civil services examination syllabus

 The syllabus for the Indian Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) consists of three stages: the Preliminary Examination, the Main Examination, and the Personality Test (Interview).                  

Here is a comprehensive overview of the syllabus for each stage :

1. Preliminary Examination:

Paper I: General Studies

- Current events of national and international importance

- History of India and Indian National Movement

- Indian and World Geography

- Indian Polity and Governance

- Economic and Social Development

- Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Climate Change

- General Science

Paper II: Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT)

- Comprehension

- Interpersonal skills, including communication skills

- Logical reasoning and analytical ability

- Decision-making and problem-solving

- General mental ability

- Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.)

- Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc.)

- English language comprehension skills (vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, etc.)

Note: The CSAT paper is qualifying in nature. Candidates must score a minimum qualifying mark set by the UPSC. The marks obtained in the CSAT paper are not counted for the determination of the candidate's merit.

2. Main Examination:

                       The Main Examination consists of nine papers, out of which two are qualifying in nature (English and an Indian language). The remaining seven papers are evaluated for merit. The syllabus for the Main Examination includes the following: 

Paper-A: Indian Language (Qualifying)

- Comprehension
- Precis writing
- Usage and vocabulary
- Short essays

Paper-B: English (Qualifying)

- Comprehension
- Precis writing
- Usage and vocabulary
- Short essays                                                                                                                                                                                                  1-essay and 4-general study papers:    

Paper-I: Essay

- Candidates are required to write essays on multiple topics.

Paper-II: General Studies-I

- Indian heritage and culture
- History and geography of the world and society

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Paper-III: General Studies-II

- Governance, constitution, polity, social justice, and international relations

Paper-IV: General Studies-III

- Technology, economic development, biodiversity, environment, security, and disaster management

Paper-V: General Studies-IV

- Ethics, integrity, and aptitude                                                                                                                       

                                            2-optional papers:

Paper-VI: Optional Subject - Paper 1

- Candidates can choose one optional subject from a list of subjects provided by the UPSC.

Paper-VII: Optional Subject - Paper 2

- Candidates need to choose the same optional subject as in Paper VI.

Note: The optional subject can be chosen from a wide range of disciplines, including literature, history, geography, political science, economics, philosophy, sociology, etc. Candidates must select one optional subject from the list.

3. Personality Test (Interview):

The personality test assesses the candidate's suitability for a career in the civil services. The interview panel evaluates the candidate's intellectual abilities, social traits, and interests. The topics covered in the interview are not specifically defined but can range from current affairs to the candidate's academic background, hobbies, and extracurricular activities.

It's important to note that the syllabus mentioned above provides a general overview of the topics included in each stage of the Indian Civil Services Examination. The UPSC may introduce changes or modifications to the syllabus from time to time. Therefore, it is advisable to refer to the official UPSC notification and syllabus provided on their website for the most accurate and updated information.