UPSC Examinations: All that you need to know

ABOUT THE EXAMINATION

The Civil Services Examination is conducted by Union Public Service Commission of India for recruitment to various posts.

EXAMINATION SCHEME

The Civil Services Examination will consist of two successive stages

1. Civil Services Preliminary Examination (Objective type) for the selection of candidates for the Main Examination; and

2. Civil Services Main Examination (Written and Interview) for the selection of candidates for the various Services and Posts

The Preliminary Examination will consist of two papers of Objective type (multiple choice questions) and carry a maximum of 400 marks. This examination is meant to serve as a screening test only; the marks obtained in the Preliminary Examination by the candidates who are declared qualified for admission to the Main Examination will not be counted for determining their final order of merit. Candidates, who obtain such minimum qualifying marks in the written part of the Main Examination as may be fixed by the Commission at the jurisdiction, shall be summoned for interview for a Personality Test. The number of candidates to be summoned for interview will be about twice the number of vacancies to be filled. Marks thus obtained by the candidates in the Main Examination (written part as well as interview) would determine their final ranking. Candidates will be allotted to the various Services keeping in view the ranks in the examination and the preferences expressed by them for the various Services and Posts.

Preliminary Examination

The Examination shall comprise two compulsory papers of 200 marks each. Both the question papers will be of the objective type (multiple choice questions). The question papers will be set both in Hindi and English. However, questions relating to English Language Comprehension skills of Class X level will be tested through passages from English Language only.

There will be negative marking for incorrect answers for all questions except some of the questions where the negative marking will be inbuilt in the form of different marks being awarded to the most appropriate and not so appropriate answer for such questions.

Main Examination

Qualifying Papers:

• Paper‐A-One of the Indian Language to be selected by the candidate from the languages included in the

Eighth Schedule to the Constitution.

• Paper‐B-English Papers A and B are of 300 marks each. The papers on Indian Languages and English (Paper A and Paper B) will be of Matriculation or equivalent standard and will be of qualifying nature. The marks obtained in these papers will not be counted for ranking. The paper A on Indian Language will not, however, be compulsory for candidates hailing from the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim.

Papers to be counted for merit:

• Paper‐I Essay

• 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 OptionalSubject–Paper 1

• Paper‐VII Optional Subject

Papers I to VII are of 250 marks each.

Marks obtained by the candidates for the Paper I‐VII only will be counted for merit ranking. The question papers for the examination will be of conventional (essay) type. Each paper will be of three hours duration.

Interview Test

The interview will carry 275 marks (with no minimum qualifying marks). The candidate will be interviewed by a Board who will have before the record of his/her career. He/she will be asked questions on matters of general interest. The object of the interview is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public service by a Board of competent and unbiased observers. The test is intended to judge the mental caliber of a candidate. In broad terms this is really an assessment of not only his/her intellectual qualities but also social traits and his/her interest in current affairs. Some of the qualities to be judged are mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, balance of judgment, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion and leadership, intellectual and moral integrity.

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