UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) — Complete Syllabus & Exam Pattern
UPSC IAS/IPS/IFS exam — Prelims syllabus, GS Paper I & CSAT pattern, Mains overview, and previous year solved papers.
Quick facts
- Prelims GS I: 100 Qs · 200 marks · 2 hours
- CSAT (Paper II): 80 Qs · 200 marks · Qualifying (33%)
- Neg. Marking: −0.67 per wrong (1/3 of 2)
- Mains Papers: 9 (GS I–IV + Essay + Optional × 2 + Languages)
- Interview: 275 marks
- Attempts: General: 6 (till 32), OBC: 9, SC/ST: unlimited till 37
- Vacancies: ~900–1,100 per year
About UPSC CSE
The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is India's most competitive recruitment exam, conducted annually to select officers for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and approximately 24 other Group A & B Central Services. Roughly 10–14 lakh candidates apply each year for approximately 900–1,100 vacancies.
The exam has three stages: Preliminary Examination (objective, screening), Main Examination (descriptive, 9 papers), and Personality Test (Interview, 275 marks). The Prelims GS Paper I carries 200 marks across 100 questions and determines shortlisting for Mains. CSAT (Paper II) is qualifying at 33% — its marks are not counted for merit.
Previous year Prelims papers are the single best preparation resource. UPSC repeats question patterns on History, Geography, Environment, Economy, and Polity across years. Solved papers from 2023, 2025, and 2026 are available on Ministry of Papers with detailed answer explanations.
Previous year papers
- UPSC CSE Prelims 2026 — GS Paper I 2026 - 100 questions
- UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 — GS Paper I 2025 - 100 questions
- UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 — CSAT Paper II 2025 - 80 questions
- UPSC Prelims 2023 — GS Paper I 2023 - 100 questions
History (Ancient, Medieval, Modern & World)
- Indus Valley, Vedic Age, Mauryas, Guptas, Medieval Sultanate & Mughal empires
- Bhakti & Sufi movements, regional kingdoms
- British rule — 1857 Revolt, Indian National Movement, Gandhi era, Partition
- World History — French Revolution, World Wars, Cold War, decolonisation
- Post-independence India — States reorganisation, Five-Year Plans, major events
Indian & World Geography
- Physical Geography — Rocks, volcanoes, earthquakes, ocean currents, climate types
- India — Rivers, mountain ranges, plateaus, soils, natural vegetation
- Agriculture — Cropping seasons, major crops, irrigation systems
- Economic Geography — Minerals, industries, transport, ports
- Population & Human Geography
Indian Polity & Constitution
- Constitution — Framing, Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Duties, DPSP
- Parliament — Structure, functions, legislative process
- Executive — President, PM, Cabinet, State Governors
- Judiciary — Supreme Court, High Courts, judicial review
- Local self-government, Constitutional and statutory bodies
- Elections — ECI, delimitation, model code of conduct
Indian Economy
- Planning — Five-Year Plans, NITI Aayog, economic reforms 1991
- Macro indicators — GDP, GNP, inflation, fiscal deficit, CAD
- Budget — Revenue/Capital receipts, Union Budget components
- Banking — RBI functions, monetary policy, NBFC, financial inclusion
- Agriculture — MSP, crop insurance, PM-KISAN, food security
- International trade, WTO, FTAs, Balance of Payments
Environment & Ecology
- Biodiversity — Hotspots, endemic species, IUCN Red List categories
- Protected Areas — National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Biosphere Reserves
- Climate Change — IPCC, Paris Agreement, NDCs, carbon credits
- Environmental laws — Environment Protection Act, Forest Conservation Act, Wildlife Act
- Conventions — CBD, CITES, Ramsar, UNFCCC
- Pollution types, solid waste management, e-waste
General Science & Technology
- Physics — Basic optics, nuclear energy, space technology, ISRO missions
- Chemistry — Elements, compounds, acids/bases at Class 10 level
- Biology — Cell, genetics, human diseases, vaccines, biotechnology
- IT & Computers — AI/ML basics, cybersecurity, blockchain overview
- Defence — Missiles, warships, fighter jets in Indian context
Current Affairs
- National — Government schemes, Cabinet decisions, appointments
- International — Bilateral relations, UN resolutions, summits (G20, SCO, BRICS)
- Economy — RBI policy, Union Budget highlights
- Awards — Nobel, Padma, Bharat Ratna, Sangeet Natak Akademi
- Sports — Olympics, Asian Games, ICC events
- Science & Technology — Space missions, defence tests, health discoveries