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📌 Table of Contents

Exam Overview Exam Pattern Syllabus Highlights Eligibility Criteria Selection Process FAQs Start Preparation

🔍 Exam Overview

  • Exam Name: Civil Services Examination (CSE)
  • Conducting Body: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
  • Posts: IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, and others
  • Mode: Offline (Pen & Paper)
  • Stages: Prelims, Mains, Interview

📘 Exam Pattern

Preliminary Examination

  • General Studies Paper I – 200 Marks
  • CSAT (General Studies Paper II – Qualifying) – 200 Marks
  • Type: Objective (MCQ)
  • Negative Marking: Yes (1/3rd)

Mains Examination

  • 9 Papers (7 for merit, 2 qualifying)
  • Essay, GS I to IV, Optional Paper I & II
  • Total: 1750 Marks

Interview

Marks: 275 | Final selection based on Mains + Interview (Total 2026 marks)

📝 Syllabus Highlights

Prelims GS I

Current Affairs, History, Polity, Geography, Environment, Economy, Science & Technology

CSAT (GS II)

Comprehension, Logical Reasoning, Decision Making, Basic Numeracy

Mains General Studies

  • GS I: History, Geography, Indian Society
  • GS II: Governance, Polity, Social Justice
  • GS III: Economy, Agriculture, Science, Security, Environment
  • GS IV: Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude

Optional Subjects

Choose one subject from UPSC list (Geography, Sociology, PSIR, etc.)

🎯 Eligibility Criteria

  • Nationality: Indian for IAS & IPS
  • Age Limit: 21–32 yrs (General)
  • Relaxation: OBC – 3 yrs, SC/ST – 5 yrs, PwD – 10 yrs
  • Attempts: General – 6, OBC – 9, SC/ST – Unlimited (within age)
  • Qualification: Graduation in any discipline

✅ Selection Process

  1. Preliminary Exam (Qualifying)
  2. Mains Exam (Merit Based)
  3. Interview/Personality Test
  4. Final Merit List

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

UPSC CSE is conducted for IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS and other central services.

Prelims (objective), Mains (descriptive), Interview.

Indian nationality, graduation, age 21–32 yrs (general), attempts as per category.

Yes, UPSC exams are conducted offline (pen & paper).

Practice UPSC mock tests on TestCloud quizzes and preparation pages.

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