If you are a UPSC aspirant looking to build a solid foundation to prepare for the UPSC examination, you are in the right place. In this article, we share all the details on how to download the UPSC syllabus PDF effortlessly.
BYJU’s Exam Prep helps aspirants increase their understanding and crack the IPS, IAS, IFS, IRS examinations seamlessly. To ace the UPSC exam, it is important to know the practice monthly current affairs.
The UPSC syllabus mentioned in this article will be beneficial for those thinking of appearing for the UPSC examinations (prelims and mains) in 2022.
UPSC Syllabus 2022
The UPSC syllabus is divided into two main parts—preliminary and main examinations. It is better to download UPSC syllabus pdf so that you can access it anytime.
The prelims exam is the initial stage that an applicant needs to clear before appearing for the main exam. The significant difference between both the exams is that prelims are qualifying in nature, whereas mains are descriptive in nature. However, both the tests consist of 9 papers and the syllabus for them is designed for the written test only.
The candidates able to qualify for the main exam appear for the third and final selection stage, the interview round (personality test).
Now, let’s dive in to know the syllabus of all three stages, as you need to go through them all if your goal is to qualify for the IAS selection procedure.
1. IAS Prelims Syllabus
The sole purpose of the CSE (Civil Services Examination) conducted by UPSC is to shortlist candidates for posts like IAS, IRS, IFS, and IPS.
The prelims section of the IAS syllabus consists of two General Studies papers. A candidate must score a minimum of 33% marks to qualify.
- Paper-I (General Studies I) comprises 100 questions for 200 marks, and the applicant gets two hours to complete the paper.
- Paper-II (General Studies II) consists of 80 questions for 200 marks, having a duration of up to two hours.
2. IAS Mains Syllabus
The UPSC main examination is a conventional (descriptive type) paper-based exam which requires applicants to write long answers to the questions. It is important to note for the aspirants that the main exam is the most crucial phase in the IAS selection procedure. This test is based on multiple subjects and consists of nine papers, out of which two are a must for the candidate to qualify.
In addition to general papers, the main exam also comprises essay papers requiring candidates to write two essays. Listed below are the elements of the IAS main paper and marks.
Paper | Name of the Paper | Marks Allotted |
Paper-A | Aspirants are required to select one of the Indian languages included in the 8th Schedule of the constitution. | 300 |
Paper-B | English | 300 |
Paper-1 | Essay | 250 |
Paper-2 | General Studies I | 250 |
Paper-3 | General Studies II | 250 |
Paper-4 | General Studies III | 250 |
Paper-5 | General Studies IV | 250 |
Paper-6 | Optional Subject Paper I | 250 |
Paper-7 | Optional Subject Paper II | 250 |
Sub Total | Written Test | 1750 |
Interview (Personality Test) | 275 | |
Grand Total | 2025 |
- The General Studies I for the mains include History and Geography of the world, and Indian Heritage and Culture.
- General Studies II includes the topics on Constitution, Governance, Social Justice, and International Relations.
- General Studies III makes you learn about Biodiversity, Technology, Security and Disaster Management, Environment, and Economic Development.
- General Studies IV includes Integrity, Aptitude, and Ethics.
3. IAS Personality Test (Interview)
Candidates who qualify both the UPSC IAS selection process stages, prelims and mains, are called for the interview round. This personality test consists of 275 marks in total. The board selects the candidates in this stage based on various areas, from their careers to general interests.
How to Prepare for UPSC IAS Syllabus
One needs to prepare for the UPSC syllabus by executing the right strategy. To achieve their dream, aspirants need to study the fundamentals extensively and opt for the application part of the topics after interlinking them with one another, which is a key to cracking the UPSC IAS exam.
Aspirants can choose from the NCERT or standard textbooks that will help them prepare the topics and relate them to the newspapers.
You can download the UPSC Syllabus PDF by visiting BYJU’s Exam Prep, which will brief you through the entire IAS syllabus for the prelims and main examinations. So check it out and start preparing!