Indian Forest Service (IFoS) exam is conducted every year by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The IFoS exam is considered one of the toughest exams in India as it consists of two stages – the Preliminary exam and the Main exam. The Prelims exam consists of two papers, while the main exam consists of six papers. The IFoS exam is conducted to select candidates for the Indian Forest Service, which is responsible for the management of India’s forests and wildlife.
To crack the IFoS exam, it is important to be well-versed with the exam syllabus and prepare strategically. The IFoS exam syllabus is divided into two parts – Prelims and Mains. Let’s take a detailed look at the IFoS exam syllabus.
IFoS Prelims Exam Syllabus
Paper 1: General Studies
This paper consists of topics like Current events of national and international importance, History of India and Indian National Movement, Geography – Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World, Indian Polity and Governance – Constitutions, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, and Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.
Paper 2: General Aptitude Test (CSAT)
This paper consists of topics like Comprehension, Interpersonal skills including communication skills, Logical reasoning and analytical ability, Decision-making and problem-solving, General mental ability, Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. – Class X level).
IFoS Main Exam Syllabus
Paper 1: General English
This paper is designed to test the candidate’s ability to understand and articulate English. It consists of essay writing, precis writing, and comprehension.
Paper 2: General Knowledge
This paper consists of topics like Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society, Polity and Governance, Economic and Social Development, Environmental Ecology, and Bio-diversity, and Technology.
Paper 3 and 4: Optional Subjects
The IFoS exam allows the candidate to choose two optional subjects from a given list of subjects. The optional subjects are Forestry, Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Geology, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Statistics, and Zoology.
Paper 5 and 6: Optional Subjects
The same optional subjects need to be opted for these two papers.