UPSC Syllabus

The complete list of subjects for IAS or UPSC exams as per the UPSC Syllabus is discussed over here. The civil service exam conducted by UPSC in India for recruitment of various designated posts .i.e. IAS (Indian Administrative Service), IPS (Indian Police Service), IFS (Indian Foreign Service), IRS (Indian Revenue Service). IAS Exam, also called Indian Administrative Services Exam is one of the civil services among others and is considered toughest and prestigious exam conducted in India.

UPSC Civil Services Exam is conducted in three phases:

Phase 1: Preliminary Examination or CSAT (Objective Section)
Phase 2: Main Examination (Subjective Section)
Phase 3: Interview (Vocal Section)
 
Phase 1: Preliminary Examination – CSAT Syllabus:

CSAT or Civil Services Aptitude Test is the first phase of preliminary examination of UPSC. This test is intended to assess the aptitude of examinees in solving the ‘Reasoning and Analytical’ questions.

IAS prelims exam consists of two papers of objective type, each of 200 marks (total of 400 marks) and two hours of duration and candidates must take both the papers.
 
The preliminary examination is meant for screening the candidate and the marks obtained by a candidate in the prelims who qualifies to the mains exam will not be be taken in account to determine their final merit.

• 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.
• General issues on Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change - that do not require subject specialisation General Science

IAS Preliminary Exam:

Paper	Subjects	Total Marks	Duration
I	General Studies	200 marks	2 hours
II	Aptitude Skills	200 marks	2 hours

   

• 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)

 
This is phase 2 which tests candidate academic dept and his ability how he/she face matters practically. This exam not merely tests the memory/range of a candidate but also test the intelligence quotient. To clear mains exams aspirant are advised to have long term strategy. A passionate and focus mind for learning and reading s a basic trait of all successful candidates.

The UPSC mains exam consists of 9 papers, in which two are qualifying papers of 300 marks each:
I. Any Indian Language
II. English

These two papers just need to qualify which is compulsory and marks obtained will not be considered or counted. And the rest of seven papers can be written in any of the languages mentioned as in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution or in English. Below given the remaining seven papers:
 

Paper	Subject	Marks
Paper - I	Essay   Can be written in the medium or language of the candidate's choice	250
Paper-II	General Studies- I   (Indian Heritage and Culture,   History and Geography of the World and Society)	250
Paper-III	General Studies- II   (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations)	250
Paper-IV	General Studies- III   (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management)	250
Paper-V	General Studies- IV   (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude)   (Marks carried by General Studies was 4X250=1000)	250
Paper-VI	Optional Subject - Paper 1	250
Paper-VII	Optional Subject - Paper II   (Candidate is allowed to take up literature as an optional subject " and candidate need not to be a graduate in that language’s literature.)	250

 
Candidates may choose any one of the ‘Optional Subjects’ from the list of subjects given below:

Optional Subjects	Literature Language
Agriculture	Assamese
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science	Arabic
Anthropology	Bengali
Botany	Bodo
Chemistry	Dogri
Civil Engineering	French
Commerce and Accountancy	German
Economics	Gujarati
Electrical Engineering	Hindi
Geography	Kannada
Geology	Kashmiri
History	Konkani
Law	Maithili
Management	Malayalam
Mathematics	Manipuri
Mechanical Engineering	Marathi
Medical Science	Nepali
Philosophy	Oriya
Physics	Persian
Political Science and International Relations	Punjabi
Psychology	Russian
Public Administration	Sanskrit
Sociology	Santhali
Statistics	Sindhi
Zoology	Tamil
-	Telugu
-	Urdu
-	English

 b) Main Exam:

Papers	Topics	Total Marks
I	One Of The Indian Languages Chosen From The Prescribed List	300
II	English	300
III	Essay	250
IV/V/VI/VII	General Studies (250 Marks For Each Paper)	1000
VIII & IX	Optional Subject 1	500
Total Marks For Written Examination		1750

Candidates who obtain minimum qualifying marks in the written part of the UPSC Main Examination as may be fixed by the Commission at their discretion enters the next and final phase that is the ‘personality test’ or ‘Interview’ round.

 

 

• Candidates who qualify the UPSC Mains Exam will move to the next and final phase called ‘Personality Test/Interview’ who will be interviewed by a Board who will have candidates resume. The interview round is held by a Board of competent and unbiased intended to assess social traits and his interest in current affairs and analyze the personal aptness of the candidate for a career in public service. Some of the qualities evaluated during the personality test are mental alertness, clear and logical exposition, critical powers of assimilation, variety and depth of interest, balance of judgement, intellectual and moral integrity ability for social cohesion and leadership,.
• The interview is more of purposive conversation intended to divulge the mental qualities of the candidate.
• Candidate can give interview in their preferred language as UPSC will make arrangement for the translators.

Interview Test:
The Interview test will be of 275 marks.
The total mark of the written examination is 1750 Marks.
The Interview/Personality Test will be of 275 marks.
The Grand Total 2025 Marks

 
Step 1: Understand the Exam Structure - The UPSC exam consists of three stages: Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, and Interview.

Step 2: Preliminary Examination Syllabus - The prelims have two papers: General Studies (GS) and Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT). The GS paper covers subjects like history, geography, polity, economics, science, and current affairs. The CSAT paper tests analytical and logical reasoning skills.

Step 3: Main Examination Syllabus - The main exam comprises nine papers, including one essay paper, four General Studies papers, two optional subject papers, one English language paper, and one regional language paper.

Step 4: General Studies Papers - The GS papers cover a wide range of topics, including Indian heritage and culture, governance, social justice, international relations, ethics, technology, economic development, and environmental issues.

Step 5: Optional Subject Papers - Candidates can choose one optional subject from a list provided by the UPSC. The syllabus for optional subjects can vary, covering subjects like history, geography, political science, sociology, economics, etc.

Step 6: Essay Paper - The essay paper tests candidates' ability to express their thoughts coherently on a given topic. It covers a broad range of subjects and requires good analytical and writing skills.

Step 7: Interview - The final stage is the interview or personality test. It assesses candidates' knowledge, communication skills, and overall personality.

Note: It's essential to refer to the official UPSC syllabus and regularly update yourself with any changes or updates made by the UPSC.

 
Understanding the UPSC syllabus is crucial for cracking India's toughest exam due to the following reasons:

1. Clarity of Exam Structure: The UPSC syllabus provides a clear outline of the exam structure, including the number of stages, papers, and subjects involved. By understanding the syllabus, you gain insight into the overall framework of the exam.


2. Targeted Preparation: The syllabus acts as a roadmap for your preparation. It helps you identify the specific areas and topics that you need to focus on. Instead of studying aimlessly, you can direct your efforts towards the subjects and topics outlined in the syllabus.


3. Comprehensive Coverage: The UPSC syllabus covers a vast range of subjects, from history and geography to economics and current affairs. By understanding the syllabus, you ensure that you cover all the essential areas required for the exam.


4. Effective Time Management: The syllabus helps you allocate your time and resources effectively. With a clear understanding of the subjects and topics, you can plan your study schedule, giving more time to challenging areas and allocating adequate time to cover the entire syllabus.


5. Avoiding Irrelevant Information: The UPSC syllabus acts as a filter, helping you avoid studying irrelevant or extraneous information. It ensures that you focus only on the topics that are directly related to the exam and eliminates the need to study unnecessary details.


6. Answer Writing Strategy: Understanding the syllabus allows you to develop an effective answer writing strategy. You can align your knowledge and understanding of the subjects with the requirements of the exam. This enables you to structure your answers in a manner that meets the UPSC's expectations.


7. Confidence and Clarity: Having a clear understanding of the syllabus boosts your confidence as you approach the exam. It provides a sense of direction and clarity, reducing anxiety and allowing you to approach the exam with a focused mindset.

In summary, understanding the UPSC syllabus is crucial as it provides you with a roadmap for your preparation, helps you allocate time effectively, ensures comprehensive coverage of the required subjects, and enables you to develop a targeted approach to crack India's toughest exam.