ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE UPSC SYLLABUS

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE
UPSC SYLLABUS

The UPSC or Union Public Service Commission exams have three stages, with
different syllabuses. So, let us scrutinize the same in detail.

UPSC SYLLABUS FOR PRELIMS

UPSC or IAS Prelims is the first stage of the Civil Services Examinations. It is a
screening that qualifies you for the next stage, Mains. The UPSC syllabus for
prelims comprises two compulsory papers of 200 marks each. The questions are
objective type, and the minimum qualifying criterion is 33 percent of the total
marks. The duration given to students is 2 hours, and there are 100 questions. The
first prelims paper aims to examine the general awareness of the candidate. The
relevant topics for the paper are



Current affairs

•History of India and the Indian National Movement
•Indian and World Geography — Social, Physical, Political, and Economic
•Environmental Ecology, Climate Change, and Bio-diversity
•General Science
•Economic and Social Development, Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion,

Social Sector Initiatives, Demographics, etc
•Paper 2 of UPSC Prelims or the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) consists of 80

questions, and the total marks are 200. The topics include –
•Comprehension
•Decision-making and analytical skills
•Interpersonal skills
•Logical reasoning
•General mental ability
•Basic numeracy and mathematics up to class X level

•Now let us look at the UPSC syllabus for Mains

UPSC SYLLABUS FOR MAINS

It is noteworthy to remember that a candidate’s rank in the UPSC exam depends
on the marks scored in Mains and the consequent interview. The Mains carry 1750
marks, while the interview has 275 marks.
Paper 1 (Essay) — 250 marks — The essay paper expects candidates to write
essays on multiple topics, and the judgment is based on the arrangement of ideas
and the preciseness of the writing skills.
Paper 2 (General Studies 1) — 250 Marks — It includes questions about Indian and
world history, geography and society, Indian heritage and culture, and likewise.
Paper 3 (General Studies 2)- 250 Marks — The paper covers governance, polity,
constitution, social justice, and international relations.
Paper 4 (General Studies 4) — 250 Marks — The UPSC syllabus for the fourth
general studies paper encompasses domains of technology, biodiversity, security
and disaster management, environment, biodiversity, and economic development.
Paper 5 (General Studies 4) — 250 Marks — It covers the spheres of ethics,
integrity, and aptitude. The paper aims to examine the candidate’s attitude and
approach vis-à-vis issues related to the public sphere

It is important to remember that Paper 6 and Paper 7 of UPSC Mains are
known as optional papers of 20 marks each. The various discipline choices
available to candidates include –
History
Geography
Sociology
Economics
Public Administration
Philosophy
Psychology
Political Science
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
Agriculture
Botany
Anthropology
Chemistry

•Commerce
•Civil Engineering
•Electrical Engineering
•Geology
•Law
•Physics
•Statistics
•Medical Science
•Mathematics
•Medical Science
•Mechanical Engineering
•Zoology

•Literature in any of the following languages is available –Bengali, Assamese,

Bodo, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Dogri, Malayalam, Maithili, Manipuri,

Nepali, Marathi, Punjabi, Oriya, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Santhali, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu,

and English