The UPSC Civil Service Exam, also known as the IAS Exam, is a competitive examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in India for recruitment to various Civil Services of the Government of India, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Foreign Service (IFS). The exam consists of three stages: the Preliminary Exam, the Main Exam, and the Interview. In this article, we will focus on the syllabus for the Preliminary Exam, which is the first stage of the IAS Exam.

 

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The Preliminary Exam consists of two papers: Paper 1 (General Studies) and Paper 2 (Civil Service Aptitude Test). Both papers are objective-type (multiple choice) and are conducted on the same day. The marks obtained in the Preliminary Exam are not counted towards the final rank, but candidates must qualify in this exam to be eligible for the Main Exam.

 

The syllabus for the Preliminary Exam is vast and covers a wide range of subjects. Here is a brief overview of the syllabus for each paper:

 

Paper 1 (General Studies):

 

Total Marks - 200 marks

 

Total Questions - 100

 

Each question carries 2 marks

 

Negative Marks - Yes (one-third of 2 marks)

 

Total Time - 2 hours (9.30 am to 11.30 am)

 

Syllabus

 

1.	Current events of national and international importance
2.	History of India and Indian National Movement
3.	Indian and World Geography - Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World
4.	Indian Polity and Governance - Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
5.	Economic and Social Development - Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.
6.	General issues on Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity, and Climate Change - that do not require subject specialization
7.	General Science

 

Paper 2 (Civil Service Aptitude Test):

 

Total Marks - 200 marks

 

Total Questions - 80

 

Each question carries 2.5 marks

 

Negative Marks - Yes (one-third of 2.5 marks)

 

Total Time - 2 hours (2.30 pm to 4.30 pm)

 

Syllabus

 

1.	Comprehension
2.	Interpersonal skills including communication skills
3.	Logical reasoning and analytical ability
4.	Decision-making and problem-solving
5.	General mental ability
6.	Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level)
7.	Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. - Class X level)

 

In conclusion, the UPSC Civil Service Exam Preliminary Exam syllabus is comprehensive and covers a wide range of subjects. It is important for candidates to thoroughly prepare for this exam to stand a chance of qualifying for the Main Exam and eventually getting selected for the coveted Civil Services.

 

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