Prelims
| Paper | Marks | Time | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS Paper I | 200 | 2 hours | Decides the cut-off |
| GS Paper II (CSAT) | 200 | 2 hours | Qualifying, 33% needed |
Both papers are objective with four options. A wrong answer costs one-third of that question’s marks. Marking two options counts as wrong. A blank costs nothing. About 12 to 13 times the number of vacancies go through to Mains.
Mains
| Paper | Marks |
|---|---|
| A: Indian language (qualifying) | 300 |
| B: English (qualifying) | 300 |
| I: Essay | 250 |
| II: GS-I (heritage, history, geography, society) | 250 |
| III: GS-II (polity, governance, social justice, IR) | 250 |
| IV: GS-III (economy, environment, S&T, security) | 250 |
| V: GS-IV (ethics, integrity, aptitude) | 250 |
| VI and VII: Optional subject, two papers | 500 |
| Written total (merit) | 1,750 |
You need 25% in each language paper for the rest to be counted. The Indian language paper is not required for candidates from Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim.
Personality test
275 marks, no minimum. About twice the number of vacancies are called. Final ranking uses Mains written plus interview: 2,025 marks.
One practical note. Prelims is about elimination, Mains is about writing. Start writing short answers early; our Mains PYQ pages show how a 250-word answer is laid out.
The full syllabus, line by line with a plain-language note and the PYQs asked from each line, is on the UPSC syllabus page.
FAQs
Is CSAT counted for the Prelims cut-off?
No. CSAT is qualifying at 33%; the cut-off is based on GS Paper I only.
What is the negative marking in UPSC Prelims?
One-third of the marks for that question for every wrong answer.
What is the total marks for the UPSC final merit?
2,025: 1,750 for the Mains written papers and 275 for the interview.