UPSC Civil Services Recruitment Pattern - Prelims, Mains & Interviews
Are you searching for UPSC Civil Services Recruitment Pattern? You are at the right place here we give all the details of the recruitment Pattern. Just everyone knows the civil Service Exam is one of the most difficult examinations in India the UPSC Civil Services Recruitment Pattern is set by the conducting body Union Public Service Commission.
The UPSC exam pattern has been the same since 2013 and it was conducted yearly. Here you will get a detailed overview of the UPSC Civil Services Recruitment Pattern and Syllabus Marks. The exam pattern for UPSC CSE is quite complicated, and a typical examination cycle lasts for almost a year from the preliminary exam until the final results are declared.
The UPSC Civil Services Recruitment Pattern consisted of the three Stages: Prelims, Mains, and Interview. UPSC CSE exam is also known as IAS Exam. this exam was conducted to recruit suitable candidates for IAS, IPS, IFS, and many more Services.
UPSC Civil Services Recruitment Pattern for IAS Prelims Examination
UPSC exam pattern for the Preliminary examination consists of two papers that were conducted in one day. Paper one and paper second both are objective-based questions with multiple choice answers. This is the first stage of the examination which is also known as the qualifying stage for the Mains examination. At this stage marks are not counted for the final merit list; every candidate must prepare well because of the cut-offs which are unpredictable.
There are some details of the prelims examination which are given below:
Civils Exam Pattern – Prelims | |||||
Paper | Type | No. of questions | UPSC Total Marks | Duration | Negative marks |
General Studies I | Objective | 100 | 200 | 2 hours | Y |
General Studies II (CSAT) | Objective | 80 | 200 | 2 hours | esYes |
Total UPSC marks for Prelims | 400 (minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%) | ||||
There are some points which you should have to remember while appearing for IAS Exam, they are in reference to the UPSC exam Pattern:
- It is mandatory for every candidate to appear for both exams to qualify for the Mains Examination.
- The marks which you have obtained in prelims will not be considered in the final score, it is just for the screening purpose.
- Prelims questions are written in Hindi and English language both.
- Even though there is a negative marking of every 1/3rd incorrect answer in both papers
UPSC Civil Services Recruitment Pattern for IAS Mains Examination
The UPSC Mains Examination pattern consists of 9 papers which were conducted over 5-7 days. Only those candidates give the Mains exam who secure at least the declared cut-offs in the General Studies first exam and 33% in General studies second exam of the Prelims examination.
As Per the UPSC Mains examination pattern all the paper consists of descriptive answer-type questions, this phase is very exhaustive, and their total marks directly affect your final scores. It is the main phase which is a very extremely valuable factor in merit declaration.
There are the details of the UPSC Mains Examination with marks are given below:
UPSC CSE Exam Pattern – Mains | |||
Paper | Subject | Duration | IAS Total marks |
Paper A | Compulsory Indian language | 3 hours | 300 |
Paper B | English | 3 hours | 300 |
Paper I | Essay | 3 hours | 250 |
Paper-II | General Studies I | 3 hours | 250 |
Paper III | General Studies II | 3 hours | 250 |
Paper-IV | General Studies III | 3 hours | 250 |
Paper V | General Studies IV | 3 hours | 250 |
Paper VI | Optional I | 3 hours | 250 |
Paper VII | Optional II | 3 hours | 250 |
There are the subjects which are covered by the General Studies paper in Mains Examination:
General Studies I | General Studies II | General Studies III | General Studies IV |
Indian Heritage and Culture | Governance | Technology | Ethics |
History and Geography of the World | Constitution | Economic Development | Integrity |
Society | Polity | Biodiversity | Aptitude |
Social Justice | Environment | ||
International relations | Security and Disaster Management |
Optional Subjects for Mains Examinations:
- Agriculture
- Anthropology
- Animal Husbandry & Veterinary
- Botany
- Civil Engineering
- Chemistry
- Commerce & Accounting
- Electrical engineering
- Economics
- Geography
- History
- Law
- Geology
- Mathematics
- Management
- Medical Science
- Mechanical Engineering
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Political Science & International Relations
- Public Administration
- Sociology
- Statistics
- Zoology
UPSC Civil Services Recruitment Pattern for Interview
Interview is the final stage of this recruitment process before the final exam results are declared, it is officially known as the Interview/Personality test, and it is part of the Mains examination for its merits purposes.
It is Considered a third stage of the recruitment process as per the IAS exam pattern UPSC board to assess the candidate’s suitability for a civil services career and responsibilities. In this third stage of this process, the board would judge the candidate’s mental health and social traits by asking questions. There are the qualities that the board looks for are mental alertness, A balance of Judgment, Critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, depth of interest, and moral integrity.
The total mark for the UPSC interview stage is 275. Thus, bringing the total marks for UPSC mains and interview merit list consideration to 2025.
