If you are gearing up for the UPSC CSE Examination, the first step is to understand UPSC Prelims syllabus.
In the year 2022 around 11 lakhs aspirants appeared for prelims exam and some 13 thousand aspirants reached the next level of exam.
In 2023 around 13 lakh and in 2024 13.4 lakhs aspirant appeared in the UPSC prelims examination. The data signifies the large number of aspirants appear for prelims exam every year and very few make it to the next level i.e. mains examination.
The UPSC prelims syllabus is vast and thorough and to understand prelims exam pattern, a candidate must thoroughly understand UPSC prelims exam pattern and develop a structured upsc prelims preparation plan.
Known among some of the toughest exams in India, UPSC CSE demands clarity, strategy and dedication as well as the hard work from an aspirant.We understand one might get confused and overwhelmed about the UPSC prelims syllabus,but with the right UPSC prelims strategy the success is very much achievable.
We at Examcentralinfo.com present UPSC prelims syllabus in an engaging format with detailed insights to make your preparation journey smoother. Also we provide information like recruitment, forms and other details of various different government competitive exam.
Table of Contents
The UPSC prelims exam pattern
The Prelims exam is the first step and act as a screening test. A large chunk of candidates get filtered during prelims. The UPSC Prelims syllabus consist of two papers namely:
| General Studies paper 1 |
| General Studies Paper 2 also known as Civil Service Aptitude Test (CSAT) |
The UPSC Prelims syllabus in detail
The UPSC prelims exam is divided in two stages i.e. GS paper 1 and GS paper 2. The GS paper 2 is also known as CSAT (Civil Service Aptitude Test) paper.
Let’s Dive Deep into the Syllabus for GS Paper 1 & GS Paper
Breakdown of GS PAPER 1:
The General Studies paper 1 of UPSC CSE prelims syllabus includes:
| Current events of national and international importance. |
|---|
| History of India and Indian national movement |
| Indian and World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic geography of India and world |
| Indian Polity and governance – constitution, Political system, Panchayati raj, Public Policy, Rights, Issues etc. |
| Economic & Social development – sustainable development, poverty inclusion, demographics, social sector initiative etc. |
| General issues on environment, ecology, biodiversity, and climate change – that do not require special specialization |
| General Science |
Key Features of GS Paper 1 include:
The GS paper 1 consist of total Marks of 200
The GS paper 1 has a total exam duration of 2 hours.
And the Cut off gained in GS paper 1 decides qualification for mains
Breakdown of GS Papers 2
The GS paper 2 tests an aspirant’s logical reasoning and comprehension skills. It is also Known as the Civil Service Aptitude Test (CSAT) and it is of qualifying nature.
If a candidate fails to score 33% marks in this paper, it will get them disqualified regardless of GS paper 1 score.
The UPSC CSE prelims Syllabus for CSAT paper (GS paper 2) include:
| Comprehension |
| Interpersonal skills including communication skills |
| Logical reasoning and analytical ability |
| Decision making and problem solving |
| General mental ability |
| Basic numeracy (number and their relations, orders or magnitude etc.) ( class 10 levels) |
| Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. – (class 10 level)) |
Key features of GS paper 2
The GS paper 2 or CSAT is qualifying in nature.
The CSAT paper consist a total marks of 200.
And it has a total time duration of 2 hours.
The UPSC prelims negative marking rule
Just like any other competitive exam, understanding negative marking rule is a crucial part of the UPSC prelims syllabus, particularly in the preliminary (prelims) stage.
The UPSC prelims syllabus has negative marking and is implemented to filter out random guesswork and emphasize on accuracy and knowledge of an aspirant or individual.
In UPSC prelims exam pattern there is negative marking in both GS paper 1 and GS paper 2.
UPSC Prelims negative marking for GS Paper 1
GS Paper 1 contains a total of 200 marks, with a total of 100 questions. This means each question carries 2 marks. The candidate gets a time limit of two hours to complete the exam.
As per UPSC, for every incorrect answer, 0.66 marks will be deducted which is equivalent to 1/3rd of total marks assigned to a question.
UPSC CSAT or GS PAPER 2 negative markings
The CSAT (Civil service aptitude test) also known as GS paper 2 is a vital part of UPSC prelims exam. Similar to GS paper 1, there is negative marking in GS paper 2 (CSAT) as well.
The UPSC prelims GS paper 2 consists of 80 questions with a total value of 200 marks. In this paper each question carries 2.5 marks.
However, for each incorrect answer a deduction of 0.83 marks is made, which is equivalent to 1/3rd of total marks assigned to that question.
Conclusion
Through this blog we came to know about the UPSC prelims syllabus in details. We also discussed the number of marks each paper carries i.e. GS paper 1 and GS paper 2. We have understood UPSC prelims syllabus in a detailed and simple manner.
Examcentralinfo.com also discussed about the negative marking in the UPSC prelims exam pattern.
In our next blog we will discuss about the UPSC mains examination syllabus in detail. Till then you can read our blogs for more knowledge regarding various government competitive exam and its details.