UPSC Civil Services Syllabus 2026 – IAS Prelims & Mains Exam Pattern

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)

Short Information

UPSC Civil Services Examination 2026 syllabus covering Preliminary and Main examinations, subjects, paper pattern and selection process.

Important Dates / 2026 Cycle

2026 examination cycle

Application Fee

Refer to the official notification for the applicable fee, exemptions and payment rules.

Eligibility

Eligibility varies by examination. Refer to the official notification for educational qualification, age limit, nationality and other conditions.

Exam Pattern

Stage / Paper	Subject	Marks	Duration	Nature
Prelims Paper I	General Studies-I	200	2 Hours	Merit/qualifying for Mains screening
Prelims Paper II	General Studies-II (CSAT)	200	2 Hours	Qualifying – minimum 33%
Mains Paper A	Indian Language	300	3 Hours	Qualifying
Mains Paper B	English	300	3 Hours	Qualifying
Mains Essay	Essay	250	3 Hours	Merit
Mains GS I	Indian Heritage & Culture, History & Geography	250	3 Hours	Merit
Mains GS II	Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice & IR	250	3 Hours	Merit
Mains GS III	Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security & Disaster Management	250	3 Hours	Merit
Mains GS IV	Ethics, Integrity & Aptitude	250	3 Hours	Merit
Optional Paper I	Optional Subject	250	3 Hours	Merit
Optional Paper II	Optional Subject	250	3 Hours	Merit
Personality Test	Interview	275	—	Final merit

Complete Syllabus

Prelims GS-I: Current events; history of India and Indian National Movement; Indian and World Geography; Indian Polity and Governance; Economic and Social Development; Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change; General Science.
Prelims GS-II / CSAT: Comprehension; interpersonal and communication skills; logical reasoning and analytical ability; decision making and problem solving; general mental ability; basic numeracy; data interpretation; English language comprehension at the prescribed level.
Mains Essay: Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics and are expected to stay close to the subject, arrange ideas orderly and write concisely.
GS-I: Indian culture, modern Indian history, freedom struggle, post-independence consolidation, world history, Indian society, geography of India and the world, natural resources, geophysical phenomena.
GS-II: Constitution, federalism, Parliament and State Legislatures, executive and judiciary, constitutional bodies, governance, transparency, social justice, welfare schemes, health, education, civil services, India and international relations.
GS-III: Indian economy, inclusive growth, budgeting, agriculture, subsidies, food processing, infrastructure, science and technology, environment, disaster management, internal security and cyber security.
GS-IV: Ethics and human interface, attitude, aptitude and foundational values for civil service, emotional intelligence, moral thinkers, public service values, probity in governance and case studies.
Optional: One optional subject is selected and two papers are attempted. The detailed subject-wise syllabus depends on the chosen optional subject.

Selection Process

Prelims screening → Civil Services Main Examination → Personality Test/Interview → Final merit list.

Important Note

This syllabus summary is prepared from the official examination scheme/notification sources. Candidates should always check the latest official notice for amendments, paper-wise marks, qualifying requirements and discipline-specific details.

How to Prepare / Apply

Read the official notification and syllabus carefully. Prepare each subject according to the latest official scheme, practise previous-year question papers, and follow the Commission/IBPS website for any corrigendum or change in examination pattern.

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