UPSC Civil Services Prelims Certification Guide

About UPSC CSE Prelims

Detail	Info

|--------|------|

Conducting Body	Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Frequency	Once a year (June)
Application	February-March
Papers	2 papers (GS Paper 1 + CSAT)
Total Marks	400 (200 each)
Nature	Qualifying — only GS Paper 1 marks count for merit

Paper 1 — General Studies (200 marks, 100 questions, 2 hrs)

SYLLABUS BREAKDOWN:
  Current events (national + international): 15-20 questions
  History of India and freedom struggle: 15-20 questions
  Indian and World Geography: 15-20 questions
  Indian Polity and Governance: 10-15 questions
  Economic and Social Development: 10-15 questions
  Environment and Ecology: 10-15 questions
  General Science: 5-10 questions

MARKING: +2 for correct, -0.66 for wrong (negative marking)
CUTOFF: typically 90-110/200 for general category

HIGH YIELD TOPICS:
  Ancient History: Harappan civilisation, Vedic age, Maurya, Gupta
  Medieval History: Delhi Sultanate, Mughal empire, Bhakti/Sufi movements
  Modern History: 1857 revolt, Congress formation, Gandhi movements, partition
  Geography: monsoon, rivers, soil types, agriculture, mineral distribution
  Polity: Constitution, Fundamental Rights, DPSP, Parliament, judiciary
  Economy: GDP, inflation, monetary policy, banking, budget concepts
  Environment: biodiversity, national parks, climate change, pollution
  Science: physics/chemistry/bio basics, space (ISRO), defence

Paper 2 — CSAT (200 marks, 80 questions, 2 hrs) — Qualifying only

Need 33% (66/200) to qualify — marks NOT counted for merit

TOPICS:
  Comprehension: English passages, inference, main idea
  Interpersonal skills: communication, decision making
  Logical reasoning: analogies, series, syllogisms
  Analytical ability: data interpretation, puzzles
  Basic numeracy: class 10 maths (percentages, ratio, profit/loss, time/work)
  Data interpretation: tables, bar graphs, pie charts, line graphs

STRATEGY: Score 80+ to be safe. Weak in maths? Focus on comprehension + reasoning.

Study Resources

•NCERT books (6-12): History, Geography, Polity, Economics, Science — mandatory

•Laxmikant Indian Polity — best book for polity (read every page)

•Shankar IAS Environment — best environment book for UPSC

•Vision IAS / Insights on India — current affairs monthly magazines

•Previous year papers (2011-2024) — most important practice resource

Revision Notes

UPSC PRELIMS: 2 papers | GS Paper 1 for merit | CSAT qualifying only
NEGATIVE MARKING: -0.66 per wrong | skip if less than 33% confident
CUTOFF: 90-110 general | varies by year and difficulty

PRIORITY SUBJECTS: History > Polity > Geography > Economy > Environment > Science
NCERT FIRST: read all NCERTs before reference books
CURRENT AFFAIRS: 12 months before exam | The Hindu + PIB daily

ATTEMPTS: general 6 | OBC 9 | SC/ST unlimited (up to age 37/35/37)
AGE: 21-32 general | 21-35 OBC | 21-37 SC/ST