UPSC Syllabus 2024-25 for IAS Prelims & Mains Exam released by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on its official website. UPSC Syllabus is divided into preliminary and main examinations. UPSC conducts the 3 stage exam for civil services recruitment, which are Prelims, Mains and Interviews. Candidates Who are studding in IAS and IPS Recruitment Exam must Read UPSC Exam Syllabus and Exam Pattern pdf.
UPSC Syllabus 2024-25 PDF – IAS Prelims and Mains Syllabus
Union Public Service Commission Conduct IAS Exam in Three Stage such as :
- Preliminary Examination (MCQs)
- Main Examination (Written Exam)
- Personality Test (Interview)
| Exam name | UPSC Civil Services Examination |
| Conducting Body | Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) |
| Official website | upsc.gov.in |
| IAS age limit | 21 to 32 years |
| Educational Qualification | Bachelor’s degree |
| Exam Level | National level exam |
| IAS attempt limit | General – 6, OBC – 9, SC/ ST – Till within the upper age limit |
| Application mode | Online |
| Application fee | UR/ OBC/ EWS – Rs 100 |
| Others and Females | Nil |
| Exam mode | Offline |
| Exam Stages | Prelims, Mains, Interview |
UPSC Syllabus & Exam Pattern
The UPSC Civil Services Preliminary exam Conduct two compulsory papers of 200 marks each (General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II). The questions will be of multiple-choice, objective type. The marks in prelims will not be counted for the final ranking, but just for qualification for the main exam. Get Below UPSC IAS Prelims Exam Pattern.
| Paper | Total Marks | Duration |
| 1 General Studies Paper I (GS) | 200 | 2 hours |
| 2 General Studies Paper II (CSAT) | 200 2 hours |
UPSC Prelims Syllabus
The first stage of the exam Civil Services Preliminary Exam is only a screening test and is conducted to shortlist candidates for the Main Examination. Marks secured in the Preliminary Exam are not taken into account while preparing the final merit.
Preliminary Exam consists of two papers of objective type carrying a maximum of 400 marks.
| No. of Papers | 2 compulsory papers |
| Type of Questions | Objective (MCQ) type |
| Total Maximum Marks | 400 (200 each paper) |
| Duration of Exam | 2 hrs. each (20 minutes per hour extra time for blind candidates & candidate with Locomotor Disability & Cerebral Palsy [minimum 40% impairment]) |
| Negative Marking | 1/3rd of the marks assigned to a question |
| Medium of Exam | Bilingual (Hindi & English) |
UPSC Syllabus (Paper-1) 200 marks
- 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, etc.
- Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
- General issues on Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization.
- General Science.
UPSC Syllabus for Paper-II – 200 marks
This objective paper is for a duration of two hours. There will be 80 questions. The syllabus of GS Paper 2 (CSAT) is given below.
- 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).
UPSC IAS Mains Exam Pattern
UPSC Mains Exam Syllabus – Civil Services (IAS) Mains Exam : A candidate’s rank in the UPSC Civil Service Exam depends only on the mark scored in the Main and Interview. The main exam has 1750 marks while the interview has 275 marks.
UPSC Mains Syllabus
Civil Services Main Examination consists of written examination and interview (personality test). Civil Services Main Examination consists of following papers divided into 2 categories – qualifying & papers to be counted for merit.
| Qualifying Papers | Subject | Marks |
| Paper-A | One of the Indian Language to be selected by the candidate from the Languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution | 300 |
| Paper-B | English | 300 |
| Papers to be Counted for Merit | ||
| Paper-I | Essay | 250 |
| Paper-II | General Studies-I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society) | 250 |
| Paper-III | General Studies-II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations) | 250 |
| Paper-IV | Genera Studies-III (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management) | 250 |
| Paper-V | General Studies-IV (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude) | 250 |
| Paper-VI | Optional Subject – Paper 1 | 250 |
| Paper-VII | Optional Subject – Paper 2 | 250 |
| Sub Total (Written Test) | 1750 | |
| Personality Test | 275 | |
| Grand Total | 2025 | |
6. Paper (Optional Subject Paper 1) – 250 Marks
7. Paper (Optional Subject Paper 2) – 250 Marks
UPSC Optional Syllabus (Optional Subject Paper 1 & 2) 250 +250 Marks
Optional Subject Papers I & II:
A candidate may opt for any one Optional Subject from the following:
- UPSC Agriculture Syllabus
- Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
- Anthropology Syllabus for UPSC
- Botany
- Chemistry
- Civil Engineering
- UPSC Commerce and Accountancy Syllabus
- UPSC Economics Syllabus
- Electrical Engineering
- Geography Syllabus for UPSC
- UPSC Geology Syllabus
- UPSC History Syllabus
- UPSC Law Optional Syllabus
- Management
- UPSC Maths Optional Syllabus
- Mechanical Engineering
- UPSC Medical Science Syllabus
- UPSC Philosophy Syllabus
- UPSC Physics Optional Syllabus
- PSIR Optional Syllabus
- UPSC Psychology Syllabus
- Public Administration Optional Syllabus
- Sociology Optional Syllabus
- Statistics
- Zoology
- Literature of any one of the following languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and English.
UPSC IAS Exam Total Marks
- Sub Total (Written test): 1750 Marks
- Personality Test: 275 Marks
- Grand Total: 2025 Marks
Frequently Asked question (FAQs)
How many days to cover UPSC syllabus?
At least 10-12 months to prepare thoroughly for the UPSC exam. Candidates must be fully dedicated, do a consistent assessment, avoid social media or other distractions, and stay motivated and focused on their aim.
How can I know the syllabus of UPSC?
- UPSC Syllabus – IAS Prelims and Mains Syllabus PDF
- UPSC Syllabus
- Current events of national and international importance.
- Indian and World Geography.
- Indian History and Indian National Movement.
- Economic and Social Development.
- General Issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity, and Climate Change.
- General Science.
- Indian Polity and Governance.
- Basic numeracy.
How many subjects are compulsory in UPSC?
There are the 5 compulsory subjects in UPSC. History, geography, Indian politics and government, general science, and economic and social development are all compulsory subjects. Both the UPSC Prelims and Mains include a significant portion of current affairs.
What is the IAS salary?
As per the latest 7th Pay Commission, the starting and entry level IAS officer salary is ₹56100 per month, which translates to ₹56100 – 132000 per month.