Are you searching for the UPSC Civils Exam Pattern in 2023? If the answer is yes, then you are in the right place.
This article “UPSC Civils Exam Pattern” gives you in-depth knowledge of the UPSC Civil Services Exam Pattern in 2023 and information related to the UPSC syllabus as well.
Therefore keep reading this article that contains all the important information that you need to know about UPSC Civil Civil Service Exam Pattern (IAS Exam Pattern).
We are aware that the union public service commission conducts the UPSC Exam to select officers for various administrative positions across the country. UPSC offers excellent career opportunities to talented and dynamic young individuals.
Note: The Union Public Service Commission officially known as the UPSC conducts the Civil Services Examination better known as The IAS exam annually to select personnel for all India administrative services.
| . Examination name | Civil Services Exam ( IAS Exam) |
| . Examination mode | Offline mode |
| . IAS Examination Pattern | Prelims (MCQs), Mains descriptive |
| . Examination frequency | Once every year |
| . Number of Examination papers | Prelims: 2 Papers & Mains: 9 Papers |
| . Number of Examination stages | (1) Prelims exam (2) Mains exam (3) Interview |
UPSC Civils Exam Pattern
The Union public service commission conducts the UPSC civil services exam ( IAS exam) in three different stages. They are as follows.
| 1. UPSC civil services prelims (IAS prelims) |
| 2. UPSC civil services Mains (IAS mains) |
| 3. UPSC civil services exam interview( IAS interview) |
A candidate has to clear all these three stages to achieve their dream of becoming a civil servant. The UPSC has designed the UPSC examination pattern and syllabus in such a way that all stages are unique and assess the different qualities of an IAS aspirant.
The right approach to UPSC Exam Pattern and UPSC civil services exam (IAS) preparation can guarantee your success in the IAS exam.
The Civil Services Exam pattern is subdivided into the following three important categories.
| 1. Civil Services Prelims exam pattern |
| 2. Civil Services Mains Exam pattern |
| 3. Civil Services exam interview pattern |
UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern
The UPSC Prelims Examination Pattern 2023 is as follows.
| 1. The Union public service commission conducts all the stages of the IAS exam process offline |
| 2. In the UPSC prelims, the exam question pattern is of objective type or MCQs in nature, which the candidates have to answer in an OMR sheet |
| 3. However, candidates have to be careful while attempting the IAS prelims question because of a negative marking system |
| 4. Generally, the commission conducts both papers of the IAS prelims exam in a single day (usually Sunday) |
Note: Download the UPSC exam pattern PDF, UPSC Exam pattern in Hindi, Exam pattern for IPS, Exam question paper, Exam pattern and syllabus and Civil services exam syllabus from the Official website.
UPSC Civils ( IAS Exam)Exam Pattern
The structure of the UPSC Civils Exam pattern ( IAS exam) is divided broadly into three stages.
| 1. Stage I: Preliminary Examination (IAS Prelims exam) |
| 2. Stage II: Mains Examination (IAS Mains exam ) |
| 3. Stage III: Personality Test (IAS Interview) |
Stage I: IAS Exam Pattern – UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern
| 1. IAS Exam Paper – I: General Studies (2 Hours) |
| 2. IAS Exam Paper – II: General Studies (CSAT) (2 Hours) |
The UPSC IAS Exam (Prelims) questions (UPSC exam question paper ) are Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)or objective-type questions. A Negative Marking system is applied in the IAS (Prelims) Exam.
The General Studies (GS) Paper-II (CSAT) in the IAS exam is a qualifying exam. The applicants who secure a minimum of 33 per cent in the General Studies paper pass the subsequent step of the UPSC IAS exam i.e. the UPSC Mains exam.
The applicants must attend both the papers of the civil services prelims exam for the evaluation. The marks scored in the preliminary examination are not considered for the final score.
Stage II: IAS Exam pattern – UPSC Civils Mains Exam Pattern
The second stage of the UPSC IAS Exam is the civil services Mains Exam. It is a descriptive type of written examination comprising 9 papers.
The UPSC Civils mains Exam pattern (Examination pattern and syllabus ) is as follows.
| 1 | Paper – A | Compulsory Indian Language (3 Hours) |
| 2 | Paper – B | English (3 Hours) |
| 3 | Paper – I | ESSAY (3 Hours) |
| 4 | Paper-II | General Studies I (3 Hours) |
| 5 | Paper – III | General Studies II (3 Hours |
| 6 | Paper-IV | General Studies III (3 Hours) |
| 7 | Paper – V | General Studies IV (3 Hours) |
| 8 | Paper – VI | Optional Paper I (3 Hours) |
| 9 | Paper – VII | Optional Paper II (3 Hours) |
UPSC Exam Pattern and Syllabus
UPSC’s official website is the only official source of the Examination pattern and syllabus. It specifies all the details related to the IAS exam pattern and syllabus.
UPSC Syllabus provides concrete information related to the IAS Exam. Visit the official UPSC website using the above link to learn all about Exam Pattern and frequently asked questions
Details of UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern
UPSC Prelims Examination Pattern (Exam pattern and syllabus ) is as follows.
| 1. TheUPSC conducts all the stages of the IAS exam process offline |
| 2. The prelims question pattern is of objective type, which has to be answered in an OMR sheet |
| 3. IAS prelims Exam has a negative marking system |
| 4. UPSC conducts both papers of the IAS prelims exam in a single day |
UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern
| 1 | UPSC IAS Exam (Prelims Exam )Paper – I General Studies (2 Hours) |
| 2 | UPSC IAS Exam (Prelims Exam) Paper – II: General Studies (CSAT) (2 Hours) |
A Negative Marking system is applied in the IAS (Prelims) Exam. The General Studies (GS) Paper-II (CSAT) in the IAS exam is a qualifying exam.
The applicants must secure a minimum of 33 per cent in the General Studies paper to appear for the UPSC Mains exam. The applicants must attend both the papers of the civil services prelims exam for the evaluation.
The marks scored in the preliminary examination are not considered for the final score.
IAS Exam Pattern
The structure of the IAS Exam pattern ( IAS exam) is divided broadly into three stages.
| 1 | Stage I: IAS Preliminary Examination (IAS Prelims exam) |
| 2 | Stage II: IAS Mains Examination (IAS Mains exam ) |
| 3 | Stage III: IAS Personality Test (IAS Interview) |
Stage I: IAS Exam – UPSC Prelims Examination Pattern
| 1 | IAS Exam Paper – I General Studies (2 Hours) |
| 2 | IAS Exam Paper – II General Studies (CSAT) (2 Hours) |
The IAS Exam (Prelims) topics are of Multiple choice or objective type. A Negative Marking system is applied in the IAS (Prelims) Exam. The General Studies (GS) Paper-II (CSAT) in the IAS exam is a qualifying exam.
The applicants who secure a minimum of 33 per cent in the General Studies paper pass the subsequent step of the IAS exam i.e. the UPSC Mains exam. The applicants must attend both the papers of the civil services prelims exam for the evaluation.
The marks secured in the preliminary examination are not judged for the final record.
Stage II: IAS Exam – UPSC Mains Exam Pattern
The second stage of the IAS Exam is the UPSC civil services Mains Exam. It is a descriptive type of written examination comprising 9 papers.
The Mains Exam pattern is as follows.
| 1 | Paper – A | Compulsory Indian Language (3 Hours) |
| 2 | Paper – B | English (3 Hours) |
| 3 | Paper – I | ESSAY (3 Hours) |
| 4 | Paper-II | General Studies I (3 Hours) |
| 5 | Paper – III | General Studies II (3 Hours |
| 6 | Paper-IV | General Studies III (3 Hours) |
| 7 | Paper – V | General Studies IV (3 Hours) |
| 8 | Paper – VI | Optional Paper I (3 Hours) |
| 9 | Paper – VII | Optional Paper II (3 Hours) |
UPSC Syllabus
The UPSC conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE) for various posts such as IAS, IPS and IFS. The Union Public Service Commission Syllabus consists of three sections. They are the Prelims syllabus, Mains syllabus and the Interview. The Prelims syllabus is intended to evaluate a candidate’s understanding of current affairs and aptitude.
The preliminary paper is a mandatory exam. You can download the UPSC syllabus at www. upsconline. nic. in for free.
UPSC Syllabus – IAS Syllabus For Prelims and Mains
Note: UPSC exam syllabus (IAS syllabus) may change from time to time. Therefore always check the official website for the up-to-date exam syllabus before applying.
A candidate has to have a complete and comprehensive understanding of the IAS syllabus or the UPSC syllabus to have a complete understanding of the exam.
Here is the complete and comprehensive syllabus for the Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission.
Usually, the UPSC releases the official notification for the Civil Service Exam along with the syllabus [ Civil Services Prelims and Mains].
You can read the UPSC Exam syllabus pdf at the official website moreover you can also download the syllabus of the UPSC exam pattern PDF for both Prelims and Mains.
UPSC has a common syllabus pattern for all the civil service exams such as the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, Indian Foreign Service and Indian Revenue Service.
The UPSC Prelims Exam syllabus focuses on general studies, whereas the Mains Exam syllabus comprises nine theory papers.
UPSC Prelims Exam Syllabus (IAS Prelims Syllabus)
The Preliminary Examination( prelims )is the primary step of the Exam selection process. An aspiring candidate has to attend two general studies papers for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Exam.
The General Studies Paper-II is better known as the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT).
UPSC Prelims Exam syllabus for general studies (GS) Paper (Prelims Paper I)
UPSC Prelims Exam topic-wise syllabus
| 1 | CSE paper 1 current events of national and international importance |
| 2 | History of India and the Indian National Movement |
| 3 | Indian and World Geography |
| 4 | Indian Polity and Governance |
| 5 | Economic and Social Development |
| 6 | General issues on the Environment |
| 7 | General Science |
UPSC ( IAS Exam) Syllabus for Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) Paper (Prelims Paper-II) Exam
| 1 | Comprehension |
| 2 | Interpersonal skills and communication skills |
| 3 | Logical reasoning and analytical ability |
| 4 | Decision-making and problem solving |
| 5 | General mental ability |
| 6 | Basic numeracy Data interpretation |
UPSC Mains Exam Syllabus -IAS Selection Procedure
The Union Public Service Commission releases a merit list of contestants selected for the Civil Services Main Exam based on the civil services results.
The second stage of the UPSC Exam judges the candidates on various subjects. The main syllabus consists of nine descriptive-type papers.
UPSC Mains Exam Syllabus
The UPSC Mains Exam syllabus is intended to assess the academic excellence of a candidate. The Main examination (UPSC recruitment) syllabus consists of 9 papers.
| 1 | Paper – A | Compulsory Indian Language (3 Hours) |
| 2 | Paper – B | English (3 Hours) |
| 3 | Paper – I | ESSAY (3 Hours) |
| 4 | Paper-II | General Studies I (3 Hours) |
| 5 | Paper – III | General Studies II (3 Hours |
| 6 | Paper-IV | General Studies III (3 Hours) |
| 7 | Paper – V | General Studies IV (3 Hours) |
| 8 | Paper – VI | Optional Paper I (3 Hours) |
| 9 | Paper – VII | Optional Paper II (3 Hours) |
IAS Mains Syllabus – Indian Language & English
Indian Language & English paper tests the candidates’ ability to read and understand ideas clearly and correctly in English and the Indian language.
IAS Mains Essay – Paper-I
In IAS Mains Essay – Paper-I Candidates have to write essays on diverse topics. The essay is expected to be close to the topic and as such arrange the ideas and contents of the essay in an orderly manner and write concisely.
Weightage is awarded for the effective and exact expression of the IAS Mains Essay.
IAS Mains General Studies-I Syllabus
The IAS Mains General Studies-I Syllabus consists of History and Geography of the World, Indian Heritage and Culture etc.
| 1 | Indian Heritage |
| 2 | Modern Indian History |
| 3 | World History |
| 4 | Indian Society |
| 5 | Geography |
IAS Mains General Studies-II Syllabus
Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations
| 1 | Indian Constitution |
| 2 | Indian Polity |
| 3 | Social Justice |
| 4 | International Relations |
| 5 | Indian Governance |
IAS Mains General Studies-III Syllabus
Technology, Environment, Bio-diversity, Security and Disaster Management, Economic Development.
| 1 | Indian Economy |
| 2 | Security |
| 3 | Environment & Bio-diversity |
| 4 | Disaster Management |
| 5 | Science and Technology |
IAS Mains General Studies-IV Syllabus
Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
| 1 | Ethics and Human Interface |
| 2 | Probity in Governance |
| 3 | Public or Civil service values and Ethics in Public Administration |
| 4 | Attitude |
| 5 | Aptitude |
| 6 | Emotional Intelligence |
IAS Mains Optional Subject Syllabus
Aspiring Candidates are free to choose any optional subject from the list of given optional subjects.
IAS Interview Syllabus
Qualified candidates in the Civil Services Main Examination are called for the Personality Test or the Civil Services Examination Interview.
The UPSC Exam board evaluate the leadership qualities, intellectual and moral integrity, and knowledge of the current affairs of the candidate during the Personality Test or Interview.
Note: The IAS Interview has no specific syllabus, hence, candidates have to work more on their personality traits, leadership qualities, intellectual and moral integrity, knowledge of current affairs etc.
Where to find UPSC Syllabus?
You can find the UPSC syllabus and the following related topics at Union Public Service Commission’s official site.
Details of UPSC Exam Pattern and Syllabus PDF
UPSC’s official website is the only official source of the exam pattern and syllabus PDF. It specifies all the details related to the Exam Pattern. The IAS exam pattern and syllabus provide concrete information related to the UPSC IAS Exam.
UPSC Exam Pattern PDF
UPSC’s official website is the only official source of information and details related to the Exam Pattern. You can find and download the UPSC Exam pattern PDF and PDF of the following related topics at the Union Public Service Commission official site.
| . UPSC Exam Pattern |
| . Prelims Examination Pattern |
| . Mains Exam Pattern |
| . Education Qualification For IAS |
| . Subjects and Optional Subject List |
| . Exam Syllabus |
| . Mains Exam Syllabus |
| . Where To Find Exam Syllabus? |
| . Exam Age Limit |
| . Eligibility criteria |
| . IAS Age Limit For Female |
| . Age Limit For Exam |
| . What is IPS Exam? |
UPSC Civil Services Exam Syllabus
The UPSC civil services exam syllabus and UPSC exam pattern and syllabus can provide a genuine idea about the exam question paper for this year.
UPSC Exam Pattern
UPSC’s official website is the only official source of information related to the Exam Pattern. You can download the UPSC Exam pattern PDF at the official site.
UPSC Exam Pattern for IPS
UPSC’s official website provides the official information and details related to the Exam Pattern for IPS. IPS Aspirants can download the Exam pattern for IPS PDF at the Union Public Service Commission official site.
UPSC Exam Pattern
What is UPSC Exam Pattern? UPSC’s official website provides official details related to the Exam Pattern. Candidates can download the UPSC Exam pattern PDF at the official site.
UPSC Total Marks
Civil Services Preliminary Examination
UPSC Total Marks: The preliminary examination centres on the logical abilities and perception of the candidate. The new UPSC Civils Examination Pattern covers two papers of two hours span and 200 marks each.
Paper I tests the awareness of current events, the history of India and the Indian national movement, Indian and world geography, Indian polity Panchayati Raj system and governance, economic and social development, environmental ecology, biodiversity, climate change and general science, Art and culture.
Paper-II ( CSAT or Civil Services Aptitude Test), tests the abilities in understanding, interpersonal skills, communication, logical reasoning, analytical ability, decision-making, problem-solving, basic numeracy, data interpretation, English language comprehension skills and mental ability. The marks obtained in this paper are not counted for merit.
Civil Services Mains Examination
The Civil Services Mains Examination consists of a written examination and an interview. The Civil Services Main written examination consists of nine papers, two qualifying and seven rankings in nature.
Each paper is of a duration of 3 hours. Candidates who qualify for qualifying papers are listed according to marks and a selected number of candidates are called for an interview or a personality test.
The distribution of UPSC Total Marks is as follows
| 1 | Paper – A | One of the listed Indian languages (Qualifying) | 300 marks |
| 2 | Paper – B | English (Qualifying) | 300 marks |
| 3 | Paper – I | Essay | 250 marks |
| 4 | Paper-II | General Studies-I | 250 marks |
| 5 | Paper – III | General Studies-II | 250 marks |
| 6 | Paper-IV | General Studies-III | 250 marks |
| 7 | Paper – V | General Studies-IV | 250 marks |
| 8 | Paper – VI | Optional subjects | 250 marks |
| 9 | Paper – VII | Optional subjects | 250 marks |
| Sub Total (Written Test) | 1750 marks | ||
| Personality Test (Interview) | 275 marks | ||
| Total Marks | 2025 marks |
What is UPSC CSE?
The UPSC CSE is the UPSC Civil Service Exam. An aspiring candidate can become an IAS officer, By cracking the Civil Service Exam (IAS Exams).
Similarly, By cracking the Indian civil service Exam you can also join other civil services in the Indian Administration such as IPS, IFS and IRS.
Therefore, calling the UPSC Civil Service Exam a civil services examination or IAS Exam is not correct in the true sense.
Hence, you must have understood by now that the UPSC CSE Exam not only offers IAS Exams but also other civil services (civils exam)in the Indian Administration such as IPS, IFS, IRS etc.
The Indian civil service exam is conducted in three phases, the Prelims, the UPSC CSE Mains, and the Personal Interview.
Candidates who qualify for all three levels of the Civil Service Exam (CSE/IAS)get an All India Rank based on their civil service results. The UPSC results and the UPSC mains mark sheet are published on the civil services website.
Now, the service of the candidate is generally decided by these civil services results and the All India Rank. The first phase of the CSE Exam is the prelims and it is a qualifier round.
The Prelims Exam has two papers, General Studies Paper-I and General Studies Paper-II. A candidate must appear in both the IAS prelims papers.
The CSE Mains Exam has subjective questions. The answers to all the India IAS questions are subjective or written.
Finally, IAS ka full form is the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). Further, the IFS IPS IAS exams are also known as civil service exams.
A genuine aspirant can visit the official website to download the authentic details of the following documents.
| . civil services exam syllabus |
| . exam question paper |
| . examination pattern and syllabus |
| . exam pattern for IPS |
| . exam pattern |
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs on UPSC Civils Exam Pattern
Question. What is the pattern of the UPSC exam?
Answer. The UPSC (Civil Services) Exam pattern is broadly divided into three. They are as follows;
1. Civil Services Preliminary Exam
2. Civil Services Mains Exam
3. Civil Services Interview Exam
Question. What are the 7 papers of UPSC?
Answer. The 7 papers of the Civil Services Exam are as follows;
1. Paper‐I (Essay)
2. Paper‐2 (General Studies 1)
3. Paper‐3 (General Studies 2)
4. Paper‐4 (General Studies 3)
5. Paper‐5 (General Studies 4)
6. Paper‐6 (Optional Subject Paper 1)
7. Paper‐7 (Optional Subject Paper 2)
Question. Which degree is best for IAS?
Answer. There is no correct explanation for this question, as the best degree for IAS depends on your unique credentials and goals.
However, some of the most common degrees that are popular among IAS aspirants include degrees in engineering, medicine, law and business administration.
Question. Is math compulsory for UPSC?
Answer. No, maths is not mandatory in the UPSC exam. However, it is strongly recommended that candidates understand basic concepts of mathematics to have a better understanding of the questions asked in the exam.
Question. What is the paper pattern of UPSC Prelims?
Answer. The paper pattern of the UPSC Prelims exam constitutes two mandatory papers (multiple-choice or objective type).
They are as follows;
• General Studies Paper I
• General Studies Paper-II
Question. What are the subjects for UPSC?
Answer. The typical subjects that are suggested as part of the UPSC Civil Services examination include the English language, mathematics, general knowledge, and logical reasoning.
Question. How many subjects are there in IAS?
Answer. There are a total of 48 subjects in the IAS exam. Candidates can select the suitable subjects of their choice from the list of 25 optional subjects and 23 literature language subjects.
Question. How many exams are there in the UPSC exam?
Answer. The UPSC Exam is broadly divided into three. They are as follows;
1. Civil Services Preliminary Exam
2. Civil Services Mains Exam
3. Civil Services Interview Exam
The prelims exam constitutes two mandatory papers (multiple-choice or objective type). They are;
• General Studies Paper I
• General Studies Paper-II
Mains exam constitutes 7 mandatory papers (subjective type/ written). They are;
1. Paper‐I (Essay)
2. Paper‐2 (General Studies 1)
3. Paper‐3 (General Studies 2)
4. Paper‐4 (General Studies 3)
5. Paper‐5 (General Studies 4)
6. Paper‐6 (Optional Subject Paper 1)
7. Paper‐7 (Optional Subject Paper 2)
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed various aspects of the UPSC Civils exam pattern. We have learned that as per the UPSC Civils exam pattern, the IAS Exam is divided into three important categories.
They are; (1) Prelims Exam (2) Mains Exam (3) Interview. Candidates have to clear all these three phases to accomplish their dream of becoming civil servants.
The UPSC has designed the UPSC examination pattern and syllabus in such a way that all stages are unique and assess the different qualities of an IAS aspirant.
Now, we know that the union public service commission conducts the UPSC Exam to select officers for all India administrative services. UPSC offers excellent career prospects to capable and dynamic young professionals.
Are you eager to join the all-India administrative services as an officer? Let us know in the comment box below.