UPSC Civil Services Exam 2025 - Syllabus, Exam Pattern & Selection Process

Selection Process

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE) annually to select candidates for elite services like Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and others.

The exam, known for its rigor, evaluates candidates’ knowledge, analytical abilities, and aptitude through three stages: Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, and Personality Test (Interview).

The UPSC CSE selection process consists of three stages:

Stage	Description	Type
Preliminary Examination	Screening stage	Objective-type
Main Examination	Merit-based stage	Descriptive
Personality Test (Interview)	Final evaluation of personality and suitability	Interview

Preliminary Examination

Aspect	Details
Purpose	Screening test to shortlist candidates for Main Examination
Structure	Two compulsory objective-type papers, each 200 marks, 2 hours
General Studies Paper-I	Merit-based
General Studies Paper-II (CSAT)	Qualifying, 33% minimum
Negative Marking	1/3rd marks deducted for incorrect answers
Mode	Offline, multiple-choice questions

General Studies Paper-I Syllabus

Topic	Subtopics
Current Events of National and International Importance	Political developments, economic trends, government schemes, international summits, conflicts, awards, sports events
History of India and Indian National Movement	Ancient India (Harappan civilization, Vedic age, Mauryan/Gupta empires), Medieval India (Delhi Sultanate, Mughal Empire, regional kingdoms), Modern India (British rule, freedom struggle, key movements, leaders)
Indian and World Geography	Physical: Landforms, climate, vegetation, soils; Social: Population, urbanization, migration; Economic: Agriculture, industry, trade; World: Continents, oceans, geopolitical issues
Indian Polity and Governance	Constitution (preamble, fundamental rights, DPSP, amendments), Political System (executive, legislature, judiciary), Panchayati Raj, Public Policy (reforms, schemes), Rights Issues (human rights, RTI, women’s issues)
Economic and Social Development	Economic growth, poverty alleviation, sustainable development, inclusion (SC/ST, minorities), demographics, social sector initiatives (health, education, welfare schemes)
Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Climate Change	Ecosystems, biodiversity conservation, environmental degradation, climate change policies, international agreements (Paris Agreement, Kyoto Protocol)
General Science	Physics, Chemistry, Biology (basic concepts, Class X level), recent advancements (biotechnology, space technology, IT)

General Studies Paper-II (CSAT) Syllabus

Topic	Subtopics
Comprehension	Reading passages, identifying main ideas, inferences, conclusions (English and Hindi)
Interpersonal Skills	Communication skills, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution
Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability	Analogies, syllogisms, coding-decoding, blood relations, data sufficiency, critical reasoning
Decision Making and Problem Solving	Ethical dilemmas, situational questions, logical decision-making
General Mental Ability	Sequences, series, puzzles, logical connectives, venn diagrams
Basic Numeracy	Arithmetic (percentages, ratios, profit-loss, time-speed-distance), algebra, geometry, data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables), Class X level
English Language Comprehension	Vocabulary, grammar, sentence correction, passage comprehension (Class X level)

Main Examination

Aspect	Details
Purpose	Assess in-depth knowledge, analytical skills, writing ability
Structure	Nine descriptive papers, total 1750 marks
Qualifying Papers	Two papers, 300 marks each, not counted for ranking
Merit-Based Papers	Seven papers, 250 marks each
Mode	Written, subjective answers
Duration	3 hours per paper

Qualifying Papers

Paper	Subject	Marks	Subtopics
Paper-A	Indian Language (Choose one from Eighth Schedule: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu)	300	Comprehension, precis writing, translation (English to language and vice versa), grammar, vocabulary, short essay
Paper-B	English	300	Comprehension, precis writing, grammar, sentence correction, vocabulary, short essay

Note:

Minimum 25% marks required in each qualifying paper.
Candidates can select any Indian language from the Eighth Schedule for Paper-A (except those from certain states like Sikkim, where English may suffice).

Merit-Based Papers

Paper	Subject	Marks	Subtopics
Paper-I	Essay	250	Write two essays from given topics (social issues, governance, economy, environment, philosophy, culture); emphasis on coherence, structure, originality
Paper-II	General Studies-I (Indian Heritage, Culture, History, Geography)	250	Indian Culture: Art forms, literature, architecture (ancient to modern); History: Modern India (1857-1947), freedom struggle, post-independence consolidation; World History: Industrial Revolution, World Wars, colonization, decolonization; Society: Diversity, women, urbanization, globalization; Geography: Physical (landforms, climate), resources, natural phenomena (earthquakes, tsunamis)
Paper-III	General Studies-II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, International Relations)	250	Polity: Constitution, federalism, separation of powers, judiciary; Governance: Transparency, accountability, e-governance, citizen charters; Social Justice: Vulnerable sections, welfare schemes, health, education; International Relations: India’s relations with neighbors, global powers, international organizations (UN, WTO), diaspora
Paper-IV	General Studies-III (Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security, Disaster Management)	250	Economy: Growth, planning, liberalization, agriculture, infrastructure; Technology: IT, space, nanotechnology, AI, biotechnology; Environment: Conservation, pollution, climate change; Security: Internal security, cyber threats, terrorism; Disaster Management: Natural disasters, mitigation strategies
Paper-V	General Studies-IV (Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude)	250	Ethics: Moral philosophy, human values; Integrity: Public service ethics, transparency, accountability; Aptitude: Emotional intelligence, case studies on ethical dilemmas, leadership, decision-making
Paper-VI	Optional Subject Paper-I	250	Subject-specific (e.g., History, Geography, Sociology, Public Administration, etc.)
Paper-VII	Optional Subject Paper-II	250	Continuation of optional subject

Optional Subjects (Choose one):


Agriculture	Civil Engineering	Management
Animal Husbandry & Vet Science	Commerce & Accountancy	Mathematics
Anthropology	Economics	Mechanical Engineering
Botany	Electrical Engineering	Medical Science
Chemistry	Geography	Philosophy
Geology	Physics	History
Law	Pol Science & IR	Psychology
Public Administration	Sociology	Statistics
Zoology	Literature*

*Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, English

Personality Test (Interview)

Marks: 275
Purpose: Evaluate personality, leadership, communication skills, and suitability for civil services.
Duration: 20-30 minutes, conversational format.
Purpose: Assess suitability for civil services through personality, communication, and decision-making skills.
Details:
- Conducted by a UPSC board at their office in New Delhi.
- Based on the candidate’s Detailed Application Form (DAF), covering educational background, work experience, hobbies, and interests.
- Tests mental alertness, critical thinking, moral integrity, and awareness of current affairs.
- Questions may cover national/international issues, situational scenarios, and personal aspirations.
- No fixed syllabus; preparation involves staying updated on current events and self-awareness.

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Note: The interview is conversational, aiming to assess a candidate’s overall personality and suitability for a career in public service.

Final Merit and Service Allocation

Aspect	Details
Total Marks	Mains (1750) + Interview (275) = 2025
Merit List	Based on total marks, category-wise (General, OBC, SC, ST, EWS)
Service Allocation	Based on rank, service preferences, vacancies (e.g., IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS)
Training	At LBSNAA (Mussoorie) or other academies, depending on service