Civil services examination, also known as the Indian Administrative Service examination which is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission is considered to be the most prestigious and competitive examination.
In the last seven decades, there have been many minor and major changes in UPSC syllabus. In these changes, both the preliminary and mains have been affected. The introduction of the Civil Services Aptitude Test in the form of General Studies Paper 2 of the preliminary examination is the game changer in the way in which one is expected to prepare for the UPSC examination.
As some of you might be aware, prior to this change, the preparation for the preliminary examination had a reasonably straightforward logic, viz, be very good with your optional subject (paper II) and reasonably good in general studies (paper I) and the candidate would have a definite advantage over the candidate who was underprepared for the optional subject.
However, with the introduction of a separate paper on aptitude, the focus of preparation needs to undergo a drastic change. It is now a level playing field with both papers in the preliminary carrying equal marks.
UPSC Syllabus – Civil Services | IAS
Two papers for the preliminary examination titled General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper-II (popularly known as CSAT).
UPSC Syllabus 2020 PDF Download in English
The syllabus of UPSC hasn’t changed since its 2017 notification. So you can refer to the notification of 2017 for Official UPSC Syllabus 2020 pdf download. Download the syllabus PDF from the link below
- UPSC Syllabus PDF Download (Official)
- Download this UPSC Quiz Android App for 100% Success in Prelims
Below is the basic idea of the UPSC syllabus patter which is the latest but make sure you refer to the official syllabus of the exam using the link above.
200 Marks for the General Studies Paper I :
It is a conventional general studies paper with a mix of questions on various subjects and topics under the following headlines:
4. General Science, Science, and Technology
200 Marks for General Studies Paper II:
It is qualifying in nature and you need to score 33% of marks to qualify to the next stage, i.e. Mains.
4. English Language Comprehension
UPSC syllabus of the main exam assesses your academic expertize in your specialized subject. It also tests your ability to present your ideas in a refined and clear manner. The paper-A is of qualifying nature. Paper I to Paper VII are counted for merit and the final step of the UPSC syllabus is the personality test. The grand total of the mains is 2025 marks.
The summary of the pattern of the civil services mains examination is as follows:
So, buckle up and get ready for a detailed study of UPSC syllabus. The harder you work, the luckier you get. This is the only sure way to success.
