UPSC CSE

About UPSC

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE)—a national-level competitive exam to recruit candidates for top administrative services in India, such as:

• Indian Administrative Service (IAS)

• Indian Police Service (IPS)

• Indian Foreign Service (IFS)

• Other Group A and B services

The UPSC is a constitutional body that oversees recruitment for various central services

Exam Structure & Selection Process

The UPSC CSE takes place in three stages: Prelims, Mains, and Interview.

Preliminary Examination

• Paper I – General Studies: Objective type, multiple choice.

• Paper II – CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test): Also objective. Qualifying in nature; candidates usually need to secure a certain minimum (around 33%) to pass.

• Scoring: Marks in Prelims are not counted in the final merit but determine eligibility for the Mains.

Main Examination

• Consists of nine papers (descriptive): two qualifying + seven merit papers. PW Live

• Qualifying Papers:

  • Paper A: Indian Language (from the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution) — 300 marks

  • Paper B: English — 300 marks My Sarkari Naukri+1

• Merit Papers:

  • Essay — 250 marks

  • General Studies I (Indian heritage, history, geography, society) — 250

  • General Studies II (Polity, governance, social justice, international relations) — 250

  • General Studies III (Economy, technology, environment, security, disaster management) — 250

  • General Studies IV (Ethics, integrity, aptitude) — 250

  • Optional Paper I — 250

  • Optional Paper II — 250 My Sarkari Naukri+2Tial Wizards+2

• Total Marks for Written (Mains): 1750 (only the merit papers count towards final ranking)

Interview (Personality Test)

• Candidates who clear the Mains are called for a personality test / interview.

• The interview carries 275 marks, which are added to the merit papers’ score to arrive at the final ranking

FAQs

What is UPSC?

UPSC conducts exams for civil services recruitment in India.

How many stages?

The exam has three stages: prelims, mains, and personality test.

Who conducts UPSC exams?

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is the official body conducting these exams.

What other exams are included?

Besides CSE, UPSC also conducts NDA and CDS exams.

Who can apply?

Indian citizens meeting age above 21 and possessing any graduate degree can apply through online mode using the website https://upsc.gov.in/