Every stage, every paper and every topic of the Civil Services Examination — with the past questions, concept notes and NCERT chapters for each one a click away.
The topic lists follow the syllabus published in the UPSC Civil Services Examination notification. UPSC issues a fresh notification every year and it is the only authoritative text — always check the current one on upsc.gov.in.
The exam at a glance
Three stages, taken in order. Each stage filters candidates for the next; only the last two decide your rank.
Stage 1
Preliminary exam
400marks
Screening only
Two objective (MCQ) papers, 2 hours each
GS Paper I sets the cut-off; CSAT only has to be passed (33%)
Wrong answers cost one-third of the question's marks
Marks are not carried into the final ranking
Stage 2
Main exam
1,750marks for merit
Counts for merit
Nine descriptive papers, 3 hours each
Seven papers count: Essay, GS I–IV and two Optional papers
Two language papers (300 each) are qualifying only
Stage 3
Personality test
275marks
Counts for merit
An interview before a UPSC board
Assesses suitability for a career in public service
Added to the Mains written total
Final merit list is decided out of2,025 marks
Mains written — 1,750 (86%)Interview — 275 (14%)
Preliminary exam
Two papers on the same day. The links under each topic open our question bank already filtered to it.
General Studies Paper I
Decides who goes through to Mains
Sets the cut-off
2 hours
200 marks
100 questions × 2 marks
−⅓ for a wrong answer
Current events of national and international importance.
Numbers are past questions in our archive: 5,854 Prelims GS questions (1979–2026) and 640 CSAT questions (2019–2026). The last two years are free to read in full.
Main exam
Nine written papers of three hours each. Open a paper below for its full topic list.
Papers A and B only have to be passed — UPSC sets a minimum (25% in each in recent notifications) — and the merit papers are evaluated only for candidates who clear it. Some candidates are exempt from Paper A; the notification lists who.
Language papers A and BAn Indian language and English, at matriculation levelQualifying300 marks each
Both papers test whether you can read and write clearly in the language — they are pitched at roughly Class 10 standard and are not ranked.
Paper A — Indian language
Comprehension of given passages.
Précis writing.
Usage and vocabulary.
Short essays.
Translation from English to the Indian language, and vice versa.
Paper B — English
Comprehension of given passages.
Précis writing.
Usage and vocabulary.
Short essays.
EssayTwo essays from a choice of topicsCounts for merit250 marks
History of the world — events from the 18th century such as the industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonisation, decolonisation, and political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism, etc. — their forms and effect on society.
Salient features of Indian society; diversity of India.
Role of women and women's organisations, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanisation — their problems and remedies.
Effects of globalisation on Indian society.
Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism and secularism.
Salient features of the world's physical geography.
Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent); factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India).
Important geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, tsunami, volcanic activity and cyclones; geographical features and their location; changes in critical geographical features (including water bodies and ice caps) and in flora and fauna, and the effects of such changes.
Indian Constitution — historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States; issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure; devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.
Separation of powers between various organs; dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions.
Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries.
Parliament and State legislatures — structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers and privileges, and issues arising out of these.
Structure, organisation and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary; Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the polity.
Salient features of the Representation of People's Act.
Appointment to various constitutional posts; powers, functions and responsibilities of various constitutional bodies.
Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.
Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors, and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Development processes and the development industry — the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders.
Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability; e-governance — applications, models, successes, limitations and potential; citizens' charters; transparency and accountability, and institutional and other measures.
Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States, and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
Issues relating to the development and management of the social sector and services relating to health, education and human resources.
Indian economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation of resources, growth, development and employment.
Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
Government budgeting.
Major crops and cropping patterns in various parts of the country; different types of irrigation and irrigation systems; storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and related issues and constraints; e-technology in aid of farmers.
Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System — objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security; technology missions; economics of animal rearing.
Food processing and related industries in India — scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.
Land reforms in India.
Effects of liberalisation on the economy; changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.
Infrastructure: energy, ports, roads, airports, railways, etc.
Linkages between development and the spread of extremism.
Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.
Challenges to internal security through communication networks; the role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges; basics of cyber security; money laundering and its prevention.
Security challenges and their management in border areas; linkages of organised crime with terrorism.
Various security forces and agencies and their mandate.
Ethics and human interface: essence, determinants and consequences of ethics in human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics in private and public relationships.
Human values — lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.
Aptitude and foundational values for civil service: integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker sections.
Emotional intelligence — concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.
Public/civil service values and ethics in public administration: status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance.
Probity in governance: concept of public service; philosophical basis of governance and probity; information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, codes of ethics, codes of conduct, citizens' charters, work culture, quality of service delivery, utilisation of public funds, challenges of corruption.
Optional subject — Papers 1 and 2One subject of your choice, examined in two papersCounts for merit2 × 250 marks
You choose one optional from the 48 optional subjects listed in the UPSC notification — academic subjects plus the literature of a range of Indian languages and English. Each has its own detailed two-paper syllabus, set at roughly honours-degree level (Engineering, Medical Science and Law at bachelor's level). See the current notification on upsc.gov.in for the full list and each subject's syllabus.
Optional questions in our archive: 3,131 (2013–2026) across these four subjects.
Numbers are past questions in our archive: 1,202 Mains GS and Essay questions (2013–2026). Answer frameworks show how to structure an answer for each part of a paper.
Interview (personality test)
Candidates who clear the Mains cut-off are called for an interview worth 275 marks. There is no fixed syllabus: a board assesses whether you are suited to a career in public service — mental alertness, critical thinking, clarity of expression, balance of judgement, breadth of interests, leadership, and intellectual and moral integrity. Expect questions on your background, your stated interests and current affairs.
Eligibility and attempts
As per recent CSE notifications — confirm in the current notification. Age limits, attempts, relaxations and fees can change from year to year. The notification on upsc.gov.in is what UPSC applies.
Nationality
IAS, IPS and the Indian Foreign Service: a citizen of India.
Other services: a citizen of India, or a candidate in one of the other categories the notification allows (subjects of Nepal or Bhutan, certain Tibetan refugees, and certain persons of Indian origin).
Education
A bachelor's degree from a recognised university, or an equivalent qualification.
Final-year students may sit Prelims, but must show proof of passing when they apply for Mains.
Age
At least 21 and not more than 32 years on 1 August of the exam year, for general candidates.
The upper limit is relaxed for reserved categories — in recent notifications by 3 years for OBC, 5 for SC/ST and 10 for PwBD candidates, with further relaxations for some other groups.
Number of attempts
Category
Attempts
General / EWS
6
OBC
9
SC / ST
No limit, up to the age limit
PwBD (General, EWS, OBC)
9
PwBD (SC / ST)
No limit, up to the age limit
Sitting even one Prelims paper counts as an attempt.
Application fee
₹100 in recent notifications. Women, SC/ST and PwBD candidates have been exempt.
Topic lists: the syllabus in the UPSC Civil Services Examination notification, with light editing for readability. Explanations, structure and links are ours. UPSC via PYQs is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with UPSC. For the authoritative and current syllabus, rules and dates, see upsc.gov.in.