Union Public Service Commission Mains

Overview

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Mains exam consists of multi-part written test which tests the candidates on how well they have studied different subjects and their own field of interest along with their essay writing ability and ability to reason with ethics. The mark achieved in this part of the process directly impacts the candidate's ranking and offers an opportunity for the candidate to be accepted into one or more civil service positions.

Important Dates

UPSC-Mains Particulars	Details
Official Notification Release	14 January 2026
Registration Opens	14 January 2026
Registration Last Date	03 February 2026
Application Correction Window	To be Announced
Admit Card Release	To be Announced
Exam Date	21 August 2026
Answer Key Release	To be Announced
Results Declaration	To be Announced

Syllabus

Subject	Key Topics	Weightage
General Studies Paper I	Indian Heritage & Culture, History, World History, Society, Geography	12.5%
General Studies Paper II	Indian Constitution, Polity, Governance, Social Justice, International Relations	12.5%
General Studies Paper III	Economy, Agriculture, Science & Technology, Environment, Disaster Management, Internal Security	12.5%
General Studies Paper IV	Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude, Case Studies, Moral Thinkers, Public Administration Values	12.5%
Essay	Social Issues, Economic Development, Political Themes, Ethics, Philosophy, Science & Technology, Contemporary Issues	12.5%
Optional Subject Paper I	Subject-specific theory and concepts (as chosen by candidate)	18.75%
Optional Subject Paper II	Advanced application and analysis of optional subject	18.75%

Exam Pattern

UPSC-Mains Particulars	Details
Exam Name	UPSC Civil Services Main Examination (UPSC Mains)
Exam Mode	Offline (Pen and Paper Based)
Exam Duration	5 days (each paper of 3 hours)
Number of Sections	9 Papers (2 Qualifying + 7 Merit-ranking papers)
Sectional Time Limit	3 hours for each paper
Number of Questions	Varies by paper (descriptive answer-type questions)
Question Types	Descriptive / Essay-type questions
Marking Scheme	No negative marking
Language of Exam	English and Hindi (as chosen by candidate)
Total Marks	1750 marks (merit-ranking papers only)