UPSC CSE Syllabus: Prelims and Mains (IAS Exam Syllabus)

This is a structured, current-cycle guide to the syllabus in UPSC's Civil Services Examination 2026 notice. It covers the UPSC IAS exam syllabus, including Prelims, Main written papers and the optional-subject choices. The official notice is the controlling source if a later cycle changes any wording or rule.

Syllabus at a glance

Stage	Papers	What to prepare
Prelims	GS Paper I and CSAT	Screening for Main
Main qualifying	Indian Language and English	Must clear; marks do not count for rank
Main merit	Essay, GS I-IV and two Optional papers	1,750 written merit marks
Personality Test	Interview	No prescribed written syllabus; 275 marks

UPSC Prelims syllabus

General Studies Paper I

Prepare these official areas:

Current events of national and international importance
History of India and the Indian National Movement
Indian and world geography: physical, social and economic geography
Indian polity and governance: Constitution, political system, Panchayati Raj, public policy and rights issues
Economic and social development: sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics and social-sector initiatives
General issues on environmental ecology, biodiversity and climate change that do not require subject specialisation
General science

General Studies Paper II (CSAT)

CSAT is qualifying at 33%. The official 2026 syllabus lists:

Comprehension
Interpersonal skills, including communication skills
Logical reasoning and analytical ability
Decision-making and problem-solving
General mental ability
Basic numeracy at Class X level
Data interpretation at Class X level: charts, graphs, tables and data sufficiency

Both Prelims papers are objective and two hours each. You must appear in both papers for evaluation. Prelims marks are not added to final rank.

UPSC Main written syllabus

The Main written examination tests intellectual traits, depth of understanding, relevant analysis and concise expression. It contains nine conventional, essay-type papers; two are qualifying and seven count for merit.

Qualifying papers: Indian Language and English

Purpose and standard

These papers test the ability to understand serious discursive prose and express ideas clearly and correctly. They are of matriculation or equivalent standard and do not contribute to rank.

Question areas

English	Indian Language
Comprehension	Comprehension
Precis writing	Precis writing
Usage and vocabulary	Usage and vocabulary
Short essays	Short essays
—	Translation between English and the selected Indian language

Candidates answer English in English and the Indian Language paper in the relevant language, except where translation is involved. UPSC lists exemptions from Paper A for candidates from specified north-eastern states and certain hearing-impaired candidates under the conditions in the notice.

Paper I: Essay

Candidates may be asked to write essays on multiple topics. UPSC expects focused treatment of the topic, orderly ideas, concise writing and effective, exact expression.

Paper II: General Studies I

Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society

Indian art forms, literature and architecture from ancient to modern times
Modern Indian history, significant events, personalities and issues
Freedom struggle and contributions from different parts of India
Post-independence consolidation and reorganisation
World history since the eighteenth century: industrial revolution, wars, colonialism, decolonisation and political philosophies
Indian society, diversity, women, population, poverty, development and urbanisation
Globalisation, social empowerment, communalism, regionalism and secularism
World physical geography, natural-resource distribution and industrial location
Geophysical phenomena, environmental/geographical change, water bodies, ice caps, flora and fauna

Paper III: General Studies II

Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations

Constitution: evolution, features, amendments, provisions and basic structure
Union-state relations, federalism, decentralisation and local government
Separation of powers, Parliament, state legislatures, executive, judiciary and representation of people
Constitutional, statutory, regulatory and quasi-judicial bodies
Government policies, welfare schemes, development processes, NGOs, SHGs and other stakeholders
Health, education, human resources, poverty and hunger
Governance, transparency, accountability, e-governance, citizens' charters and role of civil services
India and its neighbourhood, bilateral/regional/global groupings, diaspora and international institutions

Paper IV: General Studies III

Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management

Economy, planning, resources, growth, employment, inclusive growth and budgeting
Agriculture: crops, irrigation, marketing, subsidies, MSP, PDS, food security, food processing and land reforms
Liberalisation, industrial policy, infrastructure and investment models
Science and technology, indigenous achievements, IT, space, robotics, nano-technology, biotechnology and intellectual-property issues
Conservation, environmental pollution, degradation and environmental impact assessment
Disaster and disaster management
Internal security, extremism, terrorism, cyber security, money laundering, border management and security agencies

Paper V: General Studies IV

Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude

Ethics and human interface; ethics in private and public relationships
Human values; role of family, society and education; lessons from leaders, reformers and administrators
Attitude, moral and political attitudes, social influence and persuasion
Aptitude and foundational values for civil service: integrity, impartiality, objectivity, empathy, tolerance and compassion
Emotional intelligence and its application in administration and governance
Moral thinkers and philosophers from India and the world
Public-service values, ethical governance, accountability, international relations and corporate governance
Probity in governance: public service, RTI, codes of ethics/conduct, citizens' charters, public funds and corruption
Case studies on the above areas

Papers VI and VII: Optional subject

Choose one optional subject. It has two papers of 250 marks each. The notification's complete 2026 optional-subject list is:

Agriculture
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
Anthropology
Botany
Chemistry
Civil Engineering
Commerce and Accountancy
Economics
Electrical Engineering
Geography
Geology
History
Law
Management
Mathematics
Mechanical Engineering
Medical Science
Philosophy
Physics
Political Science and International Relations
Psychology
Public Administration
Sociology
Statistics
Zoology
Literature of one listed language: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu or English.

The optional syllabus is broadly honours-degree level. For Engineering, Medical Science and Law, UPSC states that the level corresponds to the bachelor's degree level. Consult the official notice for each optional's complete Paper I and Paper II topic list.

How to use this syllabus

Build separate preparation tracks for Prelims GS, CSAT, Main GS, Essay, Ethics and Optional.
Map current affairs to the relevant GS paper instead of treating current affairs as a separate Main paper.
Keep the two qualifying language papers in your plan: failure to meet their standard prevents merit evaluation.
Use the UPSC CSE Exam Pattern page for marks and selection flow, and the CSE overview for eligibility, attempts, services and application steps.

Official source

UPSC CSE 2026 notice: scheme and complete syllabus

UPSC may revise papers, syllabus wording, optional choices or instructions in a future notice. Verify the current cycle before acting on an application or study plan.