The UPSC CSE (Civil Services Examination) Syllabus consists of three stages:
Preliminary Examination
Main Examination
Personality Test (Interview)
Here is the detailed syllabus of each stage:
1. Preliminary Examination:
The Preliminary Examination consists of two objective-type papers: Paper I and Paper II.
Paper I - General Studies:
Current events of national and international importance, History of India and Indian National Movement, Indian and World Geography - Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World,
Indian Polity and Governance - Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues,
Economic and Social Development - Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives,
General issues on Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change - that do not require subject specialization, Genera
l Science.
Paper II - CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test):
Comprehension, Interpersonal skills including communication skills, Logical reasoning and analytical ability, Decision-making and problem-solving, General mental ability,
Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. - Class X level), English Language Comprehension skills (Class X level).
Main Examination:
The Main Examination consists of 9 subjective papers of which two papers are qualifying in nature.
Paper A- Indian Language (Qualifying in nature): One of the Indian languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution. Candidates are required to write an essay, a précis, and comprehension in the language.
Paper B - English (Qualifying in nature): Candidates are required to write an essay, a précis, and comprehension in English.
Paper I - Essay: Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics.
Paper II - General Studies I: Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.
Paper III - General Studies II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations.
Paper IV - General Studies III: Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management.
Paper V - General Studies IV: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude.
Paper VI and VII - Optional Subjects (Paper I and II): Candidates can choose any optional subject from the list of subjects provided by UPSC. There are two papers of the optional subject.
Personality Test (Interview):
The Personality Test is conducted for candidates who have qualified for the Main Examination. It is conducted to assess the candidate’s personality traits and suitability for a career in the Civil Services.
In conclusion, the UPSC CSE Syllabus is vast and covers a wide range of subjects. Aspirants are advised to go through the syllabus thoroughly and prepare accordingly. It is important to remember that the UPSC CSE Exam tests not only the knowledge of the candidates but also their critical thinking, analytical and decision-making abilities.