The UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE) to recruit candidates for various civil services in the Indian government. The CSE consists of three stages: Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, and Personality Test (Interview).
- Preliminary Examination (Objective Type):
- Paper-I: General Studies (200 marks)
- Paper-II: Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) (200 marks) – This paper is qualifying in nature, and candidates need to score a minimum of 33% to qualify for the Mains.
- Main Examination (Descriptive Type):
- Paper-A: Indian Language (300 marks)
- Paper-B: English (300 marks)
- Paper-I: Essay (250 marks)
- Paper-II: General Studies-I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History, and Geography of the World and Society) (250 marks)
- Paper-III: General Studies-II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International Relations) (250 marks)
- Paper-IV: General Studies-III (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management) (250 marks)
- Paper-V: General Studies-IV (Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude) (250 marks)
- Papers VI, VII, VIII, and IX: Optional Subjects (Each paper is 250 marks)
- Candidates can choose one optional subject from the list of approved subjects.
- Personality Test (Interview):
- This stage involves an interview with a panel of UPSC members. It carries 275 marks.
It’s important to note that the Indian Language and English papers in the Main Examination are of qualifying nature, and candidates are required to score a minimum of 25% in each paper to qualify. The marks obtained in these papers are not counted for the final ranking.
The optional subjects for Papers VI, VII, VIII, and IX in the Main Examination cover a wide range of subjects, including literature, science, humanities, and social sciences. Candidates can choose an optional subject based on their educational background and interest.
It is recommended that candidates thoroughly go through the UPSC notification and syllabus each year, as there may be changes or updates to the exam pattern and syllabus.
