The Essay Paper requires candidates to carefully adhere to their essay topic, organize their ideas clearly and write succinctly – all while earning credit for effective and precise expression.
Discover a new way of approaching UPSC exam preparation, with an adapted, efficient, and effective strategy in mind. Click the red payment button now to join this webinar!
Preliminary Examination
The preliminary exam is an objective-type test designed to test candidates’ knowledge and ability in answering questions related to two subjects, with two separate papers carrying 200 marks each. While these scores don’t count towards final ranks, doing well on this exam can determine if one qualifies for main exam or not.
The General Studies Prelims 2024 syllabus can be broadly broken down into categories such as History, Geography, Politics, Economics, Science & Technology, Environment & Ecology as well as Current Affairs events and Current affairs-based events. Questions in this multiple choice exam cover factual as well as analytical aspects.
Candidates will also have to write an essay on a given topic, designed to test both their writing ability as well as ability to organize thoughts in an efficient manner. Each essay question carries 250 marks.
Civil Services Exam (CSE) is a three-stage competitive exam with top rankers being chosen for various civil service positions such as IAS, IPS, IFS and IRS. Due to the nature of competition and this examination’s strict application standards, students must prepare well in advance for each step in this examination process. Specifically, familiarizing themselves with UPSC Syllabus 2024 available online should help prepare themselves effectively as well as selecting suitable optional subjects for main examination.
Main Examination
The UPSC Civil Services Main Examination tests candidates’ intellectual traits and depth of understanding rather than just their memory or range of information. Questions in General Studies papers aim to test candidates’ ability to grasp important issues, think and analyse them critically, as well as communicate their ideas clearly and succinctly. During Essay Paper candidates must write logically structured essays on various topics while remaining close to the subject without digressing into superficiality – all while covering salient features of Indian culture in an essay format.
The Union Public Service Commission conducts the Civil Services Preliminary Exam to select eligible candidates for admission into the Main Examination. It consists of an objective-type exam with up to 400 marks available, but these marks do not count toward final ranking.
At the Main Examination, candidates are required to sit for nine papers and seven of these scores count toward merit ranking; “General Studies IV,” however, tests candidates’ ethical values and aptitude for civil service.
Aspirants who pass the Main Examination become eligible to sit an Interview, or Personality Test. This assessment process seeks to ascertain an aspirant’s suitability for civil services; there is no set syllabus; instead candidates should demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of issues facing government bodies.
Interview
UPSC interviews are structured conversations designed to assess mental capacities and analytical abilities. Panel members will ask you questions based on information provided in your Detailed Application Form (DAF). It is wise to anticipate potential questions that might come up during an interview; however, remembering that its main goal is not testing correct answers but how well candidates perform under pressure.
Formulating an effective study plan is critical to your success in the Civil Services Exam. A well-structured plan will keep you focused on your preparation, allocating sufficient time for each topic systematically, and including regular mock tests and revisions. In addition, having a deep knowledge of the UPSC Syllabus will assist in selecting appropriate study materials and creating efficient notes.
Prabhat Singh sir will present an overview of the new UPSC Syllabus 2025 and provide tips on how to effectively prepare for it. He will show how to create an effective preparation strategy which is flexible enough to adapt with changing trends in the exam; additionally he will outline an interview preparation framework which has proven itself successful for hundreds of candidates preparing for civil services examination. Join this webinar now to discover how you can create a successful civil services exam prep plan!
Optional Subjects
Candidates taking the Mains Examination of UPSC must select two optional subjects that carry 250 marks each. Selecting an ideal subject could make or break your chances of making it onto the final merit list, so it is crucial that you carefully choose an option based on both interest and knowledge; also take note of available coaching institutes for guidance in your chosen topic.
As you select optional subjects for a GRE examination, remember to choose those which overlap well with General Studies papers for maximum time and effort savings in preparation. Geography is often recommended, as it covers many of the same topics as General Studies while being widely available and scoring subjects at most coaching institutes.
Other popular subjects for IAS exams include Public Administration, Economics, Sociology & Anthropology (SO&A), Political Science & International Relations (PSIR), History. If unsure which subject to choose, ask IAS toppers for guidance or look at which subjects have done well in past IAS examinations. Performing research into previous year question papers also can provide valuable insight into their format and types of questions asked within each subject area.
