UPSC CSE Syllabus 2026

About UPSC Civil Services Exam

UPSC CSE (Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination) is India's premier national competitive exam for entry into the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and over 20 other Group A and B central government services.

UPSC CSE 2026 schedule: Notification: February 2026. Prelims: June 2026. Mains: September 2026. Interview: January–April 2027. Final results: April–May 2027.

Eligibility: Graduation from any recognised university (any stream). Age: 21–32 years for General (35 for SC/ST, 33 for OBC). Number of attempts: 6 for General (9 for OBC, unlimited for SC/ST within age limit).

Total selections: Approximately 1,000 per year across all services. IAS allocation: approximately 180–200 per year. The exam is considered the most competitive in India — approximately 10–13 lakh candidates register, 5–6 lakh appear for Prelims, 15,000 clear Prelims, 2,000–2,500 clear Mains, and around 1,000 are finally selected.

Prelims Syllabus (GS Paper I)

Prelims GS Paper I is a 200-mark, 2-hour MCQ exam with negative marking (1/3 mark per wrong answer). Approximately 100 questions.

Topics:

History: Indian ancient, medieval and modern history; Indian National Movement; post-independence developments.

Geography: Physical geography (landforms, rivers, climate, soils, natural vegetation), Indian geography (rivers, mountains, states), world geography basics (continents, oceans, international boundaries), economic geography (resources, industries, trade routes).

Polity and Constitution: Indian Constitution (Preamble, Fundamental Rights, DPSPs, Fundamental Duties), Legislature, Executive, Judiciary, Centre-State relations, Constitutional bodies (CAG, EC, UPSC, Finance Commission), Constitutional amendments.

Economy: National Income, GDP, inflation, monetary policy (RBI, repo rate, CRR, SLR), fiscal policy, banking, Five-Year Plans (historical context), government schemes, international trade, World Bank, IMF, WTO.

Environment and Ecology: Biodiversity, national parks, climate change, environmental treaties (Paris Agreement, CBD, CITES), environment laws (Wildlife Protection Act, Forest Conservation Act, Environment Protection Act), ecosystem types.

Science and Technology: General principles of Physics, Chemistry, Biology; applications in medicine, space, defence, IT; recent developments (ISRO missions, new technologies, Nobel prizes in science).

Current Affairs: Last 12 months — national and international events, government schemes, awards and appointments, sports, economic developments.

Prelims Syllabus (CSAT — GS Paper II)

CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test) is Paper II of Prelims — 200 marks, 2 hours, MCQ. Qualifying nature only: minimum 33% (66 marks) required. CSAT marks are NOT counted in Prelims merit.

Topics: - Comprehension (English and Hindi passages with questions) - Interpersonal skills and communication (scenario-based) - Logical reasoning and analytical ability - Decision-making and problem-solving - General mental ability (IQ-type) - Basic numeracy (Class 10 Maths level — numbers, ratios, percentages) - Data interpretation (tables, graphs, charts)

Candidates who are weak in CSAT should not ignore it — 33% is mandatory to qualify for Mains regardless of GS Paper I performance.

Mains Syllabus

Mains consists of 9 papers. 7 papers count for merit; 2 qualifying papers.

Qualifying papers (marks not counted): Paper A — Indian Language (300 marks, 25% required). Paper B — English (300 marks, 25% required).

Merit papers: - Essay Paper (250 marks): Two essays (125 marks each) from given topics. Covers philosophy, society, governance, international affairs.

- General Studies I (250 marks): Indian Heritage and Culture; History (ancient, medieval, modern, freedom struggle, post-independence consolidation); World History (18th–20th century); Indian Society (diversity, regionalism, gender, poverty); Role of women; Communalism; Secularism; Geography (significant geophysical phenomena, global distribution of physical resources, geopolitics).

- General Studies II (250 marks): Constitution and Governance; Polity; Social Justice; International Relations (India's bilateral relations, regional groupings, international institutions).

- General Studies III (250 marks): Technology and Economic Development; Bio-diversity and Environment; Security; Disaster Management; Economies of Agriculture; Infrastructure; Investment models.

- General Studies IV (250 marks): Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude. Ethical theories; ethics in public administration; attitude formation; emotional intelligence; case studies on ethics.

- Optional Paper I (250 marks): Candidate's chosen subject — see optional subjects below. - Optional Paper II (250 marks): Same optional subject, paper II.

Total merit marks: 1750 (7 papers × 250).

Optional subjects (choose one): 48 available. Popular choices: History, Geography, Sociology, Political Science, Public Administration, Hindi Literature, Mathematics, Philosophy, Anthropology, Psychology, Law, Economics, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Medical Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Commerce and Accountancy, Management.

Interview (Personality Test)

Interview: 275 marks. Conducted by a 5-member board including UPSC members and external domain experts. Duration: 25–35 minutes.

What is assessed: Personality, leadership qualities, ethical judgment, logical reasoning, communication skills, social awareness, broad general knowledge — NOT rote knowledge. The board has access to your DAF (Detailed Application Form) — your hobbies, educational background, home state, interests. Many questions are conversational rather than factual.

Final merit = Mains (1750) + Interview (275) = Total 2025. Top ranks typically score 950–1,000 in Mains + 180–220 in Interview.