UPSC-Pre Union Public Service Commission Prelims
Civil services · UG · All India
Overview
Eligibility
The Civil Services Preliminary Examination is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission and is the first of three stages.
- Degree: a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university. Final-year students may apply for the Preliminary examination and must produce proof of passing before the Main examination.
- Age: between 21 and 32 for the general category on the stated cut-off date, with the published relaxations for OBC, SC, ST, PwBD and ex-servicemen candidates.
- Attempts: six for the general category, nine for OBC, and unlimited for SC and ST candidates up to the age limit, with separate provisions for PwBD candidates.
- Nationality: for the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Foreign Service and the Indian Police Service, the candidate must be a citizen of India. Other services admit the wider category the notification lists.
Exam Pattern
Syllabus
General Studies Paper I
50%History, Indian Polity & Constitution, Geography, Indian Economy, Environment & Ecology, Science & Technology, Current Affairs, Art & Culture
CSAT (General Studies Paper II)
50%Comprehension, Logical Reasoning, Analytical Ability, Decision Making, Basic Numeracy, Data Interpretation, Mental Ability
How to Apply
The application is an online form on the UPSC’s online application portal. Everything below is done in one sitting or saved and returned to; nothing is done on paper.
Register
The Commission uses a one-time registration. It is done once and reused for every UPSC examination afterwards, so the details entered there should be correct the first time.
Fill the form
Personal details, academic record from class 10 onwards, category, and work experience where it applies. The academic figures must match your marksheets exactly, because they are verified later against the originals.
Choose test cities
Cities are given in order of preference and allotted on availability, so the first choice is not guaranteed. Pick somewhere you can reach the morning of the exam without an overnight journey.
Upload photograph and signature
Both have to meet the format, size and background stated in the notification. A rejected upload is the most common reason a form is left incomplete past the deadline.
Pay the fee
Online, through the official portal only. The amount is set afresh in each year’s notification and is lower for SC, ST and PwD candidates. Keep the payment receipt.
Submit, then check
Print the completed form. A correction window usually opens afterwards -- it is limited, and it rarely covers every field, so it is a repair, not a second chance.
Apply only through the official portal. No agent can register you, and nobody can change a score once it is declared.
Important Dates
Selection Process
The Preliminary examination is a screening test and nothing more. Understanding that changes how it should be approached.
- Its marks do not count towards the final ranking. They decide only who sits the Main examination.
- Paper I, General Studies, is the paper that decides the cut-off.
- Paper II, the CSAT, is qualifying only: a candidate needs 33%, and scoring more than that earns nothing. It is nonetheless where candidates are eliminated every year for treating it as optional.
- There is negative marking of a third of the marks allotted to a question.
- Roughly twelve to thirteen times the number of vacancies are called for the Main examination.
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