Last updated: 26 October 2026  ·  Official source: upsc.gov.in. Dates from the UPSC calendar are tentative and can change; always confirm on the official website.

Prelims (objective, negative marking of one-third)

Mains (descriptive, 3 hours per paper)

• Current events of national and international importance.
• History of India and the Indian National Movement.
• Indian and World Geography: physical, social and economic geography of India and the world.
• Indian Polity and Governance: Constitution, political system, Panchayati Raj, public policy, rights issues, etc.
• Economic and Social Development: sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, demographics, social-sector initiatives, etc.
• General issues on environmental ecology, biodiversity and climate change that do not require subject specialisation.
• General Science.

• Comprehension.
• Interpersonal skills including communication skills.
• Logical reasoning and analytical ability.
• Decision making and problem solving.
• General mental ability.
• Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc., Class X level).
• Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc., Class X level).

Essay (Paper I)

Two essays on multiple topics, chosen from two sections. Candidates are expected to stay close to the subject, arrange ideas in an orderly way and write concisely.

GS Paper I: Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society

• Indian culture: art forms, literature and architecture from ancient to modern times.
• Modern Indian history from the mid-18th century; the freedom struggle and its stages and contributors; post-independence consolidation.
• World history from the 18th century: industrial revolution, world wars, redrawing of boundaries, colonisation, decolonisation, and political philosophies such as communism, capitalism and socialism.
• Indian society: diversity, role of women and women’s organisations, population, poverty, urbanisation, effects of globalisation, social empowerment, communalism, regionalism and secularism.
• Geography: world physical geography, distribution of key natural resources, factors in the location of industries, and geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic activity and cyclones.

GS Paper II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International Relations

• Indian Constitution: evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure; comparison with other countries.
• Union and states: federal issues, devolution to local levels, separation of powers, Parliament and state legislatures, executive and judiciary.
• Representation of People’s Act; constitutional, statutory, regulatory and quasi-judicial bodies.
• Government policies and welfare schemes for vulnerable sections; health, education and human resources; poverty and hunger.
• Governance: transparency, accountability, e-governance, citizens’ charters and the role of civil services; NGOs and SHGs.
• International relations: India and its neighbourhood, bilateral, regional and global groupings, the Indian diaspora and international institutions.

GS Paper III: Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management

• Indian economy: planning, resource mobilisation, growth, employment, inclusive growth and government budgeting.
• Agriculture: cropping patterns, irrigation, marketing, MSP, PDS, food security, food processing and land reforms.
• Liberalisation, industrial policy, infrastructure (energy, ports, roads, airports, railways) and investment models.
• Science and technology: IT, space, computers, robotics, nanotechnology, biotechnology and IPR.
• Environment: conservation, pollution, environmental impact assessment, and disaster management.
• Internal security: development and extremism, cyber security, money laundering, border management, organised crime, terrorism and security forces.

GS Paper IV: Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude

• Ethics and human interface; human values from leaders, reformers and administrators.
• Attitude; emotional intelligence; contributions of moral thinkers from India and the world.
• Aptitude and foundational values for civil service: integrity, impartiality, non-partisanship, objectivity, empathy, tolerance and compassion.
• Public service values; ethical concerns in government and private institutions.
• Probity in governance: transparency, RTI, codes of conduct, citizens’ charters, use of public funds and corruption.
• Case studies on all of the above.

You choose one optional subject, which carries two papers of 250 marks each. Any optional can be chosen regardless of your graduation subject.

• Print it: Keep the syllabus on your desk and tick off each line as you cover it.
• Map PYQs to it: Tag every past question to a syllabus line to see where UPSC asks the most.
• Prelims and Mains together: About 70% of the GS content overlaps, so prepare topics for both at once.
• Current affairs through the syllabus: Link each news item to a syllabus line. Our daily current affairs posts tag the relevant GS paper for this reason.
• Write from day one: Mains is a writing test; daily answer writing builds speed and structure.

Has the UPSC syllabus changed for 2027?

No change has been notified. The syllabus is published with each year’s notification, due on 13 January 2027. The current Prelims and CSAT framework has been in place since 2011 and the Mains pattern since 2013.

How many papers are there in UPSC CSE?

Two in the Prelims (GS Paper I and CSAT), nine in the Mains (two qualifying language papers, Essay, four GS papers and two Optional papers), followed by the interview.

Is CSAT counted in the Prelims merit?

No. CSAT is qualifying: you need 33% (66 out of 200). The Mains shortlist is based only on GS Paper I marks.

How many optional subjects are there in UPSC?

48 in all: 25 subjects such as History, Geography, Sociology and Public Administration, plus the literature of 23 languages, including Odia and English.

What is the total marks in UPSC CSE?

2,025: Mains 1,750 plus Interview 275. Prelims marks do not count in the final merit.

• CSE 2027: UPSC Notification 2027 and UPSC Calendar 2027
• Current cycle: UPSC Mains Result 2026
• Daily practice: Daily Current Affairs for UPSC, Prelims Pinpointer and PIB Snippets
• Answer writing: Free UPSC Mains Answer Writing with model structures every day
• Previous papers: UPSC Prelims Previous Year Papers and UPSC Mains PYQs
• Books: UPSC Booklist and NCERT Books for UPSC