UPSC examinations are considered one of the most coveted and prestigious examinations in India. Thousands of applicants write this prestigious examination every year and only a handful gets selected. Only relentless hard work, determination and sound knowledge can truly prepare a candidate for the examination. Before beginning the examination, therefore, it is essential to understand the minute details of the examination. Continue reading this article as we share details about the examination.
What is the UPSC exam?
UPSC exam is more commonly known as the IAS exam or formerly known as the UPSC Civil Service Examination. It is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission to recruit suitable candidates for different branches of civil service of India (IAS, IFS, IPS and other allied services).
The examination can be categorized into Prelims, Mains and the final round of interviews. Online registration for UPSC exams starts in February and the prelims exams are held in June and the Mains in September.
The eligibility criteria for UPSC exams include
- Age limit: 21-32 years (For OBC/ SC/ ST candidates the age limit can extend to 35- 37 years as well
- Number of attempts: 06 for general candidates and 09 attempts for OBC candidates
- Educational Qualification: Graduation from any recognized university
- Nationality: Indian (for IAS and IPS)
Exam Pattern
UPSC Prelims is like a qualifying round and acts as a screening round. The marks are not calculated in the final merit. The score obtained in GS Paper I determines the cutoff for the prelims exam. The papers of UPSC prelims are MCQ-based.
The Prelims Exams consists of two papers:
- General Studies Paper I consisting of 100 questions, with a total mark of 200 and the time allotted is 2 hours
- General Studies Paper II consisting of 80 questions, with total marks of 200 and the time allotted is 2 hours
On the other hand, UPSC's main exams are descriptive examinations comprising nine papers. The examination comprises of
- Paper A
- Paper B
- Paper I
- Paper II
- Paper III
- Paper IV
- Paper V
- Paper VI
- Paper VII
Paper A is Compulsory English Language and Paper B is English paper. These papers are qualifying in nature and are of 300 total marks each. Paper I is Essay Paper and the Paper II- V are General Studies papers, each awarding 250 marks. The remaining papers ( Paper VI and Paper VII) are optional papers and each 250 marks as well.
The optional subjects available for UPSC examinations are
- Agriculture
- Animal husbandry and veterinary services
- Anthropology
- Civil Engineering
- Commerce and Accountancy
- Economics
- Geology
- History
- Law
- Mechanical Engineering
- Medicinal Science
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Public Administration
- Sociology
[To learn in detail about the exam pattern and syllabus of the UPSC examination, there are detailed articles on those topics on our website, which will clear all your doubts].
UPSC interview round is an important round and is the final round of the examination. A competent board of members conduct the interview and the candidate's traits and interest in social affairs are gauged and assessed.
Preparation for the UPSC examination requires an effective learning strategy. Make sure you remain abreast with all the notifications published by the UPSC board. Strengthen your knowledge of topics by covering the basics by studying NCERT books and then upgrade with standard books. You should practice writing the answers to improve your writing skills and mock test-based learning approaches should be followed. Structured preparation with the right guidance will help you to crack UPSC effortlessly.