UPSC CSE aspirants need to be well aware of the UPSC Syllabus 2023 before they appear for the examination. The UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE). The syllabus for the UPSC Civil Services Examination consists of three stages: the Preliminary Examination, the Main Examination, and the Interview (Personality Test).
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UPSC: Preliminary Examination Syllabus 2023
UPSC Preliminary Examination has Two papers: General Studies (Paper I) and Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) (Paper II). Both papers are of objective type (multiple choice questions). Paper I covers current events, history, geography, politics, economy, general science, etc. Paper II focuses on comprehension, interpersonal skills, logical reasoning, decision-making, etc. The marks of Paper II are not counted for the candidate’s ranking in the Preliminary Examination but are a qualifying paper.
Paper I: General Studies
| General Studies |
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| Topics |
Marks |
Time |
| Current events of national and international importance |
200 Marks |
02 hours |
| History of India and the Indian National Movement | ||
| Indian and World Geography | ||
| Indian Polity and Governance | ||
| Economic and Social Development | ||
| General Science | ||
Paper II: Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT)
| Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) |
||
| Topics | Marks | Time |
| Comprehension | 200 marks | 02 hours |
| Interpersonal skills including communication skills | ||
| Logical reasoning and analytical ability | ||
| Decision-making and problem-solving | ||
| General mental ability | ||
| Basic numeracy (Class X level) | ||
| English language comprehension skills (Class X level) | ||
Both papers are of objective type (multiple choice questions) and are usually held on the same day.
UPSC: Main Examination Syllabus 2023
UPSC Main Examination is divided into Nine papers, including one qualifying language paper (Compulsory Indian Language) and two optional papers (candidates choose one). The language paper is meant to test language comprehension, translation, essay writing, and grammar. The optional paper is chosen from a list of approved subjects. The other papers cover essay writing, general studies (I, II, III, and IV), and two optional papers.
The Main Examination is a written examination and consists of nine papers. Out of these, seven papers are considered for ranking purposes while the remaining two papers are qualifying in nature:
| Papers | Total marks |
| Paper-A: Compulsory Indian Language | 300 marks |
| Paper-B: English | 300 marks |
| Essay | 250 marks |
|
General Studies IÂ
|
250 marks |
|
General Studies IIÂ
|
250 marks |
|
General Studies IIIÂ
|
250 marks |
|
General Studies IVÂ
|
250 marks |
| Optional Paper IÂ | 250 marks |
| Optional Paper IIÂ | 250 marks |
List the optional subjects:Â
Here is the list of optional subjects:Â
- Agriculture
- Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
- Anthropology
- Botany
- Chemistry
- Civil Engineering
- Commerce and Accountancy
- Economics
- Electrical Engineering
- Geography
- Geology
- History
- Law
- Management
- Mathematics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Medical Science
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Political Science and International Relations
- Psychology
- Public Administration
- Sociology
- Statistics
- Zoology
- Literature
LiteratureÂ
Literature is an optional paper that many candidates choose as either optional paper I or optional paper II.
There are Various Literature languages like Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, etc.
UPSC Syllabus 2023: Personality Test
Candidates who qualify for the Main Examination are called for the Interview stage. This stage assesses the candidate’s personality traits, communication skills, and suitability for a career in civil services. The interview is usually conducted by a board of experts.
The final ranking of candidates is determined based on the marks obtained in the Main Examination (excluding the language paper) and the Interview stage. It is important to note that the Preliminary Examination serves as a screening test and the marks obtained therein are not factored into the final ranking.
Here are the general areas that the UPSC CSE interview might cover:
| Topics in Personality Test |
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Current Affairs and General Knowledge:
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Background and Bio-Data:
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Ethics and Values:
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Problem-Solving and Analytical Ability:
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Indian Polity and Governance:
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Economic and Social Development:
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International Relations:
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Personality Traits:
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Hobbies and Interests:
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Local and Regional Issues:
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Academic and Professional Knowledge:
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