UPSC Civil Services Syllabus & Exam Pattern 2026 – Detailed Guide (Prelims, Mains & Interview)

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2026 in three stages: Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, and Personality Test (Interview). Below is the complete, detailed syllabus and exam pattern to help aspirants prepare systematically.

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UPSC Exam Pattern 2026 – Overview

Stage	Type	Purpose
Preliminary Exam	Objective (MCQ)	Screening Test
Main Exam	Written (Descriptive)	Merit Ranking
Interview	Personality Test	Final Selection

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Stage 1: UPSC Preliminary Examination 2026

Prelims Exam Pattern

Paper	Subject	Marks	Duration
Paper I	General Studies (GS)	200	2 Hours
Paper II	CSAT (Qualifying)	200	2 Hours

• Negative Marking: 1/3 mark for wrong answers
• CSAT: Qualifying in nature (Minimum 33%)

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UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2026

General Studies Paper I

• Current events of national & international importance
• History of India & Indian National Movement
• Indian & World Geography (Physical, Social, Economic)
• Indian Polity & Governance (Constitution, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy)
• Economic & Social Development (Sustainable Development, Poverty, Demographics)
• Environment, Ecology, Biodiversity & Climate Change
• General Science

CSAT – Paper II (Qualifying)

• Comprehension
• Interpersonal skills & communication
• Logical reasoning & analytical ability
• Decision-making & problem-solving
• Basic numeracy (Class X level)
• Data interpretation

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Stage 2: UPSC Main Examination 2026

Mains Exam Pattern

Paper	Subject	Marks
Paper A	Indian Language (Qualifying)	300
Paper B	English (Qualifying)	300
Paper I	Essay	250
Paper II	General Studies I	250
Paper III	General Studies II	250
Paper IV	General Studies III	250
Paper V	General Studies IV	250
Paper VI	Optional Subject – Paper I	250
Paper VII	Optional Subject – Paper II	250

Total Merit Marks: 1750

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UPSC Mains Syllabus 2026 (Detailed)

Essay (Paper I)

• Multiple topics related to society, politics, economy, ethics, philosophy, and current affairs

General Studies I

• Indian Heritage & Culture
• History & Geography of the World and Society
• Indian Society & Social Issues

General Studies II

• Indian Constitution & Polity
• Governance & Public Administration
• Social Justice
• International Relations

General Studies III

• Indian Economy
• Agriculture
• Science & Technology
• Environment
• Disaster Management
• Internal Security

General Studies IV (Ethics)

• Ethics & Human Interface
• Attitude & Emotional Intelligence
• Moral Thinkers & Philosophies
• Public/Civil Service Values
• Case Studies on Ethics

Optional Subject

• One optional subject chosen from UPSC’s list
• Two papers (Paper I & II)
• Examples: Public Administration, History, Geography, Sociology, Tamil Literature, etc.

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Stage 3: UPSC Interview / Personality Test

• Marks: 275
• Tests leadership, integrity, communication skills, decision-making ability, and overall personality
• No fixed syllabus, based on DAF (Detailed Application Form)

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Final Merit Calculation

• Mains (1750) + Interview (275) = 2025 Marks
• Prelims marks are not counted for final ranking

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Preparation Tips for UPSC CSE 2026

• Build strong NCERT fundamentals (Class 6–12)
• Follow current affairs daily (last 1 year)
• Practice answer writing for Mains
• Choose optional wisely based on interest & overlap
• Revise regularly and attempt mock tests

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