Overview

Syllabus & pattern at a glance

The Civil Services Examination has two successive stages. The Preliminary exam is an objective screening test, and its marks are not counted in the final order of merit. The Main exam (written papers plus an Interview/Personality Test) decides your rank.

Exam

Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026 — Exam Notice No. 05/2026-CSE, dated 04.02.2026

Stages

Prelims (screening) → Mains written → Interview/Personality Test

Prelims papers

2 — General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II (CSAT)

Prelims marks

200 per paper, 400 in all · 2 hours per paper · objective, multiple choice

Mains papers

Qualifying: Paper A (Indian language) & Paper B (English) · For merit: Essay, General Studies I–IV, Optional Subject Papers 1 & 2

Negative marking

One-third (0.33) of the question’s marks for each wrong answer in prelims

Medium

Prelims question papers are set in Hindi and English

Official syllabus

Section III of the notification — Part A for Prelims (p. 32), Part B for Mains

Prelims · pattern

Prelims exam pattern

Two compulsory objective papers of 200 marks and two hours each. GS Paper I decides who qualifies for Mains; GS Paper II is qualifying, with a minimum of 33%. You must sit both papers — missing either one means disqualification.

Paper	Questions	Time
General Studies Paper I	100	2 hours
General Studies Paper II (CSAT) — qualifying, 33%	80	2 hours
Total	180 (400 marks)	2 papers, same day

⏱ Per paper 2 hours Options 4 per question Negative marking −⅓ of marks CSAT minimum 33%

The notification fixes 200 marks and two hours for each paper. The question counts (100 and 80) are printed on the covers of the 2026 question papers.

Prelims · syllabus

Prelims syllabus, paper by paper

This is the complete prelims syllabus as UPSC prints it in the notification. Tap a paper to see each item in UPSC’s own words.

Current events of national and international importanceHistory of India and Indian National MovementIndian and World Geography — physical, social, economic geography of India and the worldIndian Polity and Governance — Constitution, political system, Panchayati Raj, public policy, rights issues, etc.Economic and Social Development — sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics, social sector initiatives, etc.General issues on environmental ecology, bio-diversity and climate change (no subject specialisation needed)General Science

ComprehensionInterpersonal skills including communication skillsLogical reasoning and analytical abilityDecision making and problem solvingGeneral mental abilityBasic numeracy — numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc. (Class X level)Data interpretation — charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. (Class X level)

Objective, multiple choiceFour options per questionSet in Hindi and EnglishBoth papers compulsoryPaper II qualifying at 33%−⅓ of the question’s marks per wrong answerBlank answers carry no penaltyNo calculators in objective papers

UPSC’s syllabus has no separate English-comprehension item in GS Paper II, and it publishes no topic-wise weightage for either paper. Longer topic lists you may see elsewhere are commonly studied areas, not part of the official text.

Mains · pattern

Mains exam pattern

Nine conventional (essay-type) papers of three hours each. Papers A and B are qualifying; the other seven carry 1,750 marks for merit. About twice the number of vacancies are then called for a 275-mark Personality Test, for a grand total of 2,025.

Mains paper	Counts for	Marks
Paper A · Indian language	Qualifying (25%)	300
Paper B · English	Qualifying (25%)	300
Paper I · Essay	Merit	250
Papers II–V · General Studies I–IV	Merit	1,000 (250 each)
Papers VI–VII · Optional Subject Papers 1 & 2	Merit	500 (250 each)
Written total for merit	Papers I–VII	1,750

Per paper 3 hours Qualifying papers 25% each Personality Test 275 marks Grand total 2,025

Mains · syllabus

Mains syllabus, paper by paper

Mains tests depth of understanding rather than recall. The chips below summarise Section III, Part B of the notification; each optional subject has its own detailed syllabus there.

Comprehension of given passagesPrécis writingUsage and vocabularyShort essaysTranslation English ↔ Indian language (Paper A)Matriculation standardMarks not counted for rank

Essays on multiple topicsKeep closely to the subjectArrange ideas in orderly fashionWrite conciselyCredit for effective, exact expression

Indian culture — art forms, literature, architectureModern Indian history from the mid-18th centuryThe struggle for independence — stages & contributorsPost-independence consolidation & reorganisationWorld history from the 18th centurySalient features of Indian society & diversityWomen, population, poverty & urbanisationEffects of globalisation on Indian societySocial empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularismWorld physical geographyDistribution of key natural resourcesGeophysical phenomena

Indian ConstitutionUnion & States, federal structureSeparation of powersParliament & State legislaturesExecutive & JudiciaryRepresentation of People’s ActConstitutional, statutory & regulatory bodiesGovernment policies & interventionsWelfare schemes for vulnerable sectionsHealth, education & human resourcesGovernance, transparency & accountabilityRole of civil services in a democracyIndia and its neighbourhoodInternational groupings, institutions & agencies

Indian economy — planning, resources, growth, employmentInclusive growthGovernment budgetingAgriculture, irrigation, MSP & PDSFood processingLand reformsLiberalisation & industrial policyInfrastructureInvestment modelsScience & technologyIT, space, robotics, nano- & bio-technology, IPRConservation & environmental impact assessmentDisaster managementInternal security & cyber securityBorder managementSecurity forces & agencies

Ethics and human interfaceAttitudeAptitude & foundational values for civil serviceEmotional intelligenceMoral thinkers & philosophersEthics in public administrationProbity in governanceCase studies

One subject from the notification’s list25 subjects, Agriculture to ZoologyOr the literature of one of 23 languagesHonours-degree levelBachelor’s level for Engineering, Medical Science & Law

Where the marks are

How much each paper counts

UPSC does not publish topic-wise weightage for any paper. It does fix how much each paper counts: prelims only screens, and the final rank comes from the seven Mains merit papers plus the Personality Test.

Prelims · GS Paper I

200 marksDecides the Mains listNot counted in final merit

Prelims · GS Paper II (CSAT)

200 marksQualifying: 33%Not counted in final merit

Mains written

Essay: 250GS I–IV: 1,000Optional: 500Papers A & B: qualifying

Personality Test

275 marksNo minimum qualifying marksGrand total: 2,025

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FAQ

Syllabus questions, answered

Yes. Section III, Part A of the CSE 2026 notification (p. 32) lists seven areas for General Studies Paper I and the aptitude areas for General Studies Paper II. UPSC does not publish topic-wise weightage, so longer lists you see elsewhere are commonly studied areas, not official text.

Two compulsory objective papers of 200 marks and two hours each. In 2026, GS Paper I had 100 questions and GS Paper II (CSAT) had 80, as printed on the question paper covers. A candidate who does not appear in both papers is disqualified.

No. GS Paper II is qualifying: you need at least 33%. UPSC draws the Mains list from candidates who clear that 33% and reach the qualifying total in GS Paper I that the Commission sets.

Every question has four options. For each wrong answer, one-third (0.33) of the marks assigned to that question is deducted. Marking more than one option counts as a wrong answer, even if one of them is right. A question left blank carries no penalty.

Prelims question papers are set in Hindi and English. In Mains, you can answer every paper except Papers A and B in English or in any language in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution; Mains question papers (other than language literature papers) are set in Hindi and English.

No. Prelims is a screening test only. The final rank uses Mains Papers I–VII (1,750 marks) and the Personality Test (275 marks), out of 2,025.

More UPSC Prelims