Overview

The UPSC Prelims is a national examination that is conducted every year in order to select candidates for the prestigious civil services of India. This examination measures how well-rounded a candidate's understanding of current events, the political process, historical context, geographic location, economic situation, and their decisions can be in various areas. All questions are multiple-choice format.

Important Dates

UPSC-Pre Particulars Details
Official Notification Release Tentative- February 2026
Registration Opens Tentative- February 2026
Registration Last Date Tentative- March 2026 (First Week)
Application Correction Window Tentative- March 2026 (Mid-March)
Admit Card Release Tentative- May 2026 (2–3 weeks before exam)
Exam Date Tentative- 24 May 2026
Answer Key Release UPSC does not release provisional keys
Results Declaration Tentative- July / August 2026

Syllabus

Subject Key Topics Weightage
General Studies Paper I History, Indian Polity & Constitution, Geography, Indian Economy, Environment & Ecology, Science & Technology, Current Affairs, Art & Culture 50%
CSAT (General Studies Paper II) Comprehension, Logical Reasoning, Analytical Ability, Decision Making, Basic Numeracy, Data Interpretation, Mental Ability 50%

Exam Pattern

UPSC-Pre Particulars Details
Exam Name UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination (UPSC Prelims)
Exam Mode Offline (Pen and Paper Based)
Exam Duration 2 hours for each paper (Total 4 hours)
Number of Sections 2 Papers (GS Paper I and CSAT)
Sectional Time Limit Yes, 2 hours for each paper separately
Number of Questions CSAT: 80 questions GS: 100 questions
Question Types Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Marking Scheme Correct Answer +2 marks (GS Paper I) / +2.5 marks (CSAT), Wrong Answer ⅓ of the marks
Language of Exam English & Hindi
Total Marks 400 (200 + 200)

Important Tags

UPSC Mains