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The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE) annually to select candidates for prestigious services like the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and others. The UPSC CSE is one of the most competitive exams in India, and understanding its structure is crucial for efficient preparation.
The UPSC exam is conducted in three stages:
1. Preliminary Examination
2. Main Examination
3. Personality Test (Interview)
Candidates must clear each of these stages to move on to the next. The Prelims and Mains stages are both elimination rounds, while the Interview/Personality Test is the final assessment before the final merit list is declared.
| Name of the Paper | No of Questions | Marks Allotted | Time Allotted | Nature of Exam |
| Paper I: General Studies (Objective-type) | 100 | 200 | 2 hours | The score will be considered for Cut-off |
| Paper-II: General Studies-II (CSAT) (Objective-Type) | 80 | 200 | 2 hours | Qualifying Nature- Candidates will have to score 33% to qualify CSAT. |
1. The Mains Examination consists of 9 papers, which are conducted over 5 to 7 days. Only candidates who qualify the Prelims will be eligible to appear for the Mains.
2. In the Mains, all papers are of descriptive nature. This stage is extremely critical as the marks in Mains heavily contribute to the final ranking.
| 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 |
1. Paper A and Paper B are qualifying papers, and candidates need to score at least 25% in each to have their marks from Paper I to Paper VII counted.
2. The Indian Language Paper (Paper A) is exempt for candidates from certain states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, and others, as well as candidates with hearing impairments, subject to proof of exemption.
1. The Optional Papers (Paper VI and Paper VII) can be chosen from a list of subjects. Candidates can select one subject from the list of optional subjects offered by UPSC.
2. The total marks for the Mains Exam (including the two qualifying papers) are 1750.
This is the final stage of the IAS Exam before the final results are declared. Officially it is called the Interview/Personality Test and counted as a part of the Mains Examination for merit ranking purposes. From a preparation standpoint, it is considered the third stage as preparation strategies for the written and interview stages are different. As per the IAS exam pattern, this consists of an interview by the UPSC board to assess the candidates’ suitability for a civil services career and associated responsibilities. The board consists of competent and unbiased observers who have a record of the candidates’ career. The board would judge the candidates mental and social traits by asking questions of general interest. Some of the qualities that the board looks for are mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, a balance of judgement, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion and leadership, intellectual and moral integrity.
| UPSC Interview Total Marks | 275 |
The total marks of the UPSC interview stage is 275, thus bringing the total marks for UPSC Mains and Interview for the merit list consideration to 2025.