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Commonly referred to as the UPSC examination, the UPSC Civil Services Examination is a highly competitive & prestigious nationwide exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. The exam is aimed at recruiting candidates for various Civil Services positions in the Government of India, such as the IAS, IFS, IPS, and more.
Introduction– The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is one of the most prestigious and competitive examinations in India. Conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the exam is designed to select candidates for various civil services positions in the government of India. The top services offered are the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Police Service (IPS), in addition to various other central services such as the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Revenue Service (IRS) and more.
The exam is conducted in three stages – Preliminary, Mains, and Interview. The preliminary examination consists of two objective-type papers (General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II also popularly known as Civil Service Aptitude Test or CSAT), the main examination consisting of nine papers of conventional (essay) type, in which two papers are qualifying and only marks of seven are counted & it is followed by a personality test (interview).
Prelims– The UPSC CSE Preliminary Examination is the first stage of the UPSC Civil Services Examination, which is conducted to screen candidates for the next stage of the exam, the UPSC CSE Mains Examination. The Preliminary Examination consists of two papers – General Studies Paper-I and General Studies Paper-II (also known as the Civil Services Aptitude Test or CSAT). The General Studies Paper-I tests the candidate’s knowledge of current events, Indian polity and governance, economic and social development, environmental ecology and biodiversity, and general science. The General Studies Paper-II tests the candidate’s comprehension, interpersonal skills, decision-making, problem-solving abilities, and basic numerical aptitude.
Both papers of the UPSC CSE Prelims are objective type with multiple-choice questions, and the total duration of the exam is 4 hours. The question papers will be set both in Hindi and English. The General Studies Paper-I carries 200 marks (100 questions), and the General Studies Paper-II carries 200 marks (80 questions).
However, the marks obtained in the General Studies Paper-II are not counted for the candidate’s selection for the UPSC CSE Mains Examination as it is qualifying in nature & the candidate has to secure 33% of the total marks in it. Only the marks obtained in the General Studies Paper-I are considered for selection to the Mains Examination but the selection for IFS posts will be based on merit on the cumulative score of GS Paper-I & GS Paper-II.
Mains– To appear for the UPSC CSE Mains examination, candidates must have cleared the Preliminary Examination and meet the educational and age eligibility criteria as prescribed by the UPSC. The UPSC CSE Mains Examination is a rigorous examination that requires candidates to have a deep understanding of a variety of subjects. The papers are designed to test a candidate’s knowledge, analytical abilities, and writing skills. The papers are of conventional essay type and candidates are required to write long-form answers. The examination is conducted in an offline mode and candidates are given a set amount of time to complete each paper.
The UPSC CSE Mains Examination comprises nine papers, which are conducted over a period of five to seven days. These papers are divided into two categories – Qualifying Papers and Merit Papers.
The UPSC CSE Mains Examination comprises nine papers, which are conducted over a period of five to seven days. These papers are divided into two categories – Qualifying Papers and Merit Papers.
Personality test (interview): The UPSC CSE Personality Test, also known as the Interview, is the final stage of the UPSC Civil Services Examination. It is conducted by a board of highly qualified and experienced individuals appointed by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) of India to assess the candidate’s personality, communication skills, leadership qualities, and overall suitability for the civil services. It carries a weightage of 275 marks. The final selection of candidates is based on their combined scores in the Mains Examination and the Personality Test.
The board members are highly experienced in their respective fields and have a wide range of expertise in different domains, such as public administration, economics, history, social work, and psychology, among others.
The Personality Test is designed to test the candidate’s mental alertness, social traits, leadership qualities, and overall suitability for the job. The board members ask questions related to current affairs, general knowledge, ethical and moral issues, and the candidate’s chosen optional subject. The candidate is also asked to provide their opinion on various issues related to politics, social affairs, and public administration. The board members may also ask situational questions to assess the candidate’s decision-making abilities and problem-solving skills.
