UPSC Civil Services 2025 Exam - Exam Date, Registration, Pattern, Syllabus, Sample Papers, Cutoff, Previous Year Papers

All the important dates regarding the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2024 are as follows:

The detailed UPSC Civil Services eligibility criteria 2024 to appear for the UPSC Civil Service Examination are as follows:

Nationality

A candidate should be:

• Citizen of India
• Citizen of Nepal
• Citizen of Bhutan
• Any Tibetan refugee (should be settled here before 01 January 1962)
• Migrated from Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Vietnam, and Zaire.

Minimum Educational Qualifications

• Candidate should hold a Bachelor's degree from any recognized University.

Age Limit

• Candidate must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 32 years on 01 August 2024 i.e., he/she must have been born not earlier than 02 August 1990 and not later than 01 August 2001.  

Age Relaxation

The candidates are provided age relaxations on the basis of their caste and categories if necessary. Check out the details related to the age relaxations from the table given below:

The UPSC CSE 2024 application process for the prelims exam began on February 14 and ended on March 5, 2024. The Union Public Service Commission released a notification related to the UPSC CSE Detailed Application Form (DAF) for the Mains exam in July 2024. The exam conducting authority keeps candidates informed about the examination process. Knowing the dates, candidates can easily apply for the upcoming exam.

Also Read: List of Required Documents to Fill UPSC CSE 2024 Application Form

Union Public Service Commission finalizes the UPSC CSE Syllabus 2024 each year. As part of the Prelims syllabus, candidates are evaluated based on their knowledge and aptitude in current affairs. In the Civil Services Mains exam, a candidate is evaluated based on his/her academic expertise in his/her specialised subject. It also looks at an individual's overall intellectual traits and understanding of concepts. Basically, the questions that are asked in the Civil Services examination test the candidate’s understanding and clarity of concepts related to a variety of subjects, which is relevant for a career in Civil Services.

UPSC CSE Prelims Syllabus 2024

Paper I Syllabus

• Current events of National & International importance.

• History of India & Indian National Movement.

• Indian & World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India & the World.

• Indian Polity & Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

• Economic & Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

• General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity & climate change – that do not require subject specialization.

• General Science.

Paper II Syllabus

• Comprehension.

• Interpersonal skills including communication skills.

• Logical reasoning & analytical ability.

• Decision making & problem-solving.

• General mental ability.

• Basic numeracy (numbers & their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. – Class X level)

Also Read: 

UPSC CSE Mains Syllabus 2024

English Language:

1. Comprehension of given passages.

2. Precis Writing.

3. Usage and Vocabulary.

4. Short Essays.

Indian Languages:

1. Comprehension of given passages.

2. Precis Writing.

3. Usage and Vocabulary.

4. Short Essays.

5. Translation from English to the Indian Language and vice-versa.

Paper-I: Essay

Candidates may be required to write essays on multiple topics. They will be expected to keep closely to the subject of the essay to arrange their ideas in orderly fashion and to write concisely.

Paper-II: General Studies-I

Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society.

1. Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature, and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

2. Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues.

3. The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country.

4. Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.

5. History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society.

6. Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India.

7. Role of women and women’s organization, population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues, urbanization, their problems and their remedies.

8. Effects of globalization on Indian society.

9. Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism.

10. Salient features of world’s physical geography.

11. Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent); factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India).

12. Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

Paper-III: General Studies-II

Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations.

1. Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

2. Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.

3. Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions.

4. Comparison of the Indian constitutional scheme with that of other countries.

5. Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.

6. Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary—Ministries and Departments of the Government; pressure groups and formal/informal associations and their role in the Polity.

7. Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.

8. Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.

9. Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.

10. Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

11. Development processes and the development industry —the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders.

12. Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

13. Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

14. Issues relating to poverty and hunger.

15. Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.

16. Role of civil services in a democracy.

17. India and its neighborhood- relations.

18. Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

19. Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

20. Important International institutions, agencies and fora - their structure, mandate.

Paper-IV: General Studies-III

Technology, Economic Development, Bio diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management

1. Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

2. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.

3. Government Budgeting.

4. Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country, - different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage, transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers.

5. Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System-objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security; Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing.

6. Food processing and related industries in India- scope’ and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.

7. Land reforms in India.

8. Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth.

9. Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

10. Investment models.

11. Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

12. Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

13. Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, Nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.

14. Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

15. Disaster and disaster management.

16. Linkages between development and spread of extremism.

17. Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.

18.  Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security; money-laundering and its prevention.

19. Security challenges and their management in border areas - linkages of organized crime with terrorism.

20. Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.

Paper-V: General Studies-IV

Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude

1. Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in-human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics - in private and public relationships. Human Values - lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators; role of family society and educational institutions in inculcating values.

2. Attitude: content, structure, function; its influence and relation with thought and behaviour; moral and political attitudes; social influence and persuasion.

3. Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker-sections.

4. Emotional intelligence-concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and governance.

5. Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.

6. Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions; laws, rules, regulations and conscience as sources of ethical guidance; accountability and ethical governance; strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance; ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance.

7. Probity in Governance: Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity; Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption.

8. Case Studies on above issues.

Paper – VI & VII

Optional Subject Papers I & II.

A candidate may opt for any one Optional Subject from the following:

1. Agriculture

2. Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science

3. Anthropology

4. Botany

5. Chemistry

6. Civil Engineering

7. Commerce and Accountancy

8. Economics

9. Electrical Engineering

10. Geography

11. Geology

12. History

13. Law

14. Management

15. Mathematics

16. Mechanical Engineering

17. Medical Science

18. Philosophy

19. Physics

20. Political Science and International Relations

21. Psychology

22. Public Administration

23. Sociology

24. Statistics

25. Zoology

26. Literature of any one of the following languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santhali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu and English.

Also Read: UPSC Law Syllabus for Civil Services (IAS) Mains Exam 2024

It is important for candidates to have a complete understanding of the UPSC CSE Exam Pattern 2024 beforehand to be better prepared for the competitive examination. The UPSC Civil Services examination is divided into three stages including Preliminary (Prelims), Mains and Interview. The paper pattern of UPSC CSE 2024 includes details related to the number of questions, nature of questions, and marking scheme.

All the latest highlights regarding the UPSC CSE 2024 exam are as follows - 

The Civil Services Examination (CSE), conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), is a competitive and prestigious exam conducted on a yearly basis to fill in various civil service vacancies for the Government of India. To excel in competitive exams like the UPSC CSE, students must adopt effective preparation strategies. Here are some tips to elevate your UPSC CSE Preparation for 2024:

• Understand the Syllabus: Familiarize yourself thoroughly with the entrance exam syllabus. A clear understanding of the syllabus will significantly reduce your mental burden. Review the syllabus in detail to ensure you cover all necessary topics.
• Know the Exam Pattern: Be well-versed with the exam pattern. Understanding the format will give you insight into the number and type of questions, total marks for each paper, time duration, and the structure of each section.
• Practice Regularly with Sample Papers: Consistently solving CSE sample papers will enhance your proficiency and speed. Regular practice is key to mastering the exam format and improving your performance.
• Choose the Right Study Materials: Select quality preparation materials for each subject. Opt for one comprehensive book per subject to clarify basic concepts. Avoid studying multiple books on the same topic to prevent confusion and save time.
• Revise Regularly: Make regular revision a part of your study routine. Revising previously covered topics helps reinforce your memory and facilitates the grasping of new concepts. Effective revision boosts recall and retention.
• Stay Calm and Stress-Free: Maintaining a calm demeanor is crucial while preparing for a challenging exam like the CSE. Avoid stress and focus on steady, consistent preparation.
• Create Short Notes: Develop concise notes during your study sessions. Short notes make revision more manageable and are an excellent tool for remembering key topics easily.

By incorporating these strategies, candidates can significantly improve their preparation and enhance their chances of success in the UPSC CSE 2024.

Also Read: UPSC CSE 2024 Expert Tips and Last-Minute Strategy

When preparing for one of the toughest exams in the country, candidates need reliable and effective resources. With the availability of the internet, there are abundant resources. Aspirants can check online and they can get numerous free e-books that provide in-depth knowledge to them. Besides learning the topics, candidates can also download UPSC Civil Services Previous Year's Question Papers that prepare them to solve questions easily and quickly during the exam. 

According to the requirements of students, they can choose the Best Books for UPSC CSE 2024 Prelims or Mains. Depending on the subjects, candidates can select dedicated books. Several books are recommended for preparation. Candidates can get them and prepare for the competitive exam.

Also Read: List of NCERT Books Required for UPSC Preparation 2024

UPSC CSE coaching in India has become highly popular among candidates. Every year, lakhs of candidates are applying for the UPSC prelims exam. Half of them do not appear for the exam due to lack of preparation and confidence. Only a few are able to clear the UPSC Civil Services exam. Further, these candidates have to clear the Mains exam and personality test round. The number of passed candidates highlights the competitive nature of the UPSC civil services exam.

The level of competition has made it necessary for aspirants to get coaching from reliable coaching institutes and increase their chances of success. The Best Coaching institutes for UPSC Civil Servision 2024 with small strength in classrooms have a high success rate.

The UPSC IAS Admit Card 2024 Prelims exam can be accessed by entering the Registration ID and Date of Birth, along with the security code provided on the portal. Candidates need to carry their CSE admit card on each paper. Entry to the examination centre will be restricted for the candidates without the admit card.

The list of exam centres for the UPSC CSE 2024 Prelims exam can be checked below -

Also Read: UPSC CSE 2024 Prelims Exam Day Instructions

The exam centres for UPSC CSE Mains 2024 can be checked below -

The official UPSC Civil Services 2024 answer key is released after the whole UPSC CSE examination cycle for the year 2024 wraps up. However, the unofficial UPSC CSE Answer keys are released by different coaching centres across the country and the candidates can refer to any of the verified answer keys to check the UPSC CSE Prelims 2024 score. This year the UPSC Civil Services Prelims 2024 will be conducted on May 26, 2024. Once the Mains Exam is conducted, the UPSC CSE Answer Key 2024 will be released on the official website of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Candidates will be allowed to download the answer key once it is issued by UPSC. 

Steps to Download UPSC Civil Services Answer Key 2024

• Go to the official website of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

• Go to the ‘Home’ page and click on the ‘Examination’ menu.

• Click on the ‘Answer Key’ under the Examination menu.

• Click on the link given below, denoting GS Paper 1 and GS Paper 2.

• A PDF file will open with the answers to the questions asked in the preliminary examination of UPSC Civil Services.

• Download the PDF file and take a printout of it for future reference.

How to Calculate Scores Using UPSC CSE Answer Key 2024?

CSE Answer key 2024 is the most important resource to calculate your marks and check one's performance in the examination. Candidates who have appeared in the examination can estimate their score even before the result is declared. Check the steps below to calculate CSE 2024 Prelims examination score.

• In the first step, candidates can download the answer key from the website or the link which will be provided on this page.
• Once you have downloaded the answer key, aspirants can check through the answer key and cross-check with the ones they have marked during the exam.
• Now, based on the marking scheme check no. of right and wrong answers and calculate your total marks.

Marking Scheme

• Correct Answer: + 2 marks
• Incorrect Answer: - 2/3 Marks

Formula to calculate CSE 2024 scores: Total scores of CSE 2024 = (Number of correct answers X 2 marks ) – (Number of incorrect answers X 2/3 marks)

After the Prelims and Mains exams are conducted, the paper analysis will be provided to candidates. It will help the upcoming candidates to know the types of questions asked, and weightage of marks given to each topic. The number of questions from each of the subjects will be provided in the analysis. For all Papers, proper UPSC CSE Paper Analysis 2024 will be done to analyze the difficulty level of the exam. 

UPSC CSE Result 2024 for Preliminary Exam will be released on the official website in a pdf format. UPSC Civil Services 2024 Final result will be announced after the conclusion of the examination process. 

UPSC CSE Prelims 2024 exam will be conducted on 26th May 2024 and the UPSC CSE Prelims result 2024 will be declared in June 2024. The UPSC CSE Prelims 2024 result will be available in PDF format for the candidates. Candidates can access their scorecards both directly from the official UPSC website and also from the link available on our website. The candidates will find out their UPSC CSE Mains 2024 scorecards in the "What's New" section on the official website of UPSC. Based on the marks obtained in UPSC CSE Mains result 2024, candidates will be shortlisted for the interview. 

Steps to View UPSC Civil Services Result 2024

Candidates can view their UPSC Civil Services exam results by following the steps given below:

• To check the result, visit the official website of UPSC.

• A link to access the result will be available.

• Click on the link and the result will be displayed on your screen in the form of a PDF file.

• Download and save the UPSC result PDF for future use.

UPSC Civil Services 2024 Cut off will be released by the examination organising authority i.e., Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), after the declaration of the UPSC Civil Services final result. The cut-off implies the minimum marks that a candidate must secure so as to qualify for the exam and become eligible for the next round. The Union Public Service Commission will release the UPSC Civil Services Cut-Off 2024 marks for all three stages under its selection process.

How to Check UPSC Civil Services Cutoff 2024?

Here are some simple steps to check UPSC Civil Services cut-off 2024:

• Visit the official website of UPSC i.e. www.upsc.gov.in

• On the homepage of UPSC, click on the tab 'Examination'.

• Then, select the 'Cut-off' tab from the drop-down list.

• A new page will appear in which cut-off marks for various years will be displayed on the screen.

• Click on the link for which you want to see the cut-off marks.

• The next page will display the cut-off marks for various categories.

• You can check and compare your marks with that of the cut-off.

• You may also take a printout of the cut-off marks for future reference.

UPSC Civil Services Expected Cut off 2024

The UPSC CSE 2024 expected cutoff details have been provided below - 

Note: The above-mentioned UPSC Civil Services cut-off is based on the previous years' cut-off data. These are just an estimated cut-off and these may vary as per the difficulty level of the exams and such other factors.

The UPSC Civil Services Selection Process comprises three stages – Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination (Objective Type), Civil Services (Main) Examination (Written) and a Personality Test (Interview). 

Candidates who qualify in the UPSC Civil Services 2024 exams will advance to the next stages of the selection process and may ultimately be recruited for various posts in the Indian Civil Services.

• Preliminary Exam: The first stage of the UPSC CSE exam is the Preliminary (Prelims) examination.
• Main Exam: Candidates who pass the Prelims will proceed to the UPSC CSE Main (Mains) exam.
• Eligibility for Mains: To qualify for the Mains, candidates must score above the cutoff in General Studies Paper I and achieve at least 33% in General Studies Paper II (CSAT).
• Interview Process: Candidates who qualify in the Mains exam will then participate in the interview process.
• Result Declaration and Training: The results of the UPSC Civil Services exam are typically declared within a week after the interviews, usually between April and June. Successful candidates receive their allocation letters and undergo a 15-week foundational training program at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is India's central agency authorised to conduct the Civil Services Examination, Engineering Services Examination, Combined Medical Services Examination, Combined Defence Services Examination, National Defence Academy Examination, Naval Academy Examination, Special Class Railway Apprentice, Indian Forest Service Examination, Indian Economic Service Examination, Indian Statistical Service Examination, Combined Geoscientist and Geologist Examination, and Central Armed Police Forces (Assistant Commandant) Examination.

Address: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi – 10069

Phone number: 011-23385271/011-23381125/011-23098543

Website: https://www.upsc.gov.in