The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination (CSE) is one of the most prestigious and challenging competitive exams in India. It is conducted annually to recruit candidates for various civil services of the Government of India, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and Indian Police Service (IPS).

Exam Structure

The UPSC Civil Services Examination is conducted in three stages:

Preliminary Examination (Prelims)

Paper I: General Studies (GS) – 200 marks

Paper II: Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) – 200 marks (Qualifying in nature, requires 33% to pass)

Main Examination (Mains)

Descriptive Type: The Mains consist of nine papers, all of which are descriptive (essay-type).

Paper A: Indian Language (Qualifying) – 300 marks

Paper B: English (Qualifying) – 300 marks

Paper I: Essay – 250 marks

Paper II-IV: General Studies (GS I, II, III) – 250 marks each

Paper V: General Studies (GS IV) – Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude – 250 marks

Paper VI-VII: Optional Subject (Paper I and II) – 250 marks each

Personality Test (Interview)

The interview or personality test is conducted for candidates who qualify in the Mains.

Marks: It carries 275 marks.