UPSC CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATION

The UPSC Civil Services Examination is a highly competitive examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in India. The examination is also commonly known as the Indian Administrative Services (IAS) examination, as it is primarily aimed at selecting candidates for various civil services posts in the Indian government, including the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service, Indian Revenue Service, and other allied services.
The examination is conducted in three stages: the Preliminary examination, the Main examination, and the Personality Test (Interview). The Preliminary examination consists of two objective-type papers, while the Main examination consists of nine papers, including essay writing, language comprehension, and general studies.
The UPSC Civil Services Examination is widely regarded as one of the toughest competitive examinations in India, with a success rate of less than 1%. Candidates who successfully clear the examination are selected based on their performance in all three stages and are appointed to various civil services posts in the Indian government, based on their rank and preference.
The Civil Services Examination provides a unique opportunity for candidates to serve the country and make a positive impact on society. Many successful candidates have gone on to become prominent political leaders, bureaucrats, and social activists in India.

Prelims in Civil Services Examination

The Prelims exam is the first stage of the UPSC Civil Services Examination, which is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in India. The Prelims exam is also known as the Civil Services Preliminary Examination and is designed to test the candidate's knowledge and aptitude in various subjects.
The Prelims exam consists of two papers, both of which are objective-type multiple-choice questions. The first paper, General Studies (GS) Paper 1, tests the candidate's knowledge in areas such as Indian polity and governance, history and culture of India, geography of India and the world, economic and social development, environment and ecology, and current events of national and international importance. The second paper, CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test) Paper 2, tests the candidate's aptitude and reasoning skills, including comprehension, interpersonal skills, logical reasoning, and analytical ability.
Both papers are of 2 hours duration, and the total marks for the Prelims exam are 400 (200 marks for each paper). The Prelims exam is a screening test, and only candidates who clear the cut-off score in the Prelims exam are eligible to appear for the Main examination
It is important to note that the Prelims exam is only a qualifying exam, and the marks obtained in the Prelims exam are not counted towards the final selection. The marks obtained in the Main examination and the Personality Test (Interview) are used to determine the final rank and selection of the candidates.

Mains in UPSC Civil Services Exam

The Mains exam is the second stage of the UPSC Civil Services Examination, which is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in India. The Mains exam is also known as the Civil Services Main Examination and is designed to test the candidate's in-depth knowledge and understanding of various subjects. The Mains exam consists of nine papers, which are of conventional essay type. The papers include:

Total Marks for the Mains Exam are 1750

and the duration of each paper is three hours. Papers A and B (Indian Language and English Language) are qualifying papers, and the marks obtained in these papers are not counted towards the final ranking.
Candidates who clear the cut-off score in the Mains exam are eligible to appear for the Personality Test (Interview), which is the final stage of the selection process. The marks obtained in the Mains exam and the Personality Test (Interview) are used to determine the final rank and selection of the candidates.