UPSC Syllabus for IAS Exam 2019 – Prelims, Mains & Interview

UPSC IAS Syllabus & Exam Pattern for Prelims & Mains is shared below. The candidates appearing for the UPSC IAS Civil services Examination can download the syllabus from this page.

UPSC Syllabus for IAS Exam
UPSCSyllabusforIASExam

UPSC IAS 2019 Exam Pattern & Syllabus

The UPSC Civil Services Examination has 3 different stages. A candidate should clear all stages of the exam to get selected by the commission. The 3 stages of the exam are-

  1. Preliminary stage – This is Simply qualifying in nature. A candidate should pass this exam to get selected for the Mains exam.
  2. Mains Exam – This is the most important stage of the examination. The marks scored by the candidates in the Mains exam is counted while preparing the final merit list.
  3. Interview – This is the last stage of the IAS Civil Services Examination. Those candidates who qualify the Mains exam are called for an Interview by the UPSC board. The marks of Interview are also added while preparing the merit list of candidates.

Stage 1 – IAS Prelims Exam Pattern

The IAS Preliminary Examination which was based on the recommendations of the Kothari Commission has been changed from 2011 exam onwards.

Under the new pattern, the Prelims exam is called as the CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test). There are 2 papers in the CSAT, Paper-1 and Paper-2 both are based on the General Studies.

These Papers test the candidate’s analytical abilities and the level of their general awareness.

Paper-1General studies – The marks of this Paper-1 is counted to get selected for the Mains exams.2 hours200 marks
Paper-2CSAT – Civil Services Aptitude test. The candidate is required only to qualify in this paper by scoring 33% of the marks.
  • The questions in both the papers are objective type.
  • The questions are in Hindi as well as English.
  • There is a scheme of negative marking in the Preliminary exam. For every incorrect response 1/3 rd. marks will be deducted.

The following topics are required to be covered in the Paper-1 for the exam.

  1. Current Affairs
  2. History of India
  3. Indian Polity
  4. Indian and World Geography
  5. Economic and Social Development
  6. General Issues on Environment
  7. General Science

The following topics are required to be covered in the Paper-2 for the exam.

  1. Comprehension
  2. English Language
  3. Inter-personal skills
  4. Logical Reasoning & Analytical Abilities
  5. Decision Making and General problem-solving skills
  6. General Mental Ability
  7. Basic numeracy of std. 10th level.
  8. Data Interpretation.

Note: In Paper-I marks will be counted to determine the merit list whereas the Paper-II will be of qualifying in nature (33% marks required).

Stage 2 – IAS Mains Exam Pattern

Candidates who qualify the IAS Prelims Exam are further required to appear in the Mains exam. The IAS Mains exam has 9 Papers. Out of the 9 papers, two papers are only qualifying in nature, while rest of the 7 paper scores are counted while preparing the merit list of the candidates. The Paper-A is a language paper which is to be selected by the candidate from the 8th language schedule of India and the Paper-B, which is an English language paper should be qualified by a candidate. If a candidate fails in any of these papers is considered as fail.

It is advised that the candidates should score well in rest of the seven papers of the IAS Mains exam.

Paper NameSubjectMarks
Paper-1Essay type250
Paper-2General Studies-1250
Paper-3General Studies-2250
Paper-4General Studies-3250
Paper-5General Studies-4250
Paper-6Optional Paper-1250
Paper-7Optional Paper -2250
Paper-ALanguage Paper (to be selected by the candidate from the 8th schedule of India300
Paper–BEnglish language.300
Total Marks of 7 papers which marks are counted, excluding Paper-A and Paper-B.1750

Note: Paper A & B is of Qualifying in Nature (25% i.e. 75 marks required). Whereas marks of Paper I to VII will be counted to determine the final order of merit.

Stage 3 – IAS Personality Test or Interview

This is the final stage of the IAS Exam. The aim of this stage is to test the mental calibre of the candidates in the areas of – Social judgment, rational decision-making, intellectual abilities, leadership traits, capacity to comprehend complex social realities, moral understanding, the orientation of the personality of the candidate etc.

The interview round of the exam carries 275 marks only, but it plays a crucial role while determining the rank of the candidates.

Few Important Links for UPSC IAS Exam 2019-2020

IAS Exam DetailsIAS EligibilityIAS Selection Process
IAS Application FormIAS Syllabus PDFIAS Exam Pattern
IAS Prelims  Admit CardIAS Mains  Admit CardIAS Exam Centers
Preparation Books for IASIAS Exam QuestionsCut-Off Marks for IAS Prelims, Mains
Download IAS Previous PapersCSAT Prelims Answer KeyIAS Mains Answer Key
IAS Prelims ResultsIAS Mains Results/Merit ListIAS Interview Tips
IAS Free Mock TestUPSC Examination CalendarFAQs on IAS

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