IAS Exam Pattern| UPSC Exam Pattern | UPSC/IAS Prelims cum Mains Exam Pattern

IAS Exam Pattern| UPSC Exam Pattern | UPSC/IAS Prelims cum Mains Exam Pattern | IFS/IPS Exam Pattern and Syllabus

Every year the UPSC conducts Civil Services Examination (CSE) to various key Civil Services of the Government of India, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), etc. A candidate planning to prepare for CSE must get himself acquainted with the examination plan/pattern and its syllabus which would help him in getting an edge over others and in planning his preparation in a manner best suitable for him. Following are the complete details:

Plan/Pattern of Civil Services Examination:

The Civil Services Examination comprises three successive stages:

Civil Services Preliminary Examination-Objective Type, for the selection of candidates for Main Examination.
Civil Services Main Examination-Written, for the selection of candidates for Interview.
Interview or Personality Test for the selection of candidates for the various Services and posts

Overview of IAS
IAS Exam pattern of Prelims
• Marking Scheme of Prelims
• Negative Marking
IAS Exam Pattern for Mains
• Qualifying Paper
• Marking Scheme of Mains
IAS Exam Pattern for Personality Test
Prelims Syllabus
Mains Syllabus
IAS Preparation Books
Editor's Note
FAQ Regarding IAS Exam Pattern

Overview of IAS Exam Pattern

Name of the exam	Civil Services Exam- IAS
Conductiong authority	Union Public Service Commission
Mode of exam	Offline
Number of Stages	Prelims Mains Exam Interview
Number of papers	Prelims: 2 Mains :9
Prelims marking scheme	Paper 1: +2 marks per question Paper 2: +2.5 marks per question Negative marking: One-third of marks allotted to each question
Duration	Prelims: 2 hours (Each paper) Mains: 3hours (Each paper)
Type of Questions	Prelims: Objective type Mains: Subjective type
Post	1000 approximate (Tentative)

IAS Exam pattern of Prelims

Firstly, this stage consists of 2 compulsory papers - General Studies paper and (CSAT) Civil service aptitude test. Moreover, it will test the analytical skills of the candidate.
Secondly, all questions are objective. So, the candidate has to choose any one option out of 4 answers given for each question.
On the other hand, questions are in both Hindi and English language. However, comprehension questions in the English language in the CSAT paper are without Hindi translations.
Also, prelims is a qualifying paper. The cut off of paper I is decided by UPSC every year. The CSAT paper requires the candidates to score at least 33% i.e. 66 marks to qualify and to be able to sit for the Mains exam.
Moreover, the number of candidates that sit for the main exams is much higher than the vacancies.

IAS Prelims Exam Pattern

Exam Mode	Offline
Number of Papers	2- General Studies and Civil Service Aptitude Test (CSAT)
Number of Questions	Paper 1- 100; Paper 2- 80
Question Paper Type	Multiple Choice Questions
IAS Prelims Total Marks	400
Nature of Exam	Qualifying
Exam Duration	2 hours each, +20 minutes for blind students
Exam Language	English and Hindi

Marking Scheme of Prelims

The IAS Exam pattern is very important to understand to pass the prelims exam. Here is the marking scheme of prelims:

Firstly, every question in paper I is of 2 marks. So, the question paper is a total of 200 marks.
Secondly, every question in the Civil Service Aptitude Test carries 2.5 marks. So, the question paper is a total of 200 marks.
Also, for every wrong answer by the student, 0.33 marks will be deducted i.E. 0.66 will be deducted from paper I and 0.83 marks will be deducted from paper II. But, there is no negative marking from Q74 - Q80 because these are decision-making questions.
Moreover, if the candidate gives more than 1 answer, then it will be considered as wrong even if one of them is right.
However, if there is no penalty then no negative marking will be done.
In other words, candidates must cross the cut-off marks in Paper I and a minimum of 33% score in Paper II to sit for the main exam.

Negative Marking

The IAS Exam pattern is very different from other exams. Also, the candidates can easily get negative marking in the UPSC Exam. In other words, 3 incorrect answers will lead to around 1 mark deduction. In short, the candidate will get a 1/3 mark deducted for incorrect answers. Also, there is no negative marking for blank answers. Read everything about UPSC on its official website.

Paper	Type	No. of questions	Marks	Duration	Negative Marks
General Studies I	Objective	100	2*100 = 200	2 hours	Yes, 0.66
General Studies II(CSAT)	Objective	80	2.5*80 = 200	2 hours	Yes, 0.83

IAS Exam Pattern for Mains

Firstly, IAS mains is an offline exam. There are a total of 9 papers in the Mains exam.
Secondly, every paper is of 3 hours and extra 30 minutes extra is given to blind students.
Thirdly, Paper A and Paper B are of 300 marks each and the remaining papers are of 250 marks each.
On the other hand, the main exam is divided into 2 parts qualifying and merit exam. And it is compulsory to sit in for all the exams to go into the stage.
Moreover, questions will be subjective. And you can write in either Hindi or English language
So, the candidate will be tested on the basis of knowledge and understanding of the subject. You have to answer touching the basic and relevant aspects. You will also be marked upon whether you are able to provide valuable and constructive way forwards.

Qualifying Paper

Paper A - Either of the Indian languages can be selected from the 8th schedule of the constitution. Also, it carries 300 marks.
Paper B - The 2nd exam is an English paper. And it also carries 300 marks.

Qualifying Exams - The students have to score minimum marks in the qualifying exam to crack the exam. Moreover, the question paper is set to test the student's ability to analyze. The exam tests the student's grasp of the Indian languages. In other words, the questions test the student's understanding of the concept and subject. However, there would be 2 optional exams that the student will have to choose. Also, below is the list of mandatory exams and marks for more information:

Paper	Title of the Paper	Marks Allotted
Paper 1	Essay writing	250 Marks
Paper 2	General Studies–I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History, and Geography of the World and Society)	250 Marks
Paper 3	General Studies –II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations)	250 Marks
Paper 4	General Studies –III (Technology, Economic Development, Bio‐diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management)	250 Marks
Paper 5	General Studies –IV (Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude)	250 Marks
Paper 6	Optional Subject – Paper 1	250 Marks
Paper 7	Optional Subject – Paper 2	250 Marks
-	Sub Total in the written Test	1750 Marks
-	Personal Interview	275 Marks
-	Grand Total ( for merit calculation)	2025 Marks

Marking Scheme of Mains

Firstly, 1750 is the total marks for the main examination.
Secondly, students will be marked on the basis of opinion, content flow, problem understanding, solution, presentation, and language.
Also, the candidate has to appear in two papers of the optional papers that they choose. The syllabus for both papers is different.

You can choose any one of the Optional subjects from 26 subjects provided by the UPSC. You can download the syllabus from the official website of UPSC for free.

IAS Exam pattern for Personality Test

The students who qualified Mains will go further towards the Personality test.
Also, this will include testing of the candidate's psychology.
On the other hand, the objective of the interview is to judge the suitability of the candidate for the Civil Service Position. Also, the candidate is asked questions on general interest.
However, the test reflects the mental caliber of the candidate.
Moreover, this is the assessment of intellectual qualities, social traits, and interest in current affairs. So, a candidate must make sure that they read the newspaper daily till the Interview day.
Also, the qualities that they look for are alertness, logical thinking, balance of judgment, interest, the ability of leadership, and moral integrity.
Most importantly, the test is conducted in a candidate's preferred choice.
Further, the interview is for 275 marks.
To sum up, the candidate will be ranked by a grand total and will be called for the final interview.

The total marks that will be counted for ranking is 2025. (1750 + 275 = 2025 marks).

Prelims Syllabus

Paper 1(General Studies) - This will test the student's knowledge and passion for learning about the country. Also, the questions are from various aspects like history, geography, economy and much more.

Events of National and International Importance
Geography impact in the country
Constitutional and governance structure
Issues faced by the country currently
Social and Economic Development
Research and development
Scientific development

Paper 2(English and General Aptitude) - Knowing high-level English is not compulsory in the field of Public Service but students have to score at least 33% to crack the exam. So, candidates have to practice mock tests in English to be able to score the minimum marks. However, the aptitude of the student determines the ability to solve complex problems, time management, and much more. Also, the important fields to practice for the IAS exam are as follows:

Logical Reasoning
The capacity of problem-solving
Interpersonal Skills
Numerical Ability
Analytical Skills
Comprehension
Synonyms/antonyms

Mains Syllabus

Paper A(Any Indian Language) - This paper is to test the candidate's knowledge of the language.
Paper B (English) - This paper tests your ability to understand the English language.
Paper 3(Essay Writing) - Students write essays on the topic of their choice.
Paper 4(General Studies 1) - It will have questions related to ancient India like history, geography, heritage and much more.

Ancient and Modern - History of India.
Significant changes in Architecture, Literature, etc.
Significance of Geography.
Diversity
Globalization

Paper 5(General Studies 2) - This part will have questions regarding the reform in Indian governance after Independence. Further, the topics are:

India's Constitution
Analysis of the world's constitution
Legislature and Parliament
Main issues faced by the nation and solutions
Welfare schemes by the government
Structures and department in government

Paper 6(General Studies 3) - This paper has questions regarding Modern India and key developments. Also, the included topics are:

Indian Economy
Farming
Science
Research and Development
IT
Environmental Studies
Achievement in different fields
Security challenges
Industrial growth
Infrastructure Development

Paper 7(General Studies 4) - This will have the questions about Integrity, Ethics and aptitude. Moreover, the included topics are:

Public Administration ethics
Emotional Intelligence
Behavior Analysis
Functional Values

Paper 8 and 9 - This will have the questions about Integrity, Ethics and aptitude. Moreover, the included topics are:

Agriculture
Animal husbandry and Veterinary Science
Anthropology
Botany
Chemistry
Civil Engineering
Commerce and Accountancy
Economics
Electrical Engineer
Geography
Geology
History of India
Law
Management
Maths
Mechanical Engineer
Medical Science
Philosophy
Physics
Political science and International relations
Psychology
Public administration
Sociology
Statistics
Zoology
Literature of any available 23 subjects

IAS Preparation Books

Firstly, we present to you the best books for IAS preparation. Secondly, take your time to prepare for the exam at home.

History	Ancient India	RS Sharma
History	Modern India	Satish Chandra Mittal
History	History of Modern India	Bipan Chandra
Polity	The Constitution of India	PM Bakshi
Ethics	Ethics, Aptitude and Integrity for Civil Services Mail Examination	Subba Rao and P.N. Roy Chaudary
Economy	Indian Economy	Mishra and Puri
Environment	Environmental Studies: From Crisis to Cure	Rajgopalan
Science and Technology	Science and Technology in India	TMH
English	High School English Grammar and Composition	Wren and Martin
General Studies	IAS Mains Exam General Studies (IAS Mains Exam General Studies)	Ashish Bharti (IPS)
Geography	1. NCERT VI to XII 2. Certificate Physical Geography: G C Leong 3. World Atlas	RS Sharma

Editor's Note

We have covered everything that you need to know about IAS Exam Pattern. However, take your time to prepare for the UPSC exam. Further, not everyone can qualify for this exam. Also, only 1% of people qualify out of lakhs of applicants. Therefore, you need to understand the IAS exam pattern deeply. The IAS exam pattern will clear your doubts and you will have a clear picture. To sum up, prepare yourself wisely.

FAQ Regarding IAS Exam Pattern

1. Why it is important to understand IAS exam pattern?
The candidate should understand the IAS exam pattern properly because it will help to understand what to study and what to omit. The syllabus should be divided on the basis of strengths and weaknesses.

2. What is the IAS exam pattern of Prelims?
It has 2 papers General awareness and CSAT. Moreover, the candidate should score 33% in the second paper to crack the exam.

3. Is maths a good option to choose as an optional subject?
Yes, it is a very scoring subject in UPSC exams. However, if you are weak in maths but you have the interest to learn it, enroll in good coaching.

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