For recruitment purposes of various Group A and Group B positions in the government, the government body UPSC conducts the Civil Services Exam every year in India. The candidates are assessed on their overall intellectual understanding and traits through the intended examination. The UPSC exam pattern is quite complicated, and an examination process lasts for almost a year between the prelims till the final merit list results are declared.
UPSC Exam is officially divided into two stages called Preliminary and Main Examination, while in practice, it is a three-stage exam.
- Preliminary Exam- Preliminary stage consists of two papers; both the papers comprise objective-type questions with multiple choice of answers. The prelims exam is a qualifying stage to filter candidates for the mains exam. An important note is the marks secured at this stage are not counted towards the final merit list.
- UPSC Main Exam - only the candidates who can secure more than the declared cut-off in general studies Paper I and more than 33% in general studies Paper II in prelims are allowed to sit for the Mains Examination. The Mains exam consists of 9 papers, conducted throughout 5 to 7 days. Two Optional subjects for Paper VI and VII of the mains examination have to be any subjects of your choice.
- UPSC Personality/Interview Test - Final stage of the IAS Exam, also called the Interview/Personality Test, which is also included for the merit ranking purposes, is the most promising phase of the UPSC IAS selection process. The candidates prepare themselves for this test that challenges them to go out of their comfort zone and convince the board that he/she is the suitable candidate for a civil services career and associated responsibilities.
The Optional Subject consists of 48 subjects, out of which one can be selected by the candidate as per the latest exam pattern for both the papers. Each optional subject comprises of two papers (Paper I and Paper II), each of 250 marks, making it a total of 500 marks.
UPSC IAS Exam Syllabus
Paper | Subject | Duration | Marks |
---|---|---|---|
Paper-A | Indian Language Paper | 3 hours | 300 |
Paper-B | English Paper | 3 hours | 300 |
Paper-I | Essay | 3 hours | 250 |
Paper-II | General Studies-I | 3 hours | 250 |
Paper-III | General Studies-II | 3 hours | 250 |
Paper-IV | General Studies-III | 3 hours | 250 |
Paper-V | General Studies-IV | 3 hours | 250 |
Paper-VI | Optional Subject-I | 3 hours | 250 |
Paper-VII | Optional Subject-II | 3 hours | 250 |
The candidate must score at least 25% in each of the papers from I to VII to be given weightage, and the Paper A and B are of qualifying nature.
- 80 objective type questions
- Comprehension
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Anlytical and logical resoning
- Decision making, problem solving
- Mental Ablity
- Class X level basic numeracy
- Class X level data interpretation
India's most challenging Exam, the UPSC civil services, is highly competitive, with more than 200,000 students appearing every year for merely 800=900 vacant positions. On top of that, the comprehensive and rigorous exam pattern tests each candidate's potential on multiple levels. Sulekha understands the immense pressure, anxiety, and fear students have to face when preparing for an exam of this nature and wants every aspirant to get the chance they deserve. We help students find and connect with 1500+ verified and leading IAS coaching institutes by providing complete business details and reviews. All you have to do is share your requirements with the shortlisted experts, weigh the pros & cons, compare quotes, and check user reviews before joining the right course for yourself. Also, don't forget to check out the FAQ questions compiled by institutes.