The UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination consists of two papers, both conducted on the same day.
- GS Paper-I: General Studies (GS)
- GS Paper-II: CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test)
UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I (General Studies) and GS Paper-II (CSAT)
| Aspect | Paper-I: General Studies (GS) | Paper-II: CSAT (Aptitude Test) |
| Duration | 2 hours | 2 hours |
| Total Marks | 200 | 200 |
| Number of Questions | 100 | 80 |
| Nature of Paper | Marks counted for cut-off for Mains exam | Qualifying only (Minimum 33%) |
| Marks per Correct Answer | +2 marks | +2.5 marks |
| Negative Marking | –0.66 marks (1/3rd of 2 marks) | –0.83 marks (1/3rd of 2.5 marks) |
| Type of Questions | Objective (Multiple Choice Questions) | Objective (Multiple Choice Questions) |
| Medium of Exam | Hindi and English | Hindi and English |
UPSC Prelims Detailed Syllabus (General Studies): GS Paper-I
| Topic | Sub-Topics / Description |
| 1. Current Events of National and International Importance | – Daily news and developments related to politics, economy, science & tech, environment, and international relations – Government schemes, policies, reports, summits, awards, sports, defense exercises, etc. |
| 2. History of India and Indian National Movement | Ancient India: Vedic Age, Maurya and Gupta Empires, art and culture Medieval India: Delhi Sultanate, Mughals, Bhakti and Sufi movements Modern India: British rule, socio-religious reforms, Revolt of 1857 Freedom Movement: Gandhi, Nehru, revolutionary activities, INC sessions |
| 3. Indian and World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic Geography | Physical Geography: Mountains, rivers, climate, soils, natural vegetation Social Geography: Population, migration, human settlements Economic Geography: Agriculture, industries, natural resources, trade, transport |
| 4. Indian Polity and Governance | – Constitution, Preamble, Fundamental Rights and Duties, Directive Principles – Parliament, President, Prime Minister, Judiciary, federal structure, emergency provisions – Panchayati Raj, local governance, transparency, role of civil society – Key constitutional amendments and landmark Supreme Court judgments |
| 5. Economic and Social Development | – Basic concepts: GDP, inflation, fiscal deficit, monetary policy – Poverty, unemployment, human development, demographics – Government initiatives: health, education, women empowerment, etc. – Inclusive growth and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) |
| 6. Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Climate Change | – Ecosystems, food chains, biodiversity hotspots, conservation measures – Climate change: causes, consequences, international agreements (e.g., Paris Agreement) – National policies (e.g., NAPCC), pollution, environmental governance – Initiatives like Project Tiger, Ramsar Sites, Green India Mission |
| 7. General Science | – Basic understanding of Physics, Chemistry, Biology (up to 10th standard) – Applications of science in daily life, biotechnology, space technology, health science – Recent scientific developments and innovations |
UPSC Prelims Detailed Syllabus (CSAT): GS Paper-II
| Section | Topics |
| 1.Comprehension | – Reading passages – Interpretation of facts – Drawing inferences – Answering direct and indirect questions |
| 2. Interpersonal Skills including Communication Skills | – Understanding tone and context – Identifying speaker-listener relationships – Non-verbal communication – Social intelligence elements |
| 3. Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability | – Syllogisms and logical deductions – Statement and conclusion/assumption – Coding-decoding – Blood relations – Direction sense – Puzzles |
| 4. Decision-Making and Problem-Solving | – Case-based scenarios with multiple options – Ethical dilemmas – Rational decision-making – Prioritization and conflict resolution – Note: Usually no negative marking in this section |
| 5. General Mental Ability | – Number and letter series – Pattern recognition – Analogy and classification – Problems on ages – Calendar and clock problems |
| 6. Basic Numeracy (Class X Level) | – Number system – Percentages and averages – Ratio and proportion – Time, speed and distance – Time and work – Profit, loss and discount |
| 7. Data Interpretation | – Tabular data analysis – Bar graphs and line charts – Pie charts – Data sufficiency – Caselets and data-based reasoning |
Important Notes:
- Only marks from Paper-I are counted for cut-off and eligibility for Mains.
- Prelims is only a screening test; its marks are not counted in the final merit list.
- Both papers are available in English and Hindi.
- The syllabus of GS Paper-I is brief but covers a wide range of subjects like History, Geography, Polity, Economy, Environment, Science, and Current Affairs.
- Current affairs are linked with almost every subject, so they should be studied in an integrated manner.
- There is 1/3 negative marking for every incorrect answer, so guesswork should be done cautiously.
- CSAT (Paper-II) should not be taken lightly, as it is qualifying in nature and can be a deciding factor.