The Civil Services Examination (CSE) is a highly competitive exam in India conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for selecting candidates for top civil service positions within the Indian government. These positions include roles in the All India Services and certain Group A and Group B Central Civil Services. The examination is structured in three stages: the preliminary exam, which consists of two objective papers (General Studies in Paper I and the Civil Service Aptitude Test, or CSAT, in Paper II); the main exam, which comprises nine descriptive papers, with two being qualifying papers and the scores from the remaining seven contributing to the final ranking; and finally, a personality test (interview). Explore here UPSC previous year papers:
UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern
| Exam Component | Details |
| Total Papers | 2 |
| Paper 1 | General Studies Paper-I |
| Paper 2 | General Studies Paper-II (CSAT) |
| Number of Questions | -GS Paper-I: 100, -CSAT: 80 |
| Total Marks | -400 (GS Paper-I: 200 Marks, – CSAT: 200 Marks) |
| Negative Marking | 1/3 of the marks for each incorrect answer |
| Time Allotted | -GS Paper-I: 2 Hours (9:30 AM – 11:30 AM) -CSAT: 2 Hours (2:30 PM – 4:30 PM) |
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UPSC Mains Exam Format
| Paper Name | Time Duration | Total Marks | Nature of Paper |
| Paper A – Compulsory Indian Language | 3 hours | 300 | Qualifying in nature |
| Paper B – English Language | 3 hours | 300 | Qualifying in nature |
| Paper I – Essay | 3 hours | 250 | Considered for Merit |
| Paper II – General Studies I | 3 hours | 250 | Considered for Merit |
| Paper III – General Studies II | 3 hours | 250 | Considered for Merit |
| Paper IV – General Studies III | 3 hours | 250 | Considered for Merit |
| Paper V – General Studies IV | 3 hours | 250 | Considered for Merit |
| Paper VI – Optional Paper I | 3 hours | 250 | Considered for Merit |
| Paper VII – Optional Paper II | 3 hours | 250 | Considered for Merit |
| Total Marks (Written Exam) | – | 1750 | – |
| Interview/Personality Test | – | 275 | – |
| Grand Total | – | 2025 | – |
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Download PDF of UPSC Previous Year Papers (2020 to 2024)
| Years | UPSC Previous Year Question Paper | UPSC Previous Year Question Paper |
| 2020 | General Studies Paper 1 2020 | General Studies paper 2, 2020 |
| 2021 | General Studies Paper 1 2021 | CSAT paper 2021 |
| 2022 | General Studies Paper 1 2021 | General Studies paper 2, 2022 |
| 2023 | General Studies Paper 1 2023 | CSAT paper 2023 |
| 2024 | General Studies Paper 1 2024 | General Studies Paper 2, 2024 |
UPSC Prelims Syllabus
The UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Exam consists of two papers, General Studies (GS) Paper I and the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), also known as GS Paper II. The Prelims exam is a screening test to shortlist candidates for the Main Examination. Marks secured in the Preliminary Exam are not considered for the final merit list.
| GS Paper I | Current events of national and international importance |
| History of India and the Indian independence movement | |
| Geography of India and the world, including physical, social, and economic aspects | |
| Indian polity and governance, covering the Constitution, political systems, Panchayati Raj, public policy, and rights issues | |
| Economic and social development, focusing on sustainable growth, poverty, inclusion, demographics, and social sector initiatives | |
| General issues related to environmental ecology, biodiversity, and climate change, without requiring specialized knowledge | |
| General Science | |
| CSAT | Reading comprehension |
| Interpersonal skills, including effective communication | |
| Logical reasoning and analytical abilities | |
| Decision-making and problem-solving skills | |
| Assessment of general mental ability | |
| Fundamental numeracy, covering numerical relationships at the Class 10 level | |
| Data interpretation skills, involving the analysis of charts, graphs, tables, and data sufficiency at the Class 10 level |
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