UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern

The UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination is the first stage of the selectionprocess and acts as a qualifying test for the Mains exam. It consists of two objective-type papers, both conducted on the same day.

📘 Paper I – General Studies (GS Paper I)

✅ Type: Objective (Multiple Choice Questions)
🕒 Duration: 2 hours
❓ Number of Questions: 100
📊 Total Marks: 200
⚠️ Negative Marking: 1/3rd mark deducted for every wrong answer
🎯 Purpose: Used to determine the Prelims cut-off for qualification to Mains

📗 Paper II – CSAT (General Studies Paper II)

✅ Type: Objective (Multiple Choice Questions)
🕒 Duration: 2 hours
❓ Number of Questions: 80
📊 Total Marks: 200
⚠️ Negative Marking: 1/3rd mark deducted for every wrong answer
Qualifying Nature: Candidate must score at least 33% (i.e., 66 marks)
🎯 Purpose: Only qualifying; marks are not counted in merit ranking

📝 Important Notes
📝 Mode of Examination: Offline (Pen-paper based using OMR sheets)
Conducted: Same day – Paper I in the morning, Paper II in the afternoon
🎯 Final Merit: Only candidates who qualify both papers will move to the Mains stage

UPSC CSE Mains Exam Pattern

The Mains Examination is the second stage of the UPSC Civil Services Exam. It is a
written, descriptive test consisting of 9 papers, out of which 7 are counted for merit,
and 2 are qualifying in nature.

PAPER	SUBJECT	NATURE	MARKS	DURATION
A	Indian Language(Any from 8th Schedule)	Qualifying	300	3 hours
B	English	Qualifying	300	3 hours
I	Essay	Merit	250	3 hours
II	General Studies I	Merit	250	3 hours
III	General Studies II	Merit	250	3 hours
IV	General Studies III	Merit	250	3 hours
V	General Studies IV(Ethics,Integrity etc..)	Merit	250	3 hours
VI	Optional Subject -Paper I	Merit	250	3 hours
VII	Optional Subject – Paper II	Merit	250	3 hours

Total Marks for Merit Ranking:
1750 marks
(Includes: Essay, General Studies Papers I–IV, and Optional Subject Papers I & II)

🟢 Qualifying Papers (Not Counted for Merit):
● Paper A – Indian Language (300 marks)
● Paper B – English (300 marks)
🔸 Minimum Qualifying Marks in each: 25% (i.e., 75 marks)

🟢 Language Paper Exemption:
Candidates from the following North-Eastern states are exempt from Paper A (Indian
Language), as per UPSC guidelines:
👉 Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Sikkim

🟢 Medium of Examination:
Candidates may choose to write the Mains exam in:
● English
● Hindi
● Or any language listed in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India

UPSC Civil Services Interview

The UPSC Civil Services Interview, officially called the Personality Test, is the final stage of the examination and carries 275 marks out of a total of 2025 (1750 from the Mains + 275 from the Interview). Unlike the written exams, it does not test academic knowledge but evaluates a candidate’s overall personality and suitability for a career in the civil services. The panel assesses qualities such as clarity of thought, effective communication, integrity,emotional intelligence, decision-making ability, awareness of current affairs, leadership potential, and ethical grounding. The focus is on how candidates think, respond under pressure, and approach real-life administrative challenges. In essence, the interview is a test of character, attitude, and presence of mind—marking the transition from a well-read aspirant to a well-rounded civil servant.