The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Civil Services Examination (IAS Exam) every year to recruit candidates for prestigious posts like IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, and more. The exam is conducted in three stages – Prelims, Mains, and Interview.
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In this article, we provide the detailed UPSC Syllabus 2025 for Prelims and Mains, along with exam pattern and PDF download link.
UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2025
The Preliminary Examination is the first stage and consists of two objective-type papers.
Paper I – General Studies (200 Marks)
- Current events of national and international importance
- History of India and Indian National Movement
- Indian and World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic
- Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Rights Issues
- Economic and Social Development – Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Sustainable Development
- General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change
- General Science
Paper II – CSAT (200 Marks, Qualifying)
- Reading Comprehension
- Logical reasoning and analytical ability
- Decision-making and problem-solving
- Basic numeracy (Class 10 level)
- Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables)
📌 Note: Paper II (CSAT) is qualifying in nature, candidates must score 33% marks.
UPSC Mains Syllabus 2025
The Main Examination is descriptive and consists of 9 papers (total 1750 marks).
Qualifying Papers
- Paper A: Indian Language (300 Marks)
- Paper B: English (300 Marks)
Papers Counted for Merit
- Paper I – Essay (250 Marks)
- Paper II – General Studies I (250 Marks)
- Indian Heritage & Culture, History & Geography of the World & Society
- Paper III – General Studies II (250 Marks)
- Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, International Relations
- Paper IV – General Studies III (250 Marks)
- Technology, Economic Development, Environment, Security, Disaster Management
- Paper V – General Studies IV (250 Marks)
- Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude
- Paper VI & VII – Optional Subject Papers (250 Marks each)
- Candidate chooses one subject from the UPSC Optional Subject List
UPSC Interview (Personality Test)
- Final stage of the exam
- Carries 275 marks
- Tests overall personality, awareness, communication skills, decision-making ability, and leadership qualities
UPSC Syllabus 2025 PDF Download
The official UPSC Syllabus 2025 PDF will be released along with the notification in February 2025. Candidates can download it directly from the UPSC official website.
FAQs on UPSC Syllabus 2025
Q1. Is CSAT compulsory in UPSC Prelims 2025?
Yes, CSAT is compulsory, but it is only qualifying (33% marks required).
Q2. How many papers are there in UPSC Mains 2025?
There are 9 papers in total – 2 qualifying and 7 merit-based.
Q3. What is the marking scheme of UPSC Prelims?
- GS Paper I = 200 marks (counted for cut-off)
- CSAT = 200 marks (qualifying only)
Q4. Can I choose any optional subject in Mains?
Yes, you can select from the list of 48 optional subjects provided by UPSC.