UPSC CSE Syllabus

UPSC Civil Services Syllabus

Preliminary Examination

The Preliminary Examination contains two objective papers. General Studies Paper I covers areas such as current events, history, geography, polity and governance, economic and social development, environmental ecology and general science. General Studies Paper II assesses comprehension, interpersonal and communication skills, logical reasoning, analytical ability, decision-making, problem-solving, basic numeracy and data interpretation.

Main Examination

The written examination contains an Essay paper, four General Studies papers, two qualifying language papers and two papers in one optional subject.

General Studies areas

• Indian heritage, culture, history and geography
• Governance, Constitution, polity, social justice and international relations
• Technology, economic development, biodiversity, environment, security and disaster management
• Ethics, integrity and aptitude

Optional subject

Candidates select one optional subject from the subjects prescribed by UPSC. The optional subject has two papers in the Main Examination.

The official notification and syllabus documents remain the authoritative source for the complete subject-wise syllabus.