A Comprehensive Guide to Understand UPSC CSE Examination
- Aspirants are advised to understand the UPSC CSE examination beforehand.
- Understanding the intricacies will help you navigate the hurdles coming along the way.
Clearing UPSC CSE examination is a dream for lakhs of aspirants, but a better understanding of the exam is equally important. The minimum requirement for the most prestigious examination of India is just a Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university. Selected candidates become Civil Servants and contribute immensely to the growth of the nation.
Every year the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the examination to select candidates for a plethora of services. These include Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS) etc. There are three stages: Preliminary, Mains and Final Interview designed meticulously to judge the mental ability of students for required jobs.
Related Read: What not to Do in UPSC Preparation: Eight Avoidable Mistakes
Comprehending the Stages of UPSC CSE UPSC CSE Examination
The examination is conducted in three stages: Stage I- Prelims, Stage II- Mains, & Stage III- Interview. Data suggests that nearly 10,00,000 aspirants fill the form for the Stage I, while only 6,00,000 appear for the test. Out of these only 10,000 are selected for Stage II the Mains. Hereon, only 6,000 candidates get to appear for the Stage III, and between 1,000 to 1,200 get to be Civil Servants. The aforementioned figures change every year based on various factors, but the selection percentage remains nearly the same.
Here is a table showing the rough idea about the stages and maximum marks for individual stages at a glance. Although there are more details associated with each stage, which will be discussed later on. UPSC CSE Examination
Phase | Name | Format | Details | Maximum Marks |
Stage I | Preliminary Examination | Objective Type | GS+ CSAT | 400 |
Stage II | Mains Examination | Written | 8 papers | 1750 |
Stage III | Personality Test | Interview | 1 Round | 275 |
Grand Total | 2025 |
Stage I: UPSC CSE Preliminary Examination UPSC CSE Examination
The first stage is called Preliminary or Prelims and has two papers conducted in a day. Both the papers comprise objective type Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) with negative marking. The main objective of this paper is to select the candidates for Stage II & III, and the marks secured here do not count towards the final merit list.
Paper | Type | No. of Question | Max. Marks | Duration | Negative Marking |
General Studies I | Objective | 100 | 200 | 2 Hrs | Yes |
General Studies II (CSAT) | Objective | 80 | 200 | 2 Hrs | Yes |
It should be noted that out of the 400 marks aspirant is required to score a minimum of 33% in the General Studies II (CSAT) to pass the paper. However, the cutoff marks for the General Studies I are released by the UPSC board every year. This limit is based on various factors like number of aspirants, toughness of the paper etc.
Stage II: UPSC CSE Mains Examination
Aspirants who have cleared the Stage I are eligible to appear for the Stage II: Mains. It consists of 9 papers and the examination schedule spans across 5-7 days. In the Stage I, the examination involved MCQs, while the second stage tests the writing ability through descriptive answers. The marks scored here are crucial as they are added in the final score during merit declaration.
Paper | Subject | Duration | Max. Marks |
Paper A | Compulsory Indian Language | 3 Hrs | 300 |
Paper B | English | 3 Hrs | 300 |
Paper 1 | Essay | 3 Hrs | 250 |
Paper 2 | General Studies I | 3 Hrs | 250 |
Paper 3 | General Studies II | 3 Hrs | 250 |
Paper 4 | General Studies III | 3 Hrs | 250 |
Paper 5 | General Studies IV | 3 Hrs | 250 |
Paper 6 | Optional I | 3 Hrs | 250 |
Paper 7 | Optional II | 3 Hrs | 250 |
These 9 papers are categorised in two sets as shown in the above table. For Paper A & B, candidates have to score a minimum qualifying mark. At the same time the Second set is from Paper 1 to 7, and the aspiring candidates are judged based on the merit in these papers. The maximum marks of Stage II is 1750.
It should be known that the Paper A is not compulsory for the candidates of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland & Sikkim. Here are details about the subjects covered in General Studies paper I to IV.
General Studies I | General Studies II | General Studies III | General Studies IV |
Indian Heritage & Culture | Governance | Technology | Ethics |
History & Geography of the World | Constitution | Economic Development | Integrity |
Society | Polity | Biodiversity | Aptitude |
Social Justice | Environment | ||
International Relations | Security & Disaster Management |
Aspirants can solve any of the aforementioned papers except the language papers A & B can be answered in English or any language allowed by VIIIth schedule of the Constitution of India. The aspirant can answer the optional papers in English even if the other papers are not answered in English.
Stage III: UPSC CSE Interview (Personality Test)
This the third and final stage of the UPSC CSE examination, also known as the Interview or Personality Test. It is believed to be a subset of Mains examination for merit ranking procedure. A team of expert panellists conduct the interview to judge the mental calibre of a candidate.
It is known that the Stage II is worth 1750 marks and the Stage III is worth 275 marks. Aspirants have to beat the cutoffs in various papers in Mains, but here there are no cutoff marks to beat. All the aspirants have to appear physically at the UPSC building New Delhi for the Interview.
Eligibility Criteria for UPSC CSE
Apart from the minimum criteria of Graduation for an aspiring candidate, there are certain criteria to be considered. These are as follows.
- Candidates are required to hold a Graduation degree from a recognized University or Equivalent.
- Candidates pursuing the final year are also eligible for Prelims. But they have to produce a proof of passing during the application filing for Mains.
- Aspiring candidates must be a citizen of India, or a person of Indian Origin, or a Subject of Nepal, Bhutan or Tibet settled in India before January 1, 1962.
- The age limit and number of attempts for various categories are as follows.
Category | Age Limit | No. of Attempts |
General Category | 32 | 6 |
OBC | 32+3 | 9 |
SC/ST | 32+5 | Unlimited |
Physically Disabled | 32+10 | 9 |
J&K Domiciles | 32+5 | 6, (+3 for OBC), (+5 for SC/ST) |
Disabled & Discharged Defense service personnel | 32+3 | 6, (+3 for OBC), (+5 for SC/ST) |
Ex. Servicemen Commission Officer | 32+5 | 6, (+3 for OBC), (+5 for SC/ST) |
Note: Physically disabled General/OBC candidates with benchmark disability get 9 attempts. For SC/ST aspirants the physically disabled candidates get unlimited attempts.
Crores of aspiring candidates wish to become a Civil Servant and work hard for years, but not everyone gets success. However, with proper guidance, dedication, perseverance, and strategy aspirants can get desired results. There are various aspects related to preparation of the UPSC CSE, each with its own pros and cons. Aspirants are advised to get expert advice throughout the journey.
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