What is the UPSC Syllabus 2024?

Author: Anujjindal Upsc

The UPSC CSE is one of the most popular yet competitive examinations in the country. Lakhs of candidates apply each year, yet only few get selected in the final process.

One of the reasons that explains its competent nature is the high difficulty level and the vastness of the syllabus.

While many aspirants are initially enthusiastic and highly motivated when they think of starting their preparation for UPSC CSE.

However, it is important for candidates to realize that having a well- rounded understanding of the UPSC syllabus is the first step towards clearing this examination.

Overview of the UPSC Syllabus 2024

Since the UPSC syllabus is huge, the aspirants must go through it repeatedly to familiarize with the exam nature which is both objective and descriptive.

To begin with, there are 3 stages in the UPSC Civil service examination which are as follows:

  • UPSC Prelims: The first stage of the UPSC exam cycle is the Preliminary exam. There are 2 papers, each containing a total of 100 and 80 objective–based questions respectively. Both the papers are of 2 hours each with 1/3rd negative marking.
  • UPSC Mains: The second stage is the Mains exam. There are a total of 9 papers and the exam is descriptive in nature. The time duration is 3 hours for each paper with no negative marking.
  • Personality Test: The final round is the Personal Interview which is conducted to assess the personality of the candidate.

UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024

Now, if you go through the UPSC Prelims Syllabus 2024, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to you if I say that the syllabus is pretty vast in its own right. In the three-stage cycle of UPSC CSE, Prelims is the first step in this exam journey

The first stage of the UPSC CSE, that is the Prelims examination comprises of 2 papers, namely:

  • The General Studies (GS)
  • The Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT)

Talking briefly about both the papers, while the marks required to clear the GS Paper or Paper 1 is decided by the cutoff released by UPSC. The CSAT paper is qualifying in nature, as the minimum score required to clear the paper is 33% or 66 marks out of 200 marks.

UPSC Mains Syllabus 2024

Keeping in mind the UPSC Mains Syllabus 2024, let me discuss a few important points.

Now, there are a total of 9 papers in the UPSC syllabus for the Mains exam which includes 1 essay, 2 language papers, 4 General Studies papers and 2 optional papers with the time duration of 3 hours is provided to complete each paper.

Since the Mains exam is descriptive in nature, there is no provision of negative marking.

The UPSC syllabus 2024 for Essay in the Mains exam is not specifically defined. For this paper, you are expected to keep a close watch on the essay topic and to write your points in a concise manner.

You would need to write 2 essays from a list of given topics in the paper. The maximum marks allotted for this paper is 250 marks.

source by= UPSC Syllabus 2024