Complete Exam Syllabus 2026

Everything You Need for Exam Preparation

Organised, easy-to-understand syllabi for UPSC CSE, UPPSC PSC, CAPF AC and CDS | with exam patterns, eligibility and answers to the most-asked questions.

UPSC Civil Services (CSE)

The UPSC Civil Services Examination is conducted in three stages | Preliminary (screening), Main (merit), and a Personality Test (Interview). Prelims marks are NOT counted in the final rank; the final merit is based on Mains (1750) + Interview (275) = 2025 marks.

Total: 2025 (Mains 1750 + Interview 275)
Prelims → Mains → Interview

Eligibility Criteria

  • Bachelor's degree from any recognised university (final-year candidates may apply provisionally).
  • Age: 21-32 years for General category on 1st August of the exam year.
  • Attempts: 6 for General, 9 for OBC, unlimited for SC/ST.
  • Nationality: Indian citizen (for IAS/IPS); Indian/Nepal/Bhutan/Tibetan refugee (pre-1962) for other services.

Exam Structure & Stage-wise Syllabus

Preliminary Examination

2 papers × 200 = 400

Paper II (CSAT) is qualifying at 33% | marks NOT counted

Screening test. Two papers, both objective (MCQ). Only candidates who clear Prelims are eligible for Mains. Qualifying marks are set at the Commission's discretion.

Paper I | General Studies

200 marks · 100 Qs · 2 hours

screening
  • Current events of national and international importance
  • History of India and Indian National Movement
  • Indian and World Geography | physical, social, economic
  • Indian Polity and Governance | Constitution, political system, Panchayati Raj, public policy, rights
  • Economic and Social Development | sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics, social sector
  • Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change
  • General Science
Paper II | CSAT | Civil Services Aptitude Test

200 marks · 80 Qs · 2 hours

qualifying

Qualifying nature: you must score 33% (66/200). Marks are not counted in the Prelims merit or final rank.

  • Comprehension
  • Interpersonal skills including communication skills
  • Logical reasoning and analytical ability
  • Decision making and problem solving
  • General mental ability
  • Basic numeracy (Class X level) | numbers, percentages, ratio, average
  • Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables)
Frequently Asked Questions

UPSC Civil Services (CSE) — Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the most-asked questions about this exam

The UPSC CSE syllabus is divided into three stages: Prelims (Paper I General Studies + Paper II CSAT), Mains (Essay, GS-I to GS-IV, and two Optional papers, plus qualifying language papers), and the Interview. Prelims is a screening test; the final rank comes from Mains (1750 marks) + Interview (275 marks).

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