UPSC CSE Exam Pattern: Prelims, Mains and Interview
The UPSC Civil Services Examination has three successive stages. The Preliminary Examination screens candidates for Main; the Main written examination and Personality Test determine final merit.
Stage 1: Preliminary Examination
| Paper | Marks | Nature | Duration | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Studies Paper I | 200 | Objective | 2 hours | Cut-off based screening paper |
| General Studies Paper II (CSAT) | 200 | Objective | 2 hours | Qualifying - minimum 33% |
Prelims marks are not added to the final rank. UPSC's 2026 notice says the Main shortlist is approximately 12 to 13 times the vacancies, subject to the Commission's rules and cut-off.
Stage 2: Main written examination
All nine Main papers are conventional, essay-type papers.
| Paper | Subject | Marks | Ranking status |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | One Indian Language | 300 | Qualifying |
| B | English | 300 | Qualifying |
| I | Essay | 250 | Merit |
| II | General Studies I | 250 | Merit |
| III | General Studies II | 250 | Merit |
| IV | General Studies III | 250 | Merit |
| V | General Studies IV | 250 | Merit |
| VI | Optional Subject - Paper 1 | 250 | Merit |
| VII | Optional Subject - Paper 2 | 250 | Merit |
Marks calculation
- Written merit papers (I-VII): 1,750 marks
- Personality Test: 275 marks
- Final total: 2,025 marks
The two language papers are qualifying. A candidate must secure at least 25% in each of Paper A and Paper B before marks in the other Main papers are taken into account for ranking.
Stage 3: Personality Test
Candidates meeting UPSC's written qualification standard are called for the Interview/Personality Test. The notification states that the number called is about twice the vacancies. The test carries 275 marks and has no minimum qualifying marks.
Final ranking is based on Main written merit marks plus Personality Test marks. Service allocation for IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS and other notified services is then made according to rank, preferences and eligibility conditions.
Main-exam planning implications
- Do not treat the two qualifying language papers as merit papers, but prepare them seriously because failing their qualifying standard prevents merit evaluation.
- The Optional Subject contributes 500 of the 1,750 written merit marks.
- Essay and four GS papers together contribute 1,250 written merit marks.
- Prelims is essential for entry to Main but does not carry forward into final merit.
Official source
Check the current notification for any revised dates, rules, papers or instructions.