UPSC Syllabus 2024: Approximately 13 to 15 lakh candidates fill the application form for the Union Public Service Commission recruitment exam every year. Union Public Service Commission conducts the Indian Administrative Service Officer recruitment exam for the Indian Administrative Services every year. The complete syllabus of the Indian Administrative Service recruitment exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission is given below in a systematic manner. Candidates can get complete information about UPSC Syllabus 2024 from this website. Candidates should read the UPSC Syllabus 2024 thoroughly. So that the candidate can prepare well for the exam.

Table of Contents of UPSC Syllabus 2024

1. UPSC Selection Process 2024
2. UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern 2024
3. UPSC Mains Exam Pattern
4. UPSC Interview Exam Pattern
5. UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024
6. UPSC Mains Syllabus 2024
7. List of Optional Subjects
8. UPSC CSE Interview/Personality Test
9. Topic-wise analysis of questions asked in previous years
10. UPSC Book List For Prelims Exam
11. UPSC Book List For Mains Exam
12. UPSC Previous Year Question Paper
13. UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers

UPSC Selection Process 2024

To become a civil servant in India, a candidate has to pass three main exams conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). These three exams are as follows:

1. UPSC CSE Prelims Exam (Objective Type) 
2. UPSC CSE Mains Exam (Written Test)
3. Interview/Personality Test

UPSC Exam Pattern 2024

UPSC Prelims Exam Pattern 2024

UPSC Mains Exam Pattern

 The Written Examination will consist of the following papers:—  

UPSC Interview Exam Pattern

UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024

Note: 

• Paper-II of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination will be a qualifying paper with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%. Note 2: 
• The questions will be of multiple choice, objective type. 
• It is mandatory for the candidate to appear in both the Papers of Civil Services (Prelim) Examination for the purpose of evaluation. Therefore, a candidate will be disqualified in case he/she does not appear in both the papers of Civil Services (Prelim) Examination.

UPSC Mains Syllabus 2024:

UPSC CSE Interview/Personality Test

• The number of candidates to be summoned for the Interview/Personality Test will be about twice of the number of vacancies to be filled. The Interview/Personality Test will carry 275 marks (with no minimum qualifying marks).
• Marks obtained in the Interview/Personality Test will be counted for ranking. 
• The candidate will be interviewed by a Board who will have before them a record of the candidate’s career. 
• The candidate will be asked questions on matters of general interest. 
• The object of the Interview/Personality Test is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public service by a Board of competent and unbiased observers. 
• The Interview/Personality Test is intended to judge the mental caliber of a candidate. 
• In broad terms this is really an assessment of not only intellectual qualities but also social traits and interest in current affairs. Some of the qualities to be judged are mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, balance of judgment, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion and leadership, intellectual and moral integrity.

Topic wise analysis of questions asked in previous years

UPSC Book List For Prelims Exam

UPSC Book List For Mains Exam

UPSC Previous Year Question Paper

1.

• UPSC Previous Year Question Paper PDF 2016 General Studies Paper I
• UPSC Previous Year Question Paper PDF 2016 General Studies Paper II

2.

• UPSC Previous Year Question Paper PDF 2017 General Studies Paper I
• UPSC Previous Year Question Paper PDF 2017 General Studies Paper II

3.

• UPSC Previous Year Question Paper PDF 2018 General Studies Paper I
• UPSC Previous Year Question Paper PDF 2018 General Studies Paper II

4.

• UPSC Previous Year Question Paper PDF 2019 General Studies Paper I
• UPSC Previous Year Question Paper PDF 2019 General Studies Paper II

5.

• UPSC Previous Year Question Paper PDF 2020 General Studies Paper I
• UPSC Previous Year Question Paper PDF 2020 General Studies Paper II

6.

• UPSC Previous Year Question Paper PDF 2021 General Studies Paper I
• UPSC Previous Year Question Paper PDF 2021 General Studies Paper II

7.

• UPSC Previous Year Question Paper PDF 2022 General Studies Paper I
• UPSC Previous Year Question Paper PDF 2022 General Studies Paper II

8.

• UPSC Previous Year Question Paper PDF 2023 General Studies Paper I
• UPSC Previous Year Question Paper PDF 2023 General Studies Paper II

UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers

UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers: Compulsory Subjects 2021

• Assamese
• Bengali
• English
• Gujarati
• Bodo
• Hindi
• Kannada
• Malayalam
• Marathi
• Nepali
• Odia
• Punjabi
• Sanskrit
• Sindhi
• Tamil
• Telugu
• Urdu

UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers: Literature Subjects 2021 

• Bengali Literature Paper – I
• Bengali Literature Paper – II
• English Literature Paper – I
• English Literature Paper – II
• Gujarati Literature Paper – I
• Gujarati Literature Paper – II
• Hindi Literature Paper – I
• Hindi Literature Paper – II
• Kannada Literature Paper – I
• Kannada Literature Paper – II
• Maithili Literature Paper – I
• Maithili Literature Paper – II
• Malayalam Literature Paper – I
• Malayalam Literature Paper – II
• Manipuri Literature Paper – I
• Manipuri Literature Paper – II
• Marathi Literature Paper – I
• Marathi Literature Paper – II
• Punjabi Literature Paper – I
• Punjabi Literature Paper – II
• Sanskrit Literature Paper – I
• Sanskrit Literature Paper – II
• Sindhi Literature Paper – I (Devanagari)
• Sindhi Literature Paper – II (Devanagari)
• Tamil Literature Paper – I
• Tamil Literature Paper – II
• Telugu Literature Paper – I
• Telugu Literature Paper – II
• Urdu Literature Paper – I
• Urdu Literature Paper – II

UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers: Optional Subjects 2021

• Agriculture Paper – I
• Agriculture Paper – II
• Animal Hus. and Vet. Sc. Paper – I
• Animal Hus. and Vet. Sc. Paper – II
• Anthropology Paper – I
• Anthropology Paper – II
• Botany Paper – I
• Botany Paper – II
• Chemistry Paper – I
• Chemistry Paper – II
• Civil Engineering Paper – I
• Civil Engineering Paper – II
• Commerce and Accountancy Paper – I
• Commerce and Accountancy Paper – II
• Economics Paper – I
• Economics Paper – II
• Electrical Engineering Paper – I
• Electrical Engineering Paper – II
• Geography Paper – I
• Geography Paper – II
• Geology Paper – I
• Geology Paper – II
• History Paper – I
• History Paper – II
• Law Paper – I
• Law Paper – II
• Management Paper – I
• Management Paper – II
• Mathematics Paper – I
• Mathematics Paper – II
• Mechanical Engineering Paper – I
• Mechanical Engineering Paper – II
• Medical Science Paper – I
• Medical Science Paper – II
• Philosophy Paper – I
• Philosophy Paper – II
• Physics Paper – I
• Physics Paper – II
• Political Science and IR Paper – I
• Political Science and IR Paper – II
• Psychology Paper – I
• Psychology Paper – II
• Public Administration Paper – I
• Public Administration Paper – II
• Sociology Paper – I
• Sociology Paper – II
• Statistics Paper – I
• Statistics Paper – II
• Zoology Paper – I
• Zoology Paper – II

UPSC Essay Questions PDF 2021

• Essay

UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers: General Studies  2021

• General Studies – I
• General Studies – II
• General Studies – III
• General Studies – IV

UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers: Compulsory Subjects 2022

• Assamese
• Bodo
• Bengali
• English
• Gujarati
• Hindi
• Kannada
• Malayalam
• Marathi
• Nepali
• Odia
• Punjabi
• Sanskrit
• Sindhi
• Tamil
• Telugu
• Urdu

UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers: Literature Subjects 2022 

• Assamese Literature Paper – I
• Assamese Literature Paper – II
• Bengali Literature Paper – I
• Bengali Literature Paper – II
• English Literature Paper – I
• English Literature Paper – II
• Gujarati Literature Paper – I
• Gujarati Literature Paper – II
• Hindi Literature Paper – I
• Hindi Literature Paper – II
• Kannada Literature Paper – I
• Kannada Literature Paper – II
• Maithili Literature Paper – I
• Maithili Literature Paper – II
• Malayalam Literature Paper – I
• Malayalam Literature Paper – II
• Manipuri Literature Paper – I
• Manipuri Literature Paper – II
• Marathi Literature Paper – I
• Marathi Literature Paper – II
• Punjabi Literature Paper – I
• Punjabi Literature Paper – II
• Sanskrit Literature Paper – I
• Sanskrit Literature Paper – II
• Sindhi Literature Paper – I (Devanagari)
• Sindhi Literature Paper – II (Devanagari)
• Tamil Literature Paper – I
• Tamil Literature Paper – II
• Telugu Literature Paper – I
• Telugu Literature Paper – II
• Urdu Literature Paper – I
• Urdu Literature Paper – II

UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers: Optional Subjects 2022

• Agriculture Paper – I
• Agriculture Paper – II
• Animal Hus. and Vet. Sc. Paper – I
• Animal Hus. and Vet. Sc. Paper – II
• Anthropology Paper – I
• Anthropology Paper – II
• Botany Paper – I
• Botany Paper – II
• Chemistry Paper – I
• Chemistry Paper – II
• Civil Engineering Paper – I
• Civil Engineering Paper – II
• Commerce and Accountancy Paper – I
• Commerce and Accountancy Paper – II
• Economics Paper – I
• Economics Paper – II
• Electrical Engineering Paper – I
• Electrical Engineering Paper – II
• Geography Paper – I
• Geography Paper – II
• Geology Paper – I
• Geology Paper – II
• History Paper – I
• History Paper – II
• Law Paper – I
• Law Paper – II
• Management Paper – I
• Management Paper – II
• Mathematics Paper – I
• Mathematics Paper – II
• Mechanical Engineering Paper – I
• Mechanical Engineering Paper – II
• Medical Science Paper – I
• Medical Science Paper – II
• Philosophy Paper – I
• Philosophy Paper – II
• Physics Paper – I
• Physics Paper – II
• Political Science and IR Paper – I
• Political Science and IR Paper – II
• Psychology Paper – I
• Psychology Paper – II
• Public Administration Paper – I
• Public Administration Paper – II
• Sociology Paper – I
• Sociology Paper – II
• Statistics Paper – I
• Statistics Paper – II
• Zoology Paper – I
• Zoology Paper – II

UPSC Essay Questions PDF 2022

• Essay

UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers: General Studies 2022

• General Studies – I
• General Studies – II
• General Studies – III
• General Studies – IV

UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers: Compulsory Subjects 2023

• Assamese
• Bengali
• Bodo
• English
• Gujarati
• Hindi
• Kannada
• Manipuri
• Maithili
• Malayalam
• Marathi
• Nepali
• Odia
• Punjabi
• Sanskrit
• Sindhi
• Tamil
• Telugu
• Urdu

UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers: Literature Subjects 2023 

• Bengali Literature Paper – I
• Bengali Literature Paper – II
• English Literature Paper – I
• English Literature Paper – II
• Gujarati Literature Paper – I
• Gujarati Literature Paper – II
• Hindi Literature Paper – I
• Hindi Literature Paper – II
• Kannada Literature Paper – I
• Kannada Literature Paper – II
• Maithili Literature Paper – I
• Maithili Literature Paper – II
• Malayalam Literature Paper – I
• Malayalam Literature Paper – II
• Manipuri Literature Paper – I
• Manipuri Literature Paper – II
• Marathi Literature Paper – I
• Marathi Literature Paper – II
• Punjabi Literature Paper – I
• Punjabi Literature Paper – II
• Sanskrit Literature Paper – I
• Sanskrit Literature Paper – II
• Sindhi Literature Paper – I (Devanagari)
• Sindhi Literature Paper – II (Devanagari)
• Tamil Literature Paper – I
• Tamil Literature Paper – II
• Telugu Literature Paper – I
• Telugu Literature Paper – II
• Urdu Literature Paper – I
• Urdu Literature Paper – II

UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers: Optional Subjects 2023

• Agriculture Paper – I
• Agriculture Paper – II
• Animal Hus. and Vet. Sc. Paper – I
• Animal Hus. and Vet. Sc. Paper – II
• Anthropology Paper – I
• Anthropology Paper – II
• Botany Paper – I
• Botany Paper – II
• Chemistry Paper – I
• Chemistry Paper – II
• Civil Engineering Paper – I
• Civil Engineering Paper – II
• Commerce and Accountancy Paper – I
• Commerce and Accountancy Paper – II
• Economics Paper – I
• Economics Paper – II
• Electrical Engineering Paper – I
• Electrical Engineering Paper – II
• Geography Paper – I
• Geography Paper – II
• Geology Paper – I
• Geology Paper – II
• History Paper – I
• History Paper – II
• Law Paper – I
• Law Paper – II
• Management Paper – I
• Management Paper – II
• Mathematics Paper – I
• Mathematics Paper – II
• Mechanical Engineering Paper – I
• Mechanical Engineering Paper – II
• Medical Science Paper – I
• Medical Science Paper – II
• Philosophy Paper – I
• Philosophy Paper – II
• Physics Paper – I
• Physics Paper – II
• Political Science and IR Paper – I
• Political Science and IR Paper – II
• Psychology Paper – I
• Psychology Paper – II
• Public Administration Paper – I
• Public Administration Paper – II
• Sociology Paper – I
• Sociology Paper – II
• Statistics Paper – I
• Statistics Paper – II
• Zoology Paper – I
• Zoology Paper – II

UPSC Essay Questions PDF 2023

• Essay

UPSC Mains Previous Year Question Papers: General Studies 2023

• General Studies – I
• General Studies – II
• General Studies – III
• General Studies – IV

People Also Ask about UPSC Syllabus 2024

Ques: Is the UPSC syllabus the same for all stages of the exam?

No, UPSC syllabus is not the same for all stages. The first question paper in UPSC preliminary exam is of General Studies subject in which questions are asked from General Studies subjects like History, Geography, Indian Polity and Governance, General issues on Environmental ecology, General Science and Current Affairs. Whereas the second question paper of preliminary examination is of CSAT in which questions are asked from the subjects Basic numeracy, Comprehension, Interpersonal skills including communication skills, Logical reasoning and analytical ability, Decision-making and problem-solving, General mental ability. Similarly, in the main examination, different questions are asked from different subjects in all the stages, hence the UPSC syllabus is different in all the stages of the UPSC exam.

Ques: Where can I find the official UPSC syllabus document?

All official documents PDF of UPSC Syllabus can be obtained from UPSC website https://upsc.gov.in/. From the official website of UPSC, you can download previous year question paper, previous year cut off, official notification PDF and official syllabus PDF document.

Ques: What are the different sections of the UPSC syllabus?

UPSC syllabus is divided into many stages, this UPSC syllabus is made on the basis of various examinations which are as follows –

UPSC Prelims Syllabus

• General Studies I: History, Geography, Indian Polity and Governance, General issues on Environmental ecology, General Science 
• General Studies II: Basic numeracy, Comprehension, Interpersonal skills including communication skills, Logical reasoning and analytical ability, Decision-making and problem-solving, General mental ability

UPSC Mains Syllabus

1. QUALIFYING PAPERS ON INDIAN LANGUAGES AND ENGLISH
2. PAPER-I Essay
3. PAPER-II: General Studies-I: Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.
4. PAPER-III General Studies- II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations.
5. PAPER-IV: General Studies-III – Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management
6. PAPER-V General Studies- IV: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude
7. PAPER-VI & PAPER VII Optional Subject Papers I & II 

Ques: How vast is the UPSC syllabus?

UPSC Syllabus is huge as UPSC Civil Services Exam is one of the most prestigious exams conducted in India. It is even said that it is the toughest exam in the world due to the uncertain questions asked and the vast syllabus. It is also true that the competition in it is very tough and its syllabus is the biggest. To pass this examination, candidates should work hard and smart. I believe that smart work and hard work should be balanced. Passing this exam requires perseverance. Follow a proper time table to combine your hard work and smart work.

Ques: What are the key subjects covered in the UPSC Prelims syllabus?

UPSC Prelims General Studies Question Paper 1 mainly includes subjects like History, Geography, Indian Economy, Environment, General Science, and Current Affairs. Apart from this, Question Paper 2 of the Preliminary Examination includes major subjects like Mathematics, General Mental Aptitude and Reasoning.

The second question paper of the preliminary examination is only qualifying in nature. To pass this question paper, it is mandatory for the candidate to score at least 33% marks. If a candidate does not score 33% marks, then he will be considered failed. Both the question papers of the UPSC Preliminary Examination are compulsory and the candidate will have to appear in both the examinations. If the student does not appear in any one question paper in the examination, he will be considered failed.

Ques: How much weightage does current affairs hold in the Prelims syllabus?

In the UPSC Prelims Examination, about 35 to 40% questions are asked from current affairs. In UPSC Prelims General Studies Paper 1, questions are mainly asked from current affairs. To prepare for Current Affairs according to UPSC Prelims Syllabus, candidates should prepare as follows – 

• Read daily newspaper
• Current Affairs Magazines
• Daily Insights of India Current Affairs + Daily quiz
• Monthly vision ias current affairs compilation
• Test series 
• Government schemes pdf by Shankar IAS/ IAS parliament
• Make notes in your copy of only relevant details
• Revise from your notes at least 3 times

Ques: Is the CSAT paper (General Studies Paper II) mandatory to pass the Prelims?

Yes, it is mandatory to pass the CSAT paper. UPSC Prelims CSAT paper is qualifying only. In which a total 80 questions are asked. To qualify in the CSAT paper, it is mandatory for the candidate to score at least 33% marks.

If a candidate gets less than 33% marks then he will be considered disqualified even if that candidate has got 100 marks out of 100 in the first paper. The marks obtained in the CSAT paper are not added to the merit list to qualify for the main examination. The merit list for appearing in the main examination will be prepared based on UPSC Prelims General Studies Paper 1 marks. It is mandatory for all the candidates to appear in both the examinations. If any candidate does not appear in any one paper, then he will be considered a failure.

Ques: What are some effective strategies to approach the vast Prelims syllabus?

If any student has the strength to work hard and smart, he will easily pass the Prelims exam. Every year around 10 to 15 lakh applications are filled out of which only 10000 candidates are selected.

These 10000 candidates appear in the main examination. So, the maximum number of students are expelled in this prelim’s exam, that is why the competition in it is fierce. Because to appear in the main examination, it is mandatory for you to pass the preliminary examination and there is uncertainty in passing the preliminary examination, in such a situation, if you look at the syllabus of Prelims, it may seem very less or the simplest to you but in reality, it is not so.

Its syllabus is the simplest and shortest in the official PDF because the exact information about what to study and what not to study is not given in its syllabus, which results in a terrible syllabus. If you prepare according to these few strategies, you will be able to qualify UPSC Prelims exam in the first attempt itself –

• All the candidates should look at the previous year question papers of UPSC Civil Services Exam Prelims and study accordingly. If you look at these previous year question papers, you will understand that questions from some sections are being asked repeatedly every year. Example: The number of questions from environment subject is increasing every year.
• A certain number of questions are consistently asked every year in areas such as Modern Indian History, Economics and Politics. This helps you focus your time and resources in the right area.
• Just as in every examination there are some subjects in which more questions are asked than others, similarly take the example of Geography subject in UPSC Civil Services Exams Prelims exam where questions are asked from Climatology, Drainage and Polity and Fundamental Rights/DPSP More questions are asked from Parliament, etc.
• If you are serious about the UPSC Prelims exam, then studying smartly means paying attention to each topic along with your hard work from which more questions can be asked. In such a situation, definitely take help of the UPSC Previous Year Question Paper so that you will know what type of questions are asked from which subject.

Ques: How many General Studies papers are there in the UPSC Mains exam?

There are total four papers of General Studies in UPSC Mains Examination. The four papers of UPSC Mains Exam General Studies are as follows-General Studies – I

• General Studies – II
• General Studies – III
• General Studies – IV

Ques: What are the different optional subjects offered by the UPSC?

The optional subjects in the UPSC Mains Examination are as follows: –

1. Agriculture 2. Animal Hus. and Vet. Sc. 3. 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 IR, Psychology, Public Administration, Sociology, Statistics, Zoology

Ques: How does choosing the right optional subject impact the UPSC preparation?

If you have an understanding of which optional subject to take in UPSC Civil Services Exams, it has a very important impact on your UPSC preparation. This affects your chances of success in the UPSC Mains Examination in many ways.

• First of all, if you have chosen the right optional subject then it increases the potential of your total score. The main examination of the UPSC Civil Services Exam is of 1750 marks out of which there are 2 optional subjects of 500 marks. Comparatively, these 500 marks are very high. If you score well in your optional subject then your scorecard can increase by more marks which will make your final rank very good.
• If you choose the right optional subject, you will feel a different kind of confidence because mastering your chosen optional subject can be a confidence booster during exams and interviews. This confidence demonstrates your deep knowledge and expertise related to the subject. Therefore, while choosing the optional subject of UPSC Mains Examination, choose a subject in which you are interested and find it really interesting or a subject about which you already have good knowledge. Doing this will make teaching him the subject more enjoyable and potentially faster.

Ques: How much focus should be given to the essay paper in the UPSC Mains?

Essays will be asked from the candidates in the first question paper of the main examination. In this, the candidate will have to write essays on various topics. Union Public Service Commission expects that the candidates will remain focused on the topic of the essay and express their ideas clearly and the Commission expects the candidates to write the essay concisely.

Candidates will be awarded marks for effective and powerful expression, which is why the candidate should write the essay concisely and well-planned, expressing the ideas.

Ques: How can I develop a study plan to cover the entire UPSC syllabus?

If you have a good plan to study according to the UPSC syllabus then you can score very good marks in the UPSC Civil Services Exams. In such a situation, you can prepare your UPSC syllabus by following this study plan.

• For the first month, candidates should prepare for prelims and mains of economy subject. Also, prepare for Polity and Governance and optional subjects and Ethics (Main Examination).
• In the second month, candidates should again prepare for prelims and mains of economy subject. Also, prepare for Polity and Governance and optional subjects and Ethics (Main Examination).
• In the third month also, candidates should again prepare for prelims and mains of economy subject. Also, prepare for Polity and Governance and optional subjects and Ethics (Main Examination).
• In the fourth month also, candidates should again prepare for prelims and mains of economy subject. Also, prepare for Polity and Governance and optional subjects and Ethics (Main Examination).
• In the fifth month, prepare for International Relations, Geography and Agriculture, Environment and Disaster Management, Revision of Optional Subject and General Studies, Paper I Communal Regionalism, Paper II e-Governance, Paper III Cyber Security and Internal Security.
• In the sixth month also, prepare for International Relations, Geography and Agriculture, Environment and Disaster Management, Revision of Optional Subject and General Studies, Paper I Communal Regionalism, Paper II e-Governance, Paper III Cyber Security and Internal Security.
• In the seventh month also, prepare for International Relations, Geography and Agriculture, Environment and Disaster Management, Revision of Optional Subject and General Studies, Paper I Communal Regionalism, Paper II e-Governance, Paper III Cyber Security and Internal Security.
• In the eighth month, candidates can cover current affairs, history, art and culture, science and technology and remaining topics like world history, post-independent India, land reforms, food edition etc.
• In the last month also, candidates can attempt the topics like Current Affairs, History, Art and Culture, Science and Technology and remaining topics like World History, Post-Independent India, Land Reforms, Food Edition etc. By adopting this process, candidates can prepare well for UPSC Civil Services Exams.