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 and Main Exams.

 

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)

 

Main Exam

 

The Main Exam is a written examination and consists of nine papers, out of which two are qualifying in nature and the remaining seven are for ranking. The marks obtained in the Main Exam are counted towards the final rank. Here is a brief overview of the syllabus for each paper:

 

Qualifying Papers

 

Paper 1: Language Paper (To qualify score - 33% marks) - Candidates have to choose one Indian language from the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.

 

Paper 2: English (To qualify score - 33% marks) - Candidates have to take an English Language Comprehension test.

 

Ranking Papers

 

Paper 1: Essay - Candidates have to write an essay on a given topic.

 

Paper 2: General Studies 1 - Indian Heritage and Culture, History, and Geography of the World and Society

 

Paper 3: General Studies 2 - Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International relations

 

Paper 4: General Studies 3 - Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security, and Disaster Management

 

Paper 5: General Studies 4 - Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude

 

Paper 6: Optional Subject Paper 1 - Candidates have to choose one optional subject from a list of subjects provided by the UPSC.

 

Paper 7: Optional Subject Paper 2 - Candidates have to choose one optional subject from a list of subjects provided by the UPSC.

 

In conclusion, the UPSC Civil Service Prelims and Main Exam syllabus are comprehensive and covers a wide range of subjects. It is important for candidates to thoroughly prepare for this exam to stand a chance of getting selected for the coveted Civil Services. It is advisable for candidates to choose optional subjects that they have a strong foundation in and are interested in, as it will help them score better marks in the Optional Subject Papers.