UPSC Civil Services Exam Pattern and Syllabus 2026
Complete stage-wise syllabus for the Civil Services Examination covering Prelims, Mains and the personality test, with marks distribution.
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Exam Pattern
The examination has three stages: Preliminary, Mains and Personality Test.
Stage 1 — Preliminary (Objective, qualifying)
| Paper | Marks | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| GS Paper I | 200 | 2 hours |
| CSAT Paper II | 200 (qualifying, 33%) | 2 hours |
Negative marking: one-third of the marks assigned to each question.
Stage 2 — Mains (Descriptive, 1750 marks)
- Paper A: Indian Language (300, qualifying)
- Paper B: English (300, qualifying)
- Essay (250)
- GS I–IV (250 each)
- Optional Paper I & II (250 each)
Stage 3 — Personality Test
275 marks. Final merit is Mains (1750) + Interview (275) = 2025 marks.
GS Paper I Syllabus (Prelims)
- Current events of national and international importance
- History of India and the Indian national movement
- Indian and world geography
- Indian polity and governance
- Economic and social development
- Environmental ecology, biodiversity and climate change
- General science
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Comments (1)
Questions and tips from other aspirants.
Priya
12 Aug 2026
Which optional subject has the best scoring trend?