The Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination shall comprise of two compulsory Papers of 200 marks each.
- Both the question papers will be of the objective type (multiple choice questions) and each will be of two hours duration.
- The marks obtained in the Preliminary Examination will not be counted for determining the final merit.
- Approximately 12–13 times the number of total vacancies will be selected for the Mains Examination.
- To qualify for the Mains, candidates must:
- Score a minimum of 33% in General Studies Paper-II (CSAT)
- Secure total qualifying marks in General Studies Paper-I as determined by UPSC
- Mandatory: Candidates must appear in both papers; absence in either disqualifies the attempt.
- Negative Marking: One-third (0.66) marks will be deducted for each incorrect answer. Multiple answers count as incorrect. Unattempted questions will not attract penalties.
📘 Paper I – General Studies (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, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization
- General Science
📘 Paper II – CSAT (200 marks) – Duration: 2 Hours
- 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)