GS Advanced

The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is a highly competitive and comprehensive examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in India. It is a three-stage process that tests candidates' knowledge, aptitude, and personality for various administrative positions in the country. The examination comprises the following three stages:

Preliminary Examination (Objective Type):

Paper-I: General Studies

• Current events of national and international importance
• History of India and Indian National Movement
• Indian and World Geography - Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World
• Indian Polity and Governance - Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
• Economic and Social Development - Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
• General issues on Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity, and Climate Change
• General Science

Paper-II: CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test)

• Comprehension
• Interpersonal skills including communication skills
• Logical reasoning and analytical ability
• Decision-making and problem-solving
• General mental ability
• Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.)
• Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc.)

Main Examination (Descriptive Type):

• Paper-A: Indian Language (Qualifying nature)
• Paper-B: English (Qualifying nature)
• Paper-I: Essay
• Paper-II: General Studies-I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History, and Geography of the World and Society)
• Paper-III: General Studies-II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International relations)
• Paper-IV: General Studies-III (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security, and Disaster Management)
• Paper-V: General Studies-IV (Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude)
• Paper-VI & Paper-VII: Optional Subject Paper 1 & 2 (Candidates can choose one optional subject from the list of subjects provided by the UPSC)

Interview/Personality Test:

The final stage involves an interview conducted by a panel of UPSC board members to assess the candidate's personality, communication skills, and suitability for a career in public service.

Optional Subjects:

Candidates can choose one optional subject for the Main Examination from a list of subjects. Some of the optional subjects include Geography, History, Political Science and International Relations, Sociology, Public Administration, Philosophy, Psychology, Anthropology, etc.