UPSC CSE Syllabus
The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) syllabus is extensive, covering a broad spectrum of subjects designed to assess a wide range of skills and knowledge. The examination is conducted in three stages: Preliminary, Mains, and Interview. Below, the syllabus for both the Preliminary and Mains stages is detailed according to the official UPSC CSE Syllabus.
Table of Contents
Preliminary Examination (Prelims)
The Prelims consist of two papers, both of which are objective type and carry a maximum of 200 marks each.
Paper I - General Studies (200 marks)
- Current events of national and international importance.
- History of India and Indian National Movement.
- Indian and World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.
- Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
- Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.
- Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization.
- General Science.
Paper II - General Studies II (CSAT) (200 marks)
- Comprehension.
- Interpersonal skills including communication skills.
- Logical reasoning and analytical ability.
- Decision-making and problem-solving.
- General mental ability.
- Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.), Class X level.
- Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc.) – Class X level.
Mains Examination
The Mains Examination consists of a written examination and an interview test. The written examination includes nine papers, but only seven of them are counted for final scoring.
Qualifying Papers:
- Paper-A (One of the Indian Languages) chosen from the Languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. 300 Marks.
- Paper-B (English) 300 Marks.
Papers to be Counted for Merit:
- Paper-I: Essay – 250 Marks.
- Paper-II: General Studies-I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society) – 250 Marks.
- Paper-III: General Studies-II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International relations) – 250 Marks.
- Paper-IV: General Studies-III (Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security, and Disaster Management) – 250 Marks.
- Paper-V: General Studies-IV (Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude) – 250 Marks.
- Paper-VI: Optional Subject – Paper 1 – 250 Marks.
- Paper-VII: Optional Subject – Paper 2 – 250 Marks.
Optional Subjects:
Candidates can choose one optional subject from a list provided by UPSC, which includes Literature of various languages, Anthropology, Sociology, Public Administration, Economics, Law, Geography, History, Political Science & International Relations, Philosophy, Psychology, and many others.
- Agriculture
- Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
- Anthropology
- Botany
- Chemistry
- Civil Engineering
- Commerce and Accountancy
- Economics
- Electrical Engineering
- Geography
- Geology
- History
- Law
- Management
- Mathematics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Medical Science
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Political Science and International Relations
- Psychology
- Public Administration
- Sociology
- Statistics
- Zoology
Literature of Languages
Candidates can choose any one literature from the languages listed below, irrespective of whether it is their mother tongue or not:
- Assamese
- Bengali
- Bodo
- Dogri
- English
- Gujarati
- Hindi
- Kannada
- Kashmiri
- Konkani
- Maithili
- Malayalam
- Manipuri
- Marathi
- Nepali
- Odia
- Punjabi
- Sanskrit
- Santhali
- Sindhi
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Urdu
Interview (Personality Test)
The Interview or Personality Test is not a test of specialized knowledge but assesses the overall intellectual qualities and the understanding of the candidates in a range of subjects.