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How does UPSC screen candidates to be qualified for the UPSC Mains Examination?

UPSC screens the candidates for the Civil Services (Main) Examination subject to minimum qualifying marks of 33% in the Prelims (CSAT & GS Paper 2) Examination and total qualifying marks of General Studies Paper-I of Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination as may be determined by the Commission.

What does the Civil Services (Main) Examination consist of?

The UPSC Mains Exam consists of a Written Examination and an Interview/Personality Test.

How many papers are in the Written Examination of the Civil Services (Main) Examination?

The UPSC Mains General Studies Written Examination consists of nine papers of subjective type, out of which two are qualifying in nature. Marks obtained in the compulsory papers (Paper-I to Paper-VII) and the Personality Test are accounted for ranking. Candidates receiving such minimum qualifying marks in the written section of the Civil Services (Main) Examination are called by UPSC for an Interview/Personality Test conducted in Delhi.

What number of candidates does UPSC call for Interview/Personality Test?

UPSC calls candidates to Interviews/Personality Test will be around twice the number of vacancies.

Does the interview personality test have qualifying marks?

The Interview/Personality Test comprises 275 marks with no minimum qualifying marks. 

What determines the final ranking and allocation of services in the Civil services (Main) Examination?

Marks obtained by the candidates in the Civil Services (Main) Examination (Written part and Interview/Personality Test together) would determine their rank in the final merit list. Candidates are allotted to the various Services keeping in view their ranks in the examination and their preferences for the various Services and posts.

What is the nature and standard of the questions asked in the written part of the Main Examination?

•    The questions asked in the examination will be of a subjective type. The candidate should go through the previous year's question papers of the main examination to understand the nature and standard of the questions.

What are the time duration of the written examinations and the time slots they are held?

Each paper will be three hours in duration. The schedule for the Main Examination is extended over two weeks. The table below enlists the various papers of the Main Examination held in two-time slots.

Paper-A (Indian Language)

English

Sunday

Optional Subject - Paper 1

Optional Subject - Paper 2

What is the medium of language in the Main examination written part?

Candidates can answer all the question papers in one of the languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India or in English except the Qualifying Language Papers, Paper-A and Paper-B, . The candidate will have the choice to write the Optional Papers in English if the candidates opt to write Paper I-V except for the Qualifying Language Papers, Paper-A and Paper-B, in any one of the languages included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of

India.

Do the marks secured by the candidate in all the subjects of the Main Examination's written part count to determine the merit ranking?
Marks obtained by the candidates for Paper I-VII only will be counted for merit ranking. However, the Commission can fix qualifying marks in any or all of these papers.

Papers to be counted for merit:

Paper

Marks

Paper-I Essay

250

Paper-II General Studies-I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society)

250

Paper-III General Studies -II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International relations)

250

Paper-IV General Studies -III (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management)

250

Paper-V General Studies -IV(Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude)

250

Paper-VI Optional Subject - Paper 1

250

Paper-VII Optional Subject - Paper 2

250

Sub Total (Written test)

1750

Personality Test

275

Grand Total Marks

2025

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ACQ IAS
ACQ IAS