However, the exam is prevalently known as IAS exam, yet authoritatively it is known as the Civil Services Exam (CSE), which is led each year by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

The UPSC CSE comprises of 3 phases and they are Preliminary Exam, Mains Exam, and Personality Test/Interview. The UPSC timetable that comprises of the exam dates is declared by the commission through UPSC notices.

UPSC CIVIL SERVICES (IAS) EXAM PATTERN

The Civil Services Exam is directed by the UPSC consistently and the exam is held in three phases and they are:

Organize I: Preliminary Examination

Organize II: Main Examination

Organize III: Personality Test/Interview Round

The stage 1 of the common administrations exam is prelims, which is a screening test for hopefuls and contains two papers with inquiries of target or MCQ sort.

The IAS Prelims Exam Pattern is as per the following:

Sl. No.
Name of the Paper
Nature of the Paper
Duration of the Exam
Questions
Marks

1
Paper – I
General Studies
2 Hours
100
200 Marks

2
Paper – II
General Studies (CSAT)
QUALIFYING NATURE
2 Hours
80
200 Marks

TOTAL
100
200 Marks

The UPSC Civil Services IAS Mains Exam Pattern is as per the following:

Sl. No.
Paper
Name of the Paper
Nature of the Paper
Duration of the Exam
Marks

1
Paper – A
Compulsory Indian Language
QUALIFYING NATURE
3 Hours
300 Marks

2
Paper – B
English
3 Hours
300 Marks

3
Paper – I
ESSAY
MERIT RANKING NATURE
3 Hours
250 Marks

4
Paper – II
GENERAL STUDIES I
3 Hours
250 Marks

5
Paper – III
GENERAL STUDIES II
3 Hours
250 Marks

6
Paper – IV
GENERAL STUDIES III
3 Hours
250 Marks

7
Paper – V
GENERAL STUDIES IV
3 Hours
250 Marks

8
Paper – VI
OPTIONAL PAPER I
3 Hours
250 Marks

9
Paper – VII

OPTIONAL PAPER II
3 Hours
250 Marks


TOTAL
1750 Marks

INTERVIEW OR PERSONALITY TEST
275 Marks

GRAND TOTAL
2025 Marks