Are you looking to take the UPSC civil services exam? If so, you’ll need a comprehensive knowledge of the exam syllabus. Here we break it down for you in an easy-to-understand way, so that you can be well-prepared and study confidently for this competitive exam. Read on to find out everything you need to know about the UPSC civil services exam syllabus!
Introduction to UPSC CSE Syllabus
Every year, thousands of aspirants take this exam in the hopes of securing a government job. The competition is tough and only the best-prepared candidates make it to the final stage.
To help you prepare for this exam, we have put together a detailed syllabus. This syllabus covers all the topics that will be tested in the exam. It is important to note that the UPSC Civil Services Exam is not just about memorizing facts and figures. Candidates should be able to apply their knowledge to real-life situations as well.
The syllabus is divided into four parts:
1) General Studies
2) Aptitude Test
3) Essay Writing
4) Interview
Importance of NCERT Books in UPSC Preparation
Overview of The UPSC Civil Services Exam
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE) annually to select Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and other central government civil services officers. The UPSC CSE is considered one of the toughest exams in India with a success rate of less than 1%.
The UPSC CSE syllabus covers a wide range of topics from Indian history, culture, geography, economics, and politics to current affairs, general knowledge, and English. The exam is conducted in three stages – Prelims, Mains, and Interviews.
Prelims
The Preliminary examination is objective type and consists of two papers – General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II. Candidates must score a minimum of 33% marks in each paper to pass.
Mains
The Main examination is a written examination consisting of nine papers – two qualifying papers in Hindi and English Language respectively; and seven papers for merit ranking. The qualifying papers are not counted for merit ranking but candidates must score a minimum of 33% marks in each paper to pass.
Interview
Candidates who clear the Main examination are called for an interview by the UPSC Board. The interview is conducted to assess the candidate’s personality, suitability for public service, intellectual interests, leadership qualities, etc.
Eligibility Requirements
The UPSC civil services exam is a highly competitive exam that requires a great deal of dedication and hard work to crack. candidates must:
- Be citizens of India
- Be at least 21 years of age and not more than 32 years of age ( relaxations applicable in certain cases)
- Meet physical and medical standards as prescribed by the Commission
Candidates who meet the above eligibility criteria can apply for the UPSC civil services exam by filling out the prescribed application form.
Syllabus For The Preliminary Examination
The Preliminary examination for the UPSC civil services exam consists of two objective-type papers (General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II), each carrying a maximum of 200 marks. The papers are to be answered in English or any other language included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
The main purpose of the Preliminary examination is to serve as a screening test only. In determining the final order of merit, the marks obtained in the Preliminary examination by candidates who are declared qualified for admission to the Main examination will not be taken into account.
The structure of the Preliminary Examination is as follows:
- Paper I: General Studies (200 marks)
- Paper II: General Aptitude Test (200 marks)
Candidates will have to attempt both papers. Paper I is designed to test a candidate’s knowledge of current affairs, history, geography, economics, science, etc. while Paper II tests a candidate’s aptitude and analytical skills.
Paper I: General Studies
Paper I of the UPSC civil services exam is general studies. The syllabus for this paper is vast and covers a wide range of topics. The following is a detailed breakdown of the syllabus for
- The Indian Constitution: History, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions, and basic structure.
- Indian Polity: Executive, legislature, and judiciary; balance of power between the Centre and the States; federalism in India; devolution of powers to panchayats raj institutions and urban local bodies.
- Social Justice: Reservations in India; affirmative action; sustainable development; poverty alleviation programs in India; employment generation schemes in India.
- Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Climate Change – Topics that do not require subject specialization. Basic concepts of ecology and environment.
- Awareness in contemporary world affairs and international relations – Important International institutions, agencies, and forums, their structure, and mandate.
- Science and Technology: Applications and effects of science and technology in everyday life; achievements of Indians in science and technology; awareness of cyberspace
- Governance: Meaning, level structures types accountability , e-governance transparency right to information internal security
- Indian Economy: Land reforms & agriculture development planning in India – five-year plans role of planning commission liberalization, privatization & globalization (LPG) Demographic dividend human resources Inclusive growth sustainable development taxation fiscal policy monetary policy investments banking sector infrastructure (energy water transport housing, etc
Paper II: Aptitude Test
The Paper II of the UPSC civil services exam is the aptitude test. The test consists of two parts:
- Part I: General Ability Test (GAT)
The GAT measures a candidate’s ability to think logically and solve problems. It consists of 50 multiple-choice questions, each with four answer choices.
- Part II: English Comprehension Test (ECT)
The ECT measures a candidate’s ability to read and understand English text. It consists of 50 multiple-choice questions, each with four answer choices.
Mains Exam Syllabus
The UPSC civil services exam is conducted in three stages – Preliminary, Mains, and Interview. The Preliminary Exam is a screening test and the marks obtained in this exam are not counted for the final merit ranking. The Mains Exam is the second stage of the UPSC civil services exam and is a written examination. It consists of nine papers, out of which two are qualifying papers (Paper I – Indian Language and Paper II – English) and the remaining seven are conventional type papers where each candidate has to attempt only five papers according to their optional subject chosen.
The total marks for all the seven papers attempted by a candidate (excluding papers I & II) are counted for merit ranking. Each paper is of 250 marks with a total duration of 3 hours except Paper A which is 300 marks with a duration of 4 hours. There will be negative marking for wrong answers in all the papers except Paper A. 1/3rd mark will be deducted for each wrong answer in Papers B, C & D, and 2/3rd mark will be deducted for each wrong answer in Papers E, F, and G & H
Paper I: Essay Writing
The essay paper is designed to test your ability to think critically and to present your thoughts in a clear, well-organized manner. You will be given two hours to write an essay on a topic that will be assigned to you in advance. The essay must be written in English, and you will be expected to use a standard 12-point font.
Judging criteria for your essay:
- Content: The essay should demonstrate the writer’s understanding of the topic, as well as their ability to provide a thorough analysis and interpretation.
- Structure: The essay should be organized and its points should be presented in a logical order.
- Style: The essay should be written in an appropriate academic style that is clear, precise, and effective.
- Grammar and Mechanics: The essay must adhere to standard conventions of grammar and punctuation, with no errors in spelling or usage.
To ensure that you write a successful essay for this paper, make sure that you take sufficient time to plan your answers before you start writing. Think about how best to structure your argument, what evidence you can use to support your points, and how best to present them convincingly. Once you have done this, it is important to spend some time proofreading and editing your work so that it is free of any mistakes. Good luck!
Paper II: English Language Comprehension
Paper II of the UPSC civil services exam is entitled “English Language Comprehension”. The paper is divided into two sections, with a total of 50 marks allocated to each section.
- Section A of Paper II comprises questions on English grammar, vocabulary, and usage. Candidates will be required to answer questions related to identifying errors and improving sentences.
- Section B of Paper II comprises questions on comprehension passages. Candidates will be required to answer questions on the main idea of the passage, inferences that can be drawn from the passage, and other aspects of comprehension.
Paper III: Indian and World History & Geography
Paper III of the UPSC civil services exam is Indian and World History & Geography. The paper is divided into two sections – Indian History and World History.
- Indian History: The first section on Indian history will cover ancient India, medieval India, and modern India. It will include topics such as the Indus Valley Civilization, the Vedic Period, the rise of Buddhism, the Gupta Empire, the Mughal Empire, and the British Raj.
- World History: The second section on world history will cover major events and movements in world history. It will include topics such as the French Revolution, the Industrial Revolution, World War I, World War II, and decolonization. Overall, the paper seeks to test candidates’ knowledge of Indian and world history, as well as their ability to analyze and interpret historical events. The paper is worth 200 marks and candidates are allowed three hours to complete it.
- Historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions, and the basic structure of the Indian Constitution.
- Issues and challenges related to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels, and challenges relating thereto.
- Mechanisms and institutions for resolving disputes; separation of powers.
- A comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with those of other countries
- An overview of the structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers, and privileges of parliaments and state legislatures.
- A study of the structure and organization of the Executive and Judiciary Ministries and Departments of Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in politics.
- The Representation of the People’s Act outlines the powers, functions, and responsibilities of various constitutional bodies.
- Various quasi-judicial, statutory, and regulatory bodies.
- Various government policies and interventions for development and issues arising from their design and implementation. Development processes and the development industry- the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutions, and others.
- A review of the Centre’s and States’ welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population, as well as the mechanisms, laws, institutions, and Bodies, constituted for their protection and betterment.
- Health, Education, Human Resources, and poverty issues are among the issues related to the development and management of social services. Transparency and accountability are important aspects of governance, e-governance, citizen charters, transparency and accountability, and institutional measures.
- The role of civil services in a democracy. Relations between India and its neighbors. The impact of the policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, and the Indian diaspora. The important international institutions, agencies, and for what they do and what their mandates are.
- Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security, and Disaster Management.
- Economic planning, resource mobilization, growth, development, and employment. Inclusive growth and its implications. Government budgeting.
- Major crops in the country, irrigation and irrigation systems, storage, transport, and marketing of agricultural produce, and related issues and constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers.
- Direct and indirect farm subsidies; Public Distribution System-objectives, functioning, limitations, reform; buffer stocks and food security; Technology missions; animal rearing economics.
- Food processing and related industries in India: scope, significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, and supply chain management. Indian land reforms, effects of liberalization on the economy, and changes in industrial policy.
- Investment models. Science and technology – developments and their applications and effects in everyday life. Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology.
- IT, space, computers, robotics, nanotechnology, biotechnology, and intellectual property rights knowledge.
- The conservation of the environment, pollution and degradation of the environment, and environmental impact assessment.
- Linkages between extremism and development. Disasters and disaster management.
- Challenges to internal security posed by external state and non-state actors.
- Internal security challenges through communication networks, the role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, cyber security basics; money laundering and its prevention; security challenges in border areas; connections between organized crime and terrorism. A summary of the various security agencies and forces.
Paper IV
The syllabus of UPSC’s Civil Services Mains Exam General Studies 4 Paper comprises Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude. As provided by the commission, the paper will assess applicants’ attitudes and methods when it comes to questions regarding principles and probity in public life, as well as their problem-solving capabilities. This may include the use of case studies. In total, the following topics will be evaluated:
- Ethical and Human Interaction: Ethics in human actions, determinants, and consequences; dimensions of ethics; ethics in public and private interactions. The role of the family, society, and educational institutions in inculcating values; lessons learned from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers, and administrators.
- Moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion; attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relationship with thought and behavior. It is important to have aptitude and values for civil service, integrity, impartiality, nonpartisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance, and compassion toward the weaker sections.
- The concept of emotional intelligence, its utility, and application in administration and governance.
- Values and ethics in public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations, and conscience as ethical guides; accountability and ethical governance;
- Enhancing ethical and moral values in governance, international relations, and funding.
- Governmental probity: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of government and probity; Information sharing and transparency in government, Code of Ethics, Code of Conduct, Citizen Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, corruption challenges.
- Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude: The questions posed will feature case studies to evaluate each candidate’s attitude to issues of probity and integrity in life, their problem-solving skills, and the way they interact with society. This exam will cover a broad range of areas as outlined by the Union Public Service Commission.
- In Ethics and Human Interface, one examines the essence, determinants, and consequences of ethics in human actions; dimensions of ethics; and ethical behavior in private and public settings. The importance of instilling values by family, society, and educational institutions, as lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers, and administrators.
- Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behavior; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion. A candidate should possess the aptitude and foundational values for the Civil Service, including integrity, impartiality, nonpartisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance, and compassion for those who are marginalized.
- Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and around the world on emotional intelligence concepts and their use in administration and governance.
- Ethics in public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations, and conscience as ethical guides; accountability and ethical governance;
- The strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; and corporate governance.
- Case studies in Probity in Governance: Concept of Public Service; Philosophical Basis for Governance and Probity; Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizens’ Charters, Work Culture, Quality of Service Delivery, Utilization of Public Funds, Corruption Challenges.
Marks And Scores That Are Needed
The UPSC civil services exam is a highly competitive exam with lakhs of aspirants vying for a limited number of seats. The final merit list is prepared based on the marks and scores obtained by the candidates in the written exam and the interview.
- The written exam consists of two papers – Paper I and Paper II in Prelims. Paper I is an objective-type paper consisting of multiple-choice questions. Paper II is a subjective type paper consisting of essay-type questions. Both papers are to be attempted in English only.
- There is no minimum qualifying mark for Paper I. However, candidates need to score at least 50% marks in Paper II to be eligible for the interview/personality test. The maximum marks for each paper are 200 and the total marks for the written exam are 400
- Then there is the Mains exam. This consists of essays, language, and general studies. And it also includes optional papers. General studies and optional papers have a maximum of 250 marks. And the duration of the exam is 3 hours.
- Candidates who qualify for the interview/personality test based on their performance in the written exam will be allotted 900 marks out of 2025 (i.e., 45%). The remaining 1080 marks (55%) are assigned based on the candidate’s performance in the interview/personality test.
- Thus, to qualify for selection, candidates need to secure both good marks in the written exam as well as perform well in the interview/personality test.
UPSC Civil Services Interview
The Civil Services Interview is the final stage of the UPSC civil services exam. The interview is conducted by a panel of senior officials from various government departments and is meant to test the candidate’s suitability for the civil service.
The interview usually lasts for about an hour, during which the candidate will be asked a range of questions on their educational qualifications, work experience, and personal interests. The panel will also assess the candidate’s communication skills and ability to think on their feet.
Candidates must remember that the interview is not a test of their knowledge of current affairs or general knowledge. Instead, it is an opportunity for the panel to get to know the candidate better and to assess their suitability for the job.
Therefore, candidates should be prepared to answer questions about their background, family, hobbies, interests, and career aspirations. They should also be ready to explain why they want to join the civil services and what they can bring to the role.
Lastly, candidates need to remain calm and composed throughout the interview process. They should take a few seconds to think before answering each question and be polite in their responses. This will help create a positive impression of them on the panel members.
ALSO READ – HOW TO PREPARE FOR IAS INTERVIEW
Conclusion
Understanding the UPSC civil services exam syllabus is essential for any aspirant. We hope this article has given you a clear overview of all the topics that are covered in the exam and their respective weightage. With hard work and dedication, you can prepare well for each topic and put your best foot forward on the exam day. Good luck!
