its exam calendar. For 2026, the CSE 2026 notification came out on 4 February and applications closed on 24 February 2026.

The pattern is steady: notification early in the year, Preliminary in mid-year, Main three to four months later, Personality Test early the next year, final result shortly after. Only upsc.gov.in and upsconline.gov.in are authoritative.

Download the e-Admit Card from upsconline.nic.in. Nothing is sent by post or email.

It's released on the last working day of the week before the exam. If you changed your scribe within seven days of the exam, you get it three days before.

Bring it with a photo ID. Keep your registered email working all cycle; it's the only channel UPSC commits to. UPSC's note on common OMR and attendance-sheet mistakes takes ten minutes to read and the errors in it cost whole papers.

1. Preliminary result: roll numbers qualified for the Main. No marks at this stage.
2. Main result: roll numbers called for interview.
3. Final result: ranked list of recommended candidates on 2,025 marks, plus a reserve list.

Afterwards UPSC publishes the marks of recommended candidates, individual marks for those not recommended, and category-wise cut-off marks for every stage. Few exams in India give you your own marks; use them if you try again.

Candidates who reach the interview but aren't recommended can opt in to PRATIBHA Setu, which shares their profile with other recruiters.

UPSC publishes category-wise cut-offs for each stage once the cycle closes, on its cut-off marks page. Use those rather than figures quoted elsewhere: a cut-off belongs to one year, category and stage, and the General Studies Paper I cut-off moves by tens of marks between years.

The one fixed bar is CSAT at 33% for every category.

1. Treat the Preliminary as a gate. None of its 400 marks reaches the final merit. Clear it safely and put the rest of your time into the Main.
2. Don't ignore CSAT. People fail it every year and lose the whole cycle. If you're not from a maths background, practise it.
3. Don't ignore Papers A and B either. They're not hard, but failing one means your other seven papers go unread.
4. Pick the optional on evidence. It's 500 of 1,750 merit marks. Look at its past papers, the material available and its overlap with General Studies.
5. Write from the first month. The Main is 1,750 marks of three-hour descriptive papers. Reading isn't the same skill.
6. Structure your Ethics answers. Organised, example-led answers do visibly better in GS IV.
7. Use the real papers. UPSC's own previous question papers are free, and the model question-cum-answer booklets show how answers have to be laid out.
8. Plan for a year. Preliminary to final result takes about twelve months.

UPSC publishes its actual question papers. Its previous question papers archive covers past years, and the current Preliminary papers usually go up on the exam's page within weeks of the test.

• Answer keys, released after the whole cycle closes.
• Model question-cum-answer booklets for the descriptive papers.

• upsc.gov.in, the official website
• upsconline.gov.in, online application
• CSE 2026 notification (PDF)
• Active examinations
• UPSC exam calendar
• UPSC previous question papers
• UPSC cut-off marks

Do Preliminary marks count towards the final result?

No. Final merit is the Main (1,750) plus the interview (275).

Is CSAT scored?

It's qualifying only: you need 66 of 200.

What if I fail Paper A or B in the Main?

Your other papers aren't marked, and the attempt ends there.

How many attempts do I get?

Six for General and EWS, nine for OBC, unlimited for SC and ST up to the age limit.

What is the age limit?

21 to 32 for General and EWS on 1 August of the exam year; 35 for OBC, 37 for SC and ST, 42 or more for PwBD.

Is there negative marking?

Yes, one third of the question's marks in both Preliminary papers.