UPSC Syllabus | UPSC IAS Syllabus
UPSC civil service exam is considered the toughest and most prestigious exam conducted in India. Union Public Service Commission has released the UPSC Syllabus for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2021. here we provide you the complete syllabus for UPSC prelims, mains exam, And optional subjects.
UPSC IAS syllabus plays an important role in UPSC preparation. it helps to eliminate the unnecessary topic And help students to study what is required by UPSC. You can download pdf for the Syllabus of UPSC.
UPSC IAS Syllabus
UPSC conducts a common exam for many services such as Indian Administrative Services, Indian Police Service, Indian Foreign Service, Indian Revenue Service, Etc. There is a common UPSC syllabus for all these exams.
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UPSC conducts the UPSC CSE exam in three different phases.
Phase 1: Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination (Objective Type)
Phase 2: Civil Services (Mains) Examination (Descriptive Type)
Phase 3: Personal Interview (Personality Test)

UPSC syllabus for different phases is different. The syllabus of UPSC mains is much more comprehensive than UPSC Prelims syllabus as this stage comprises nine theory papers.
Phase 1: UPSC Prelims Exam
UPSC Civil Services Prelims Examination is comprised of two compulsory Papers of 200 marks each.
Paper |
Subjects |
Total Marks |
Duration |
I |
General Studies (GS) |
200 |
2 hours (9:30 AM to 11:30 AM) |
II |
CSAT |
200 |
2 hours (2:30 PM to 4:30 PM) |
Note:
- Both the question papers will be of the objective type (multiple choice questions) and each will be of two hours duration.
- The General Studies Paper-II of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination will be a qualifying paper with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%.
- The question papers will be set both in Hindi and English.
Phase 2: UPSC Mains Exam (1750 Marks)
- The candidates who successfully qualify prelims exam are allowed to write the UPSC mains exam.
- The Mains Exam is intended to assess the overall intellectual traits and depth of understanding of candidates
- The UPSC Mains exam consists of 9 papers, out of which two are qualifying papers of 300 marks each.
- The two qualifying papers are:
- English Language Paper
- Any Indian Language Paper
- The qualifying standard in these qualifying papers is 25% of the total marks.
- If a candidate does not qualify in these language papers, then the marks obtained by such candidates in the papers on Essay, General Studies, and Optional Subject will not be considered or counted.
Structure of Mains Paper:-
Paper | Subject | Marks |
Paper– I | Essay (can be written in the medium of the candidate’s choice) | 250 |
Paper-II | General Studies – I (Indian Heritage & Culture, History & Geography of the World & Society) | 250 |
Paper–III | General Studies – II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice & International Relations) | 250 |
Paper-IV | General Studies – III (Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Security & Disaster Management) | 250 |
Paper-V | General Studies – IV (Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude) | 250 |
Paper-VI | Optional Subject – Paper I | 250 |
Paper-VII | Optional Subject – Paper II | 250 |
total |
1750 |
These seven papers can be written in any of the languages mentioned under the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution of India or in English.
Structure of Language Paper:-
Paper | Subject | Marks |
Paper – I | English | 300 |
Paper-II | Any Indian Language | 300 |
The types of questions asked in the language paper are –
- Essay – 100 marks
- Reading comprehension – 60 marks
- Precis Writing – 60 marks
- Translation:
- English to compulsory language (e.g. Hindi) – 20 marks
- Compulsory language to English – 20 marks
- Grammar and basic language usage – 40 marks
Phase 3: IAS Interview/UPSC Personality Test (275 Marks)
- Candidates who qualify the UPSC Mains Exam will be called for the ‘Personality Test/Interview’. These candidates will be interviewed by a Board appointed by the UPSC.
- The objective of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in civil services by a board of competent and unbiased observers.
- The Interview/Personality Test is intended to judge the mental caliber ( qualities and analytical ability) of a candidate.
- Some of the qualities to be judged are mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, the balance of judgment, variety, and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion and leadership, intellectual and moral integrity.