The UPSC IAS (Union Public Service Commission Indian Administrative Service) exam is one of the most challenging and prestigious competitive exams in India. The syllabus for the UPSC IAS exam is comprehensive, covering a wide range of subjects to test candidates’ knowledge, analytical abilities, and leadership potential. It includes topics in areas like General Studies, which comprises Indian history, geography, polity, economy, environment, and current affairs. The exam also assesses a candidate’s proficiency in writing, with a focus on essay writing and optional subject expertise. The IAS exam syllabus is vast, and successful candidates must have a deep understanding of the subjects and the ability to integrate knowledge across various domains to excel in this civil service examination.
UPSC IAS Prelims Syllabus 2023
What is the Syllabus of UPSC IAS Exam?
The IAS Exam consists of three stages: Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, and Personality Test (Interview). Here’s an overview of the syllabus:
- Preliminary Exam
- Mains Exam
- Personality Test
Preliminary Examination
The following is the UPSC IAS Preliminary Exam Pattern:
| 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. |
General Studies Paper-I
- General Science.
- Indian Polity & Governance
- Indian and World Geography
- Economic & Social Development
- History of India & Indian National Movement.
- Current events related to national and international importance.
- General issues on Environmental ecology especially climate change, Biodiversity and
- Climate Change, solar inventions, green energy, etc.
General Studies Paper-II
- Comprehension.
- General mental ability.
- Logical reasoning & analytical ability.
- Decision-making & problem-solving.
- Interpersonal skills including communication skills.
- Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. – Class X level)
- Basic numeracy (orders of magnitude, numbers and their relations, etc.) (Class 10th level).
Mains Examination
The following is the UPSC IAS Mains Exam Pattern:
|
Paper |
Subject |
Duration |
Total marks |
Time Allotted |
Nature of paper |
Type of Paper |
|
Paper A |
Compulsory Indian language |
3 hours |
300 |
3 hours |
Qualifying |
Descriptive |
|
Paper B |
English |
3 hours |
300 |
3 hours |
Qualifying |
Descriptive |
|
Paper I |
Essay |
3 hours |
250 |
3 hours |
Merit |
Descriptive |
|
Paper-II |
General Studies I |
3 hours |
250 |
3 hours |
Merit |
Descriptive |
|
Paper III |
General Studies II |
3 hours |
250 |
3 hours |
Merit |
Descriptive |
|
Paper IV |
General Studies III |
3 hours |
250 |
3 hours |
Merit |
Descriptive |
|
Paper V |
General Studies IV |
3 hours |
250 |
3 hours |
Merit |
Descriptive |
|
Paper VI |
Optional I |
3 hours |
250 |
3 hours |
Merit |
Descriptive |
|
Paper VII |
Optional II |
3 hours |
250 |
3 hours |
Merit |
Descriptive |
Indian Languages and English
- English Language
- Indian Languages
UPSC IAS Mains Paper 1
- Essay writing
UPSC IAS Mains Paper 2: General Studies-I
- Based on Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.
UPSC IAS Mains Paper 3: General Studies-II
- Based on Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International Relations.
UPSC IAS Mains Paper 4: General Studies-III
- Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security, and Disaster Management
UPSC IAS Mains Paper 5: General Studies-IV
- Based on Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude
UPSC IAS Mains Paper 6 & 7: Optional Subject Papers I & II
- Agriculture
- Geography
- Geology
- History
- Economics
- Zoology
- Botany
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Anthropology
- Civil Engineering
- Commerce and Accountancy
- Electrical Engineering
- Law
- Management
- Sociology
- Statistics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Medical Science
- Philosophy
- Political Science and International Relations
- Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
- Psychology
- Public Administration
- Literature of any one language: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, and English.
Also Check:
- With our timely alerts and updates, “Stay informed and never miss a chance at All India Latest Jobs”
- “Previous year question papers for All India Government Exams serve as a crucial resource for aspirants and provide invaluable insights into exam patterns.”
- “The following is a brief table for job aspirations in the Central Government and State Government:”
- “You can efficiently prepare by using UPSC IAS past year questions.”
