UPSC Exam Sections| Get the details to improve your score!

UPSC Exam preparation is the dream of all the students who are preparing for the UPSC exam. The competition is high in India, so it is important to have a good strategy to crack the exam. The UPSC exam preparation involves a lot of hard work and dedication. The process includes various steps like reading books, taking notes, making notes, etc., which require a lot of time and effort from the aspirants.

UPSC exam stages 

The UPSC Exam is conducted in three stages. The first stage is the preliminary examination, which is held twice a year. The second stage is the main examination, which is also held twice a year. And finally, there’s an interview for those who qualify for the main examination.

Preliminary exam 

The UPSC prelims are conducted by the UPSC in order to filter the candidates applying for the civil services (main) examination. The prelims consist of three papers: General Studies Paper-I, General Studies Paper-II, and General Studies Paper-III. All these three papers have 100 marks each, and they are held in a single session. The minimum cut-off mark required to qualify for this exam is 50% or above out of 200 total marks. After qualifying for the preliminary exam, candidates will be called for the main exam, which is held in two sessions: offline (in cities across India) and online exam.

Main exam 

The main examination is a computer-based test that consists of 200 objective questions with four options each and time duration of 3 hours. The question paper consists of four sections – General Studies, English Language Comprehension, Quantitative Aptitude, and Reasoning Ability. There are negative markings for wrong answers given by you in the examination paper. You will be awarded negative marks for each wrong answer.

Interview 

The next stage after qualifying for the Main Exam is an interview or Personality Test conducted by the Union Public Service Commission on behalf of State Governments / UT Administrations / Central Government Departments / Organisations etc., for various posts under them. In this interview, you need to display your communication skills and interpersonal skills along with your academic prowess as well as professional expertise in order to impress the panel members who are conducting this interview.

UPSC exam sections 

Compulsory Indian language 

There are three compulsory Indian languages. Apart from Hindi, the other two languages are English and the regional language of your choice.

Hindi: The importance of Hindi can be understood by the fact that it is one of the official languages of India and also the most common language spoken in India. Those who belong to non-Hindi-speaking states and are interested in civil services can learn Hindi as a third language along with their own regional language.

Regional Language: Candidates must choose any one regional language from their respective state as their third compulsory subject for appearing for Civil Services Examination (CSE). This can be done by learning regional languages like Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Manipuri, etc, during their school days or at least till class 10th.

English 

Vocabulary and Spelling: This section will include questions on vocabulary and spelling of words given in the English language in both MCQs as well as descriptive type answers. This section will include questions from the basic to advanced levels.

Grammar: This section will include questions on the grammar of the English language in both MCQs as well as descriptive type answers. This section will include questions from the basic to the advanced levels.

Comprehension: This section will include questions on comprehension based on various topics like current affairs, political issues, social issues, etc., in both MCQs, as well as descriptive-type answers. This section will include questions from the basic to advanced levels.

History, Indian culture, and society

• History: History of India (Ancient India, Medieval India, Modern India)
• Indian Culture: Indian Philosophy and its Importance; Literature in various languages; Art and Architecture; Indian Economy; Gandhian Thought; Geography of India; Science and Technology etc.
• Society: Constitution of India; Political Science & Governance; International Relations & Security Studies; Social Justice & Empowerment. 
• Politics and Governance 
• Indian Constitution: The Indian Constitution can be divided into three parts – Part I (General), Part II (Directive Principles of State Policy), and Part III (Fundamental Rights).
• Administrative System in India: This topic covers all the aspects related to administration in India, like the role of bureaucracy, the legal framework for administration, etc.
• Political Science: It covers all aspects related to political science, such as theories of political science, political parties, etc.
• Public Administration: This topic covers all aspects related to public administration, like the role of bureaucracy, etc.

Technology and economic development 

• Indian Economy – Economic Development, Planning, Poverty and Inequality, Population, Natural Resources, and Environment
• Agriculture, Industry, and Services – Growth of Agriculture and Industry, Transport and Communication
• Social Sector – Social Development – Health, Education, and Family Welfare
• Rural Development – Rural Development with special reference to Integrated Rural Development Programs (IRDP)
• Planning Process in India – The Planning Commission, Five Year Plans and New Economic Policy (NEP)

Ethics and integrity 

The syllabus includes important topics from Political Science, Public Administration, Indian Constitution, Law and Governance, Administrative Systems and Processes, etc.

Key takeaways

• After clearing the preliminary stage, candidates are selected for the main examination based on their performance in the main stage. The top candidates are called for an interview, and those who clear this stage are selected for the services.
• This is one of the best ways to prepare for the UPSC exams. Read newspapers and magazines on various topics such as politics, economy, sports, and so on. 
• Reading books on history, geography, science, social studies, and other subjects will help you to build your knowledge base. 

The UPSC exam is a highly competitive examination, with more than 10 lakh candidates appearing for it every year. To crack this exam, you need to prepare well beforehand. Once you have decided on a subject that interests you most and also works out well with your schedule, set a target date for yourself. This will keep you motivated and focused throughout the preparation process. You can visit our website to learn more!

Question 1: How many sections are there in the IAS exam?

Answer 1: IAS exam consists of three sections – General Studies (GS), Quantitative Aptitude (QA), and Reasoning Ability (RA).

Question 2: How many subjects are there in the UPSC exam?

Answer 2: 

General Studies: This is the main subject that covers the topics that are likely to be asked in the main exam. It is of 200 marks and is divided into three parts – History, Polity, and Culture.

Optional Subjects: These are optional subjects that you can choose to study based on your interest. There are 12 optional subjects that are offered by UPSC every year.

Question 3: What is the main subject of IAS?

Answer 3: The subjects for the IAS exam are English, General Knowledge, General Studies (History and Geography of India), and Optional Subject.