UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) Previous Year Question Paper Pattern
Union Public Service Commission — Civil Services Examination
Conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Last verified: 2026-06-05. Always match this with the latest official notification before final preparation.
Prelims — Paper I (General Studies)
Marks
200
Time
120 min
Negative
−1/3 of marks per wrong answer
100 questions × 2 marks each = 200 marks. No fixed section-wise breakup — all topics (History/Culture, Geography, Polity, Economy, Environment, Science, Current Affairs) are mixed across 100 questions.
Prelims — Paper II (CSAT — qualifying)
Marks
200
Time
120 min
Negative
−1/3 of marks per wrong answer
80 questions, 2.5 marks each. Minimum 33% (66 marks) required to qualify — marks not counted for merit.
Mains (Written)
Marks
1750
Time
As notified
Negative
None
| Section | Questions | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Essay | 2 | 250 |
| GS Paper I (History, Culture, Geography, Society) | - | 250 |
| GS Paper II (Governance, Constitution, Social Justice, IR) | - | 250 |
| GS Paper III (Economy, Environment, Tech, Security) | - | 250 |
| GS Paper IV (Ethics, Integrity, Aptitude) | - | 250 |
| Optional Paper I | - | 250 |
| Optional Paper II | - | 250 |
Two qualifying language papers (Indian language + English) — 300 marks each but not counted for final merit. Total merit marks = 1750 (Mains) + 275 (Interview) = 2025.