UPSC for Dummies | Everything from Zero to One

UPSC civil services exam is a three step procedure- 

Prelims ->  Mains -> Interview

Prelims is of 400 marks, two papers of 200 marks - 2 hours each. MCQ type. 

It is useless, just another qualification exam.  

5 Lakh people appear and 10k Qualify, about 5k from General Category. 

Sujects are GS1 and GS2, google "Prelims GS1 syllabus" for  more info.

Mains has 9 papers

3 hours each, 2 of them just for time pass.

7 out of those 9 papers are scorable. These papers are schedules in a series of weeks.

Pattern: 7 subjective type papers of 250 marks each: Total 1750 max marks. 

10k people appear, 2k qualify for interview. 

Subjects are Eassy writing, GS1, GS2,GS3, GS4, Optional 1 and Optional 2, You may choose one optional subject from a given list of 48 subjects.  

Interview 

2k people appear for this process of 275 marks. 

Max marks (interview+mains):  2025

In the end only 400 people from general category are selected. 

Overall about 700 people are selected, every year.  

UPSC topper gets about 1100/2025 marks, last selected general cateroy candidates has about 900/2025 marks.

You have about 6 attepms before the age of 32 years

Syllabus for Mains

Paper – I: Essay

Paper – II: General Studies I (Indian heritage and culture, history and geography of the world and society).

Paper – III: General Studies –II (Governance, Constitution, polity, social justice and international relations).

Paper – IV: General Studies III (Technology, economic development, biodiversity, environment, security and disaster management).

Paper – V: General Studies IV (Ethics, integrity and aptitude).

Paper – VI: Optional Subject – Paper 1.

Paper – VII: Optional Subject – Paper 2.

For papers VI and VII, you may choose one optional subject from a list of 48 (25 subjects and literature of 23 languages).