UPSC Syllabus 2024 – Welcome UPSC dreamers, before beginning your journey of CSE preparation you must be acquainted with latest syllabus of UPSC exam.
Table of Contents
Because without having the idea of your destination, it is futile to follow an uncertain way which will lead you to nowhere but to failure.
In this article we will discuss the complete syllabus of Civil Services Examination organized by the Union Public Service Commission. The UPSC Syllabus 2024 is given below in a sequential manner .
After reading this article you will be able to understand the complete syllabus of UPSC very clearly. Candidates are advised to read the syllabus thoroughly. thoroughly so that you can get well prepared for the UPSC examination.
Every year UPSC conducts one of the most prestigious examinations in the world, the Civil Services Examination through which top civil servants i.e. IAS, IPS of India are recruited.
Every year around 15 lakh candidates fill the application for the exam, however only half of the number attend the preliminary exam.
The complete exam process is conducted in three phases i.e. – Prelims, Mains and Interview. Read in detail below-
UPSC Exam Pattern 2024 :
The three phases of UPSC Exam are as follow –
- Prelims
- Mains
- Interview
UPSC Syllabus 2024: UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern
Prelims exam is the gateway of UPSC exam. It consists of two papers i.e. – Paper-1 and Paper-2.
The Paper-1 basically comprises 100 General Studies questions of 200 marks while the Paper-2 (CSAT) comprises 80 questions of 200 which are meant to test candidates’ aptitude. Both the papers have 1/3 marks as penalty for wrong answer.
Paper-1 plays a significant role in deciding the fate of candidates, as the cut- off for prelim exam is solely based on this paper.
While the Paper-2 is just qualifying in nature and candidates are required to obtain minimum 33% in this paper.
UPSC Syllabus 2024 : Preliminary Examination
Paper I – (200 marks) | Duration: 2 Hours
- 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, Biodiversity and Climate Change
- General Science
- The Questions will be of Multiple- Choice, Objective Type.
Paper-II – (200 marks) | Duration: 2 Hours
- Comprehension
- Interpersonal Skills Including Communication Skills
- Logical Reasoning and a 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)
- The Questions will be of Multiple- Choice, Objective Type.
Note :- 1. It is necessary for the candidates to appear in both the papers of prelim examination for the purpose of evaluation. A candidate will be disqualified if he or she doesn’t take part in any of papers.
2. 1/3 marks will be deducted as penalty for wrong answers.
Paper-1 ( General Studies ) :
| No. of questions | 100 |
| Total Marks | 200 |
| Duration | 2 Hrs |
| Question Type | Objective |
| Negative Marks | 1/3 |
Paper-2 ( CSAT ) :
| No. of questions | 80 |
| Total Marks | 200 |
| Duration | 2 Hrs |
| Question Type | Objective |
| Negative Marks | 1/3 |
UPSC Syllabus 2024: UPSC Mains Exam Pattern
The main exam is intended to not merely test the range of information and memory of a candidate but rather to assess his overall intellectual traits and depth of understanding.
The nature and standard of questions in the General Studies papers (Paper II, III, IV and V) will be such that a well-educated person can answer them without any specialized study.
The scope of the syllabus for optional subject papers (Paper VI and Paper VII) for the examination is broad of the honors degree level.
QUALIFYING PAPERS ON INDIAN LANGUAGES (Paper A) AND ENGLISH (Paper B):
The aim of the paper is to test the candidate’s ability to read and understand serious discursive prose and to express his ideas clearly and correctly, in English and Indian language concerned.
Paper A: Indian Languages:-
- Comprehension of given passages.
- Precise Writing.
- Usage and Vocabulary.
- Short Essays.
- Translation from English to the Indian Language and vice-versa
Paper B: English
- Comprehension of given passages.
- Precise Writing.
- Usage and Vocabulary.
- Short Essays.
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
- Indian Heritage
- Modern Indian History
- World History
- Indian Society
- Geography
PAPER-III: General Studies- II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations.
- Indian Constitution
- Indian Polity
- Social Justice
- Indian Governance
- International Relations
PAPER-IV: General Studies-III: Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management
- Indian Economy
- Science and Technology
- Environment & Biodiversity
- Security and Disaster Management
PAPER-V: General Studies- IV: Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude
- Ethics and Human Interface Attitude
- Aptitude
- Emotional Intelligence
- Public/Civil Service Values and Ethics in Public Administration
- Probity in Governance
PAPER-VI & PAPER VII: Optional Subject Papers I & II Candidate may choose any optional subjects.
1.Agriculture 2.Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science 3.Anthropology 4.Botany 5.Chemistry 6.Civil Engineering 7.Commerce and Accountancy 8.Economics 9.Electrical Engineering 10.Geography 11.Geology 12.History 13.Law 14.Assamese 15.Bengali 16.Dogri 17.English 18.Gujarati 19.Hindi 20.Kannada 21.Kashmiri 22.Konkani 23.Maithili 24.Malayalam 25.Manipuri 26.Marathi 27.Nepali 28.Odia 29.Punjabi 30.Sanskrit 31.Santhali 32.Sindhi 33.Tamil 34.Telugu 35.Urdu 36.Mathematics 37.Mechanical Engineering 38.Medical Science 39.Philosophy 40.Physics 41.Political Science and International 42.Psychology 43.Public Administration 44.Sociology 45.Statistics 46. Zoology
Qualifying Papers –
| Subject | Total Marks | Duration |
| Paper-A – Compulsory Indian Language | 300 | 3Hrs |
| Paper-B – English | 300 | 3Hrs |
Papers Counted for Merit –
| Subject | Total Marks | Duration |
| Paper- I : Essay | 250 | 3Hrs |
| Paper- II : General Studies-I | 250 | 3Hrs |
| Paper- III : General Studies-II | 250 | 3Hrs |
| Paper- IV : General Studies-III | 250 | 3Hrs |
| Paper- V : General Studies-IV | 250 | 3Hrs |
| Paper- VI : Optional- I | 250 | 3Hrs |
| Paper- VII : Optional- II | 250 | 3Hrs |
Serious candidates should go through the UPSC Syllabus 2024 so that they can understand the demands of the UPSC from the candidates. In other words, they can get to know what they have to study and what not to. Remembering the syllabus is always advised to students because it keeps your preparation on track. Below are some reasons why you should have deep understanding of UPSC Syllabus 2024-
- By understanding the syllabus, the candidates will be able to understand the nature of the questions. Which will help the candidate to mold themselves according to observation or to study.
- Sometimes one or more questions from a subject are asked in a fresh new way by the Union Public Service Commission. After thoroughly observing the UPSC syllabus, candidates can easily solve such questions.
Download UPSC Syllabus PDF 2024
Download UPSC Syllabus PDF 2024- Prelims Only 👇🏻
Download UPSC Syllabus PDF 2024 – Prelims Syllabus In English
Download UPSC Syllabus PDF 2024 – Prelims Syllabus In Hindi
Download UPSC Syllabus PDF 2024- Mains Only👇🏻
Download UPSC Syllabus PDF 2024 – Mains Syllabus In English
Download UPSC Syllabus PDF 2024 – Mains Syllabus In Hindi
Download UPSC Syllabus PDF 2024- Complete 👇🏻
Download UPSC Syllabus PDF 2024 – Complete Syllabus In English
Download UPSC Syllabus PDF 2024 – Complete Syllabus In Hindi
Every year Union Public Service Commission conducts a recruitment examination for the selection of officers in the following services. These services are as follows-
- All India Services
- Group-A Services
- Group-B Services
The departments under these services are as follows:
All India Services :-
- Indian Administrative Service
- Indian Police Service
- Indian Forest Service
Group A Services :-
- Indian Foreign Service
- Revenue Services
- Corporate Law Services
- Audit and Accounting Services
- Civil Accounts
- Railway Accounts
- Defense Accounts
- Finance, Postal and Wire Accounts
- Postal Services
- Ordnance Factory Administrative
- Defense Estates Services
- Railway Protection Force Administrative
Group B Services
- Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Services (DANICF)
- Pondicherry Civil Service and Police Services
FAQs: UPSC Syllabus 2024 | Download UPSC Syllabus PDF Free
Is 3 months enough for UPSC Prelims?
Honestly,it is difficult, but at the same time it’s not completely impossible provided you put your hard work and dedication into the preparation.
What are the 7 subjects of UPSC?
Indian Polity, Geography, History, Indian Economy, Science and Technology, Environment and Ecology, International Relations and associated UPSC current affairs.
Can I crack UPSC in 1 year without coaching?
Yes, you can but it totally depend upon your strategy, dedication and hard work.
Can anyone crack UPSC in 6 months starting from zero?
A 6- months long period is neither insufficient nor sufficient for UPSC prelims exam and ultimately it all depends upon the candidate’s dedication and willingness to make it work.
Does UPSC have maths?
Maths is one of the Optional Subjects with 2 papers (Paper I and Paper II).
Which medium is best for UPSC?
English medium is best for UPSC. It is the most popular language among UPSC aspirants for both written examinations and personality test interviews. Thanks to the large amount of resources available in this medium.
How can I prepare UPSC at home?
Go through the UPSC Syllabus and analyze it properly. Take time to understand every subject and topic covered in the syllabus. Know everything about the UPSC Exam Pattern and develop a robust study plan.
Set your daily, weekly, and monthly goals to cover the UPSC Prelims Syllabus and UPSC Mains Syllabus efficiently.
What are the 5 compulsory subjects in UPSC?
Indian Polity and Governance , History, Geography , General Science and Economics and Social Development are all compulsory subjects.
Which subject to study first for UPSC?
Though it’s matter of interest, however it is suggested to start from class 6 to 12 NCERT books for that particular subject of your interest.
Which stream is best for UPSC?
It has been an established fact that the Art subjects scores over the Science and Commerce subjects.
Is coaching necessary for UPSC?
There is no any rule that you must attend coaching classes to clear the IAS exam. Even sometimes the coaching classes goers do fail too.
From right guidance, proper strategy, hard work and dedication any exam in the world can be cleared.
Can I clear UPSC on my own?
Yes you can, with proper strategy, hard work, dedication and right steps you can clear UPSC CSE exam even in first chance. You can easily prepare for the UPSC exam at home with the help of easily available online resources.
Can I skip NCERT for UPSC?
It is not recommended to candidates to skip NCERT books because they comprise detailed and conceptual information on varied topics in the simplest and most efficient manner.
Which subject has highest success rate in UPSC?
The higher success rates is seen in subjects such as Law, Management and Commerce and Accountancy.
What is the negative mark of UPSC?
For every correct answer 2.5 marks will be rewarded; also for every wrong answer, 1/3 (0.83) marks will be deducted.
Which is the easiest optional in UPSC?
Some of the easiest optional subjects for UPSC mains exam are –
Public Administration, Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology, Political Sciences, Hindi Literature etc.
Which optional subject has shortest syllabus?
The shortest subject among all the optional subjects for CSE Mains is Philosophy. This is the reason why it is so popular among the UPSC aspirants.
What is the UPSC syllabus 2024?
The UPSC has three phases of examination- 1. Prelims, 2. Mains and 3. Interview. The Prelims has two papers namely General Studies and CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test).
The Mains has 7 papers namely Paper-I (Essays), Paper-II to V ( General Studies ) and Paper VI and VII (Optional).
What are the 7 papers in UPSC?
The Mains exam of UPSC civil services comprises seven papers which are counted for merit namely Paper-I (Essay), Paper-II, III, IV and V (General Studies-I, II, III and IV) and Paper VI and VII (Optional).
Are UPSC Prelims and Mains syllabus different?
Ofcourse, the syllabus of prelims and mains exam of UPSC CSE are completely different. Thus it becomes necessary for the candidates to go through the complete syllabus and prepare accordingly.
How to prepare for UPSC 2024 at home?
Read NCERT books from class 6 to 12, it will help clear your basics and concepts.
Read newspapers daily (The Hindu/The Indian Express are recommended), you can your notes too.
After NCERTs you can start with Indian Polity by M. Laxmikant
Indian Art and Culture by N. Singhania
Oxford School Atlas by Oxford Publishers (For Study of Maps)
Certificate Physical and Human Geography by G.C. Leong (Geography)
Indian Economy by Ramesh Singh
Study Previous Years Questions, try to decode the trend.
Exercise answer writing.
Learn from toppers, watch their interviews, study their copies. This will help you to write answers in a better and effective way.