UPSC Exam Pattern 2026 for Prelims, Mains & Interview

UPSC Exam Pattern 2026 for Prelims Mains Interview is an intense examination that requires strategic planning, consistent revision, and clear expression to pass successfully. The Mains examination comprises two descriptive-type written papers comprising two essays, four General Studies papers and two Optional Subject papers that are qualifying in nature - making the examination both challenging and time-consuming to pass successfully.

The interview stage carries 275 marks and measures personality and communication skills as well as clarity of thought. This assessment will be based on your DAF, current affairs, and work profile.

UPSC CSE Exam Pattern 2026
Parameters	Prelims Exam	Mains Exam
Medium of Exam	English & Hindi	English & Hindi (Except for language)
Type of Questions	MCQs (Objective)	Descriptive
Number of Questions	CSAT: 80 questions
GS: 100 questions	Usually, 20 questions per paper
Total Marks	200 + 200	1750
Mode of Exam	Offline	Offline
Number of Papers	2 papers	9 papers
Exam Duration	2 hours for each paper	3 hours for each paper
Negative Marking	1/3rd of 2 marks	No negative marking

 

General Studies Paper 1 (GS Paper 1)

The Union Public Service Commission's Civil Services Examination is a multi-stage selection process intended to identify candidates with intellectual depth and analytical ability necessary for entering India's renowned administrative services. Successful performance requires a combination of consistency, smart planning, and extensive preparation - understanding the UPSC examination pattern helps aspirants structure their study schedule as well as identify which subjects are most pertinent in preparation.

Preliminary Examination, or P-E, comprises two objective-based papers - General Studies Paper 1 and Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) paper - each with its own set syllabus and no subjective component to them. While GSP1 covers Indian history, geography, politics, economics and science and technology topics; CSAT evaluates comprehension skills like reasoning decision making numeracy skills & basic numeracy proficiency among others. Cutoff marks differ annually with overall score being determined based on how many marks a candidate earned in each section of this examination process.

Acquiring high marks on General Studies Paper I is key to passing the prelims examination, as this determines eligibility for the mains stage of testing - the Mains exam has nine papers, two qualifying in nature and seven contributing towards merit ranking. Finally, interview stage will identify not only subject knowledge, but also personality traits which align with Civil Services profession.

The Mains exam is a descriptive exam that requires in-depth knowledge and the ability to articulate one's thoughts clearly. To maximize chances of success, aspirants should employ the 80-20 rule by prioritizing high-yield subjects while spending limited time on low-return topics.

General Studies Paper 2 (CSAT)

The Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) is a 200-mark exam that assesses your aptitude through comprehension, interpersonal skills, logical reasoning and decision-making as well as numeracy and problem-solving ability. The exam lasts 2 hours with negative marking for incorrect answers - 1/3rd marks deducted for each one given incorrectly; you must score 33% (66 marks) to pass this qualifying prelims exam.

Make an impactful preparation strategy and your score can soar! Start by understanding the syllabus, crafting a detailed study plan with ample study time allocated to each topic and using quality study materials that emphasize conceptual understanding over memorization. Furthermore, regularly utilize mock tests or previous year question papers as practice for each exam session.

Keep this in mind; CSAT scores are only one piece of the puzzle; your interview, with its 275 marks allocated, is the single most critical component in determining your success as an IAS officer. Your personality, communication skills and suitability for administrative roles will all be assessed during this stage; for success on either test to become an officer of IAS is imperative.

The UPSC examination process comprises three main stages: Prelims exam, Mains exam and Interview (Personality Test/Interview). The Prelims stage serves as a filter to select only qualified candidates to proceed to Mains examination aimed at testing depth of knowledge and analytical abilities; interview is final step which carries 275 marks and plays an integral part in selection process; though Civil Services Examination 2026 can be an arduous journey, its complexity can be overcome through dedication and careful strategic planning.

Essay Paper

The Union Public Service Commission Civil Services Examination (CSE) is India's prestigious and rigorous administrative services entrance exam. Comprised of three stages - Prelims, Mains and Interview - designed to test subject knowledge, analytical ability and personality traits; those who pass all three can become eligible for IAS, IPS or IFS jobs in India. Renowned for being among the toughest tests worldwide, CSE 2026 Civil Services Examination will consist of two papers; General Studies Paper 1 (GS1) and Civil Service Aptitude Test or GS Paper 2 both comprise objective type questions with no negative marking.

The Mains stage of the UPSC exam consists of nine descriptive papers designed to assess your understanding and analytical skills. Essays in this stage carry 250 marks; these essays are of particular significance as they assess critical powers of assimilation, clarity of thought, balance of judgment as well as balance between logic and emotion - assessed both in English as well as any one Indian language such as Assamese, Bhojpuri, Chandigarh Hindi, Dogri Gujarati Kannada Marathi Malayalam Oriya Odia or Punjabi

UPSC CSE applicants face an interview stage that carries 275 marks: the personal interview. In this meeting with an interview board of UPSC officials, purposeful questioning aims to assess your suitability for employment through purposeful interrogation of key areas like intellectual alertness, power of assimilation, clarity of thought ethics morality variety depth interests ability to make decisions balance of judgment.

Optional Subject Paper

The final stage of the Civil Services Exam, known as the Personality Test or Interview, is an essential aspect of the UPSC process as it assesses candidates' leadership qualities and administrative roles suitability. Each Interview bears 275 marks; these scores will then be added together and used to generate the final merit list which will then be allocated based on factors including rank preference medical fitness vacancies etc.

Preparing for the UPSC prelims exam requires creating a healthy study schedule and managing stress levels. A comprehensive UPSC Booklist covering its entirety, daily MCQ practice sessions, and consistent revision will all contribute to success on exam day.

Selecting an effective optional subject is key to succeeding on the UPSC exam. Your chosen topic should reflect both your strengths and interests as well as cover sections from the General Studies syllabus. It may also be worthwhile researching topics chosen by toppers from previous years' tests.

Opting for an appropriate optional subject can greatly increase your odds of passing the Mains exam and moving onto Interview stage of the Civil Services Examination. But you should take care to select something which has become outdated due to new developments or is too challenging for you to score well in.

One thing to bear in mind when choosing optional subjects for UPSC exams is that marks do not scale according to scaled marks; thus if two serious candidates select different subjects their differences in scores may be greater than if they had chosen the same topic due to UPSC using moderation instead of scaling which assumes students have roughly similar academic levels across subjects.

Personality Test (Interview)

Civil Services Exam (CSE), is one of India's premier competitive exams. As one of three entrance tests to top administrative posts - IAS, IPS and IFS - CSE attracts nearly 10 lakh applicants every year and takes three stages for examination: Preliminary Examination; Mains Examination and an Interview-cum Personality Test stage.

The Preliminary Examination includes two objective-type papers, with each question carrying four options and an incorrect response incurring negative marking of one-third of its alloted marks; questions left unattempted do not incur this penalty, so candidates should strategize their answers to maximize correctly answered questions while not leaving any unattempted. During Mains and Interview stages there is no negative marking; however points can still be lost through unclear writing, lack of clarity in thought and presentation or failing to abide by clear structures.

The UPSC Interview, carrying 275 marks out of 2025, is the final and most crucial step of the CSE application process. Here, the board will assess your personality, communication skills and suitability for administrative roles. They will ask questions regarding your DAF and current affairs, assess your ability to think critically and problem solve, as well as test your critical thinking and problem-solving. In order to prepare effectively for an interview, it is crucial that you gain an in-depth knowledge of both the Civil Services Exam syllabus and format of an interview, as well as any new trends or patterns within question patterns that have recently appeared. Reviewing past year question papers is an effective strategy as this can help identify and understand which topics need to be focused upon.

Services Under UPSC CSE 2026

Indian Administrative Service (IAS)

Indian Foreign Service (IFS)

Indian Police Service (IPS)

Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Group ‘A’

Indian Civil Accounts Service, Group ‘A’

Indian Corporate Law Service, Group ‘A’

Indian Defence Accounts Service, Group ‘A’

Indian Defence Estates Service, Group ‘A’

Indian Information Service, Group ‘A’

Indian Postal Service, Group ‘A’

Indian Post & Telecommunication Accounts and Finance Service, Group ‘A’

Indian Railway Management Services (Traffic, Personnel, Accounts), Group ‘A’

Indian Railway Protection Force Service, Group ‘A’

Indian Revenue Service (Customs & Indirect Taxes), Group ‘A’

Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax), Group ‘A’

Indian Trade Service, Group ‘A’ (Grade III)

Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service, Group ‘B’

Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS), Group ‘B’

Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands Police Service (DANIPS), Group ‘B’

Pondicherry Civil and Police Service, Group ‘B’