The UPSC Civil Services Examination is a highly competitive exam in India aimed at recruiting civil servants for various government positions. It consists of three stages: a preliminary exam, a main exam, and a personal interview, with specific eligibility requirements and application procedures outlined. Candidates are advised to understand the exam pattern and syllabus, develop effective study strategies, and maintain healthy habits for optimal performance.

1. UPSC - Civil Services Examination: Exam Pattern, Syllabus, application procedure, fee
UPSC Civil Services Examination is much sought after exam among the youth who wish to serve the nation.
Civil Servants are high rank government officials in India. Lakhs of students appear for the Civil Services
Exam every year, which is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Here's the much
needed information about UPSC Civil Services Exam, which help the IAS aspirants who dream to be called
as IAS Officers.
UPSC civil services consist of following services namely:
1. Indian Administrative Service.
2. Indian Foreign Service.
3. Indian Police Service.
4. Indian P & T Accounts & Finance Service, Group ‘A’.
5. Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Group ‘A’.
6. Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise), Group ‘A’.
7. Indian Defence Accounts Service, Group ‘A’.
8. Indian Revenue Service (I.T.), Group ‘A’.
9. Indian Ordnance Factories Service, Group ‘A’ (Assistant Works Manager, Administration).
10. Indian Postal Service, Group ‘A’.
11. Indian Civil Accounts Service, Group ‘A’.
12. Indian Railway Traffic Service, Group ‘A’.
13. Indian Railway Accounts Service, Group 'A'.
14. Indian Railway Personnel Service, Group ‘A’.
15. Post of Assistant Security Commissioner in Railway Protection Force, Group ‘A’
16. Indian Defence Estates Service, Group ‘A’.
17. Indian Information Service (Junior Grade), Group ‘A’.
18. Indian Trade Service, Group 'A'.
19. Indian Corporate Law Service, Group "A".
20. Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service, Group ‘B’ (Section Officer’s Grade).
21. Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil
Service, Group 'B'.
22. Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Police
Service, Group 'B'.
23. Pondicherry Civil Service, Group 'B'.
24. Pondicherry Police Service, Group ‘B
Tentative Schedule for Civil Services examination 2019:
The UPSC Calendar/Schedule for the Civil Service Examination contains the notification date, last date to
submit the application and dates of Prelims, Mains and Personal Interview. UPSC releases the notification
for civil services at least 6 months prior to exam date, which help students to design their preparation
according to that. The details of UPSC Notification for civil services are as follows.
Notification 19.2.2019
Last date to apply 18.3.2019
ISA Prelims exam 2.6.2019
Main Exam 20.09.2019
Personal Interview Nov-December
Final result January 2020

2. UPSC Exam Pattern for Civil Services
The Civil Services Exam is directed by the UPSC every year and the exam is held in three stages and they
are:
Stage I: Preliminary Examination
Stage II: Main Examination
Stage III: Personal Interview Round
Stage I – UPSC Civil Services - Preliminary Exam
The first stage of the Civil Services Exam is Preliminary Exam, which is a screening test for candidates.
a. The Exam has two compulsory Papers with 200 marks for each paper.
b. Both the question papers will be of the objective type (MCQs)
c. The General Studies Paper-II of the Civil Services Examination (Preliminary) will be a qualifying
paper with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%.
d. The question papers will be given both in Hindi and English.
e. Each paper will be of two hours duration.
S. No Name of the Paper Nature of the
paper
Duration of
the exam
Questions Marks
1 Paper – I :
General Studies
2 Hours 100 200 Marks
2 Paper – II :
General Studies
QUALIFYING
NATURE
2 Hours 80 200 Marks
Total 400 marks
Those who are declared as qualified in Preliminary have to apply for Mains Exam again.
Stage II – UPSC Civil Services Main Exam
The written examination of UPSC Civil Services Exam - Main consists of the following papers:
S. No Paper Name of the Paper Nature of
the Paper
Duration of
the Exam
Marks
1 Paper– A Compulsory Indian
Language Qualifying
Papers
3 Hours 300
marks
2 Paper– B English 3 Hours 300
Marks
3 Paper -I ESSAY
Papers to
be counted
for merit
3 Hours 250
Marks
4 Paper -II GENERAL STUDIES I 3 Hours 250
Marks
5 Paper-III GENERAL STUDIES II 3 Hours 250
Marks
6 Paper-IV GENERAL STUDIES III 3 Hours 250
Marks
7 Paper -V GENERAL STUDIES IV 3 Hours 250
Marks
8 Paper-VI OPTIONAL PAPER I 3 Hours 250

3. Marks
9 Paper-VII OPTIONAL PAPER II 3 Hours 250
Marks
Total 1750
Interview or Personality test 275
Grand Total 2025
Sub Total (Written test) 1750 Marks
Personality Test 275 Marks
Grand Total 2025 Marks
Candidates may choose any one of the optional subjects from amongst the list of subjects given below:
i. The papers on Indian languages and English (Paper A and paper B) will be of Matriculation or
equivalent standard and will be of qualifying nature. The marks obtained in these papers will not be
counted for ranking.
ii. Evaluation of the papers, namely, 'Essay', 'General Studies' and Optional Subject of all the
candidates would be done simultaneously along with evaluation of their qualifying papers on
‘Indian Languages’ and ‘English’ but the papers on ‘Essay’, General Studies and Optional Subject of
only such candidates will be taken cognizance who attain 25% marks in ‘Indian Language’ and 25%
in English as minimum qualifying standards in these qualifying papers.
iii. The paper A on Indian Language will not, however, be compulsory for candidates hailing from the
States of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim.
iv. Marks obtained by the candidates for the Paper I-VII only will be counted for merit ranking.
However, the Commission will have the discretion to fix qualifying marks in any or all of these
papers.
List of optional subjects for UPSC Civil Services - Main Examination: (For Papers VI & VII)
1. Agriculture
2. Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
3. Anthropology
4. Botany
5. Chemistry
6. Civil Engineering
7. Commerce and Accountancy
8. Economics
9. Electrical Engineering
10. Geography
11. Geology
12. History
13. Law
14. Management
15. Mathematics
16. Mechanical Engineering
17. Medical Science
18. Philosophy
19. Physics
20. Political Science and International Relations

4. 21. Psychology
22. Public Administration
23. Sociology
24. Statistics
25. Zoology
26. Literature of any one of the following languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi,
Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi,
Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and English.
i. The question papers for the examination will be of conventional (essay) type.
ii. Each paper will be of three hours duration.
iii. Candidates will have the option to answer all the question papers, except the Qualifying Language
Papers, Paper-A and Paper-B, in any one of the languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the
Constitution of India or in English. Notwithstanding this, the Candidate will have the choice to write
the Optional Papers in English also if candidates opt to write Paper I-V except the Qualifying
Language Papers, Paper-A and Paper-B, in any one of the language included in the Eighth Schedule
to the Constitution of India.
iv. Candidates exercising the option to answer Papers in any one of the languages included in the Eight
Schedule to the Constitution of India mentioned above may, if they so desire, give English version
within brackets of only the description of the technical terms, if any, in addition to the version in
the language opted by them. Candidates should, however, note that if they misuse the above rule,
a deduction will be made on this account from the total marks otherwise accruing to them and in
extreme cases; their script(s) will not be valued for being in an unauthorized medium.
Those who are qualified in Mains exam will be sent an e-summon letter by UPSC, calling them for
personal interview.
Stage III - Personal Interview with the UPSC BOARD
Applicants who clear the Civil Services Main Exam with the cut off marks will be eligible for the last phase
of the exam i.e., the Personal Interview round with the UPSC Board Members. The applicants who qualify
the Mains will be sent an e-summon letter by the commission for face to face discussion with the board
individuals. In this round the board evaluates the qualities of the students and questions will be asked on
their hobbies, current issues, general knowledge, and situational questions and so on. The last round that
is the Personal Interview round will be held just in the UPSC Bhavan in New Delhi.
UPSC Civil Services – Eligibility
 For the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service, a candidate must be a citizen of
India.
 For other services, a candidate must be either;
(a) a citizen of India, or
(b) a subject of Nepal, or
(c) a subject of Bhutan, or
(d) a Tibetan refugee who came over to India before 1st January, 1962 with the intention of
permanently settling in India.
 Age: A candidate must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 32
years on the 1st of August, 2019 i.e., he must have been born not earlier than 2nd August, 1987 and
not later than 1st August, 1998.
 Minimum Educational Qualifications: The candidate must hold a degree of any of Universities
incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India or other educational institutions
established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University Under Section-3 of
the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification.

5.  Number of attempts: Every candidate appearing at the examination shall be permitted six attempts
at the examination
 The number of attempts permissible to candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes, who are
otherwise eligible, shall be nine
 Restriction on the number of attempts will not apply in the case of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes candidates who are otherwise eligible
 An attempt at a Preliminary Examination shall be deemed to be an attempt at the Civil Services
Examination.
 If a candidate actually appears in any one paper in the Preliminary Examination, he/she shall be
deemed to have made an attempt at the Examination.
UPSC Civil Services Online Application Procedure and Fee details
 Candidates are required to apply online using the website http://www.upsconline.nic.in. Detailed
instructions for filling up online applications are available on the above mentioned website. The
applicants are advised to submit only single application.
 Candidates (excepting Female/SC/ST/Persons with Benchmark Disability Candidates who are
exempted from payment of fee) are required to pay fee of Rs. 100/- (Rupees One Hundred only)
either by remitting the money in any Branch of State Bank of India or by using Visa/Master/RuPay
Credit/Debit Card or by using Internet Banking of SBI.
 Applicants who opt for "Pay by Cash" mode should print the system generated Pay-in-slip during
part II registration and deposit the fee at the counter of SBI Branch on the next working day only.
"Pay by Cash” mode will be deactivated at 23.59 hours of the day before the closing date; however
applicants who have generated their Pay-in- Slip before it is deactivated may pay at the counter of
SBI Branch during banking hours on the closing date. Such applicants who are unable to pay by cash
on the closing date i.e during banking hours at SBI Branch, for reasons whatsoever, even if holding
valid pay-in-slip will have no other offline option but to opt for available online Debit/Credit Card or
Internet Banking payment mode on the closing date i.e. till 18:00 Hours of 06.03.2018.
 Fee once paid shall not be refunded under any circumstances nor can the fee be held in reserve for
any other examination or selection.
 If any candidate who took the Civil Services Examination held in 2018 wishes to apply for admission
to this examination, he/she must submit his/her application without waiting for the results or an
offer of appointment.
 Candidates admitted to the Main Examination will be required to pay a further fee of Rs. 200/-
(Rupees Two hundreds only).
UPSC Civil Services Syllabus
Tips for Preparation of Civil Services
Guides, faculty or subject experts insist that before starting the Civil Services Exam Preparation, it is
necessary for every aspirant to know and understand the complete Exam Pattern and Syllabus of UPSC.
 Go through the complete notification of UPSC to know clearly about the UPSC Civil Services
Examination pattern and syllabus.
 Next step is to sketch a perfect preparation strategy, a perfect time schedule for studying each
subject and revising it again.
 Choosing best study material is another task, as there are numbers of books available in the
market, the secret of success lies in choosing best books.

6.  Having good study material is important, but it is more important to get proper coaching and expert
guidance for difficult subjects. Hence, choosing best coaching centre and expert faculty for each
subject is also key aspect in IAS Exam Preparation.
 It is good practice to revise the lectures given in coaching centres on the same day. Some students
wait till the entire syllabus is covered and then start revising, which is time consuming and less
effective. Much priority is needed for revising the lessons on the same day they are taught.
 Repeated Mock-tests keep an aspirant in pace with the content. Attempting previous papers and
solving mock tests give a candidate much needed practice before the exam.
 Gathering current affairs through prominent newspapers and magazines, following news bulletins
in reputed TV news channels and all India radio, reading articles of subject experts should be
regular practice for a civil services aspirant.
 Maintaining proper food habits, regular physical exercises and planned daily routine results in
healthy body and mind. Sound health is mandatory for any student who appears for competitive
exams.