IAS Exams are one of the most sought-after exams in the country due to the prestigious posts and high-end salary. It witnesses a lot of competition and is considered one of the toughest exams. Thus, to crack these exams, it is necessary to have a clear knowledge of the exam pattern.
IAS Exam Pattern talks about the distribution of questions, marking schemes, sectional weightage, and duration. The brief for all three stages of IAS are:
Name of the exam | Civil Services Exam- IAS |
Conducting authority | Union Public Service Commission |
Mode of Exam | Offline |
Number of Stages | Prelims exam Mains exam Interview |
Number of papers | Prelims: 2 Mains: 9 |
Prelims marking scheme |
Paper 1: +2 marks Paper 2: +2.5 marks Negative marking: One-third of marks allotted to each question |
Duration | Prelims: 2 hours (Each paper) |
Mains: 3 hours (Each paper) | |
Type of questions | Prelims: Objective type |
Mains: Subjective type | |
Post | 1000 (Tentative) |
Exam Mode | Offline |
Number of Papers | 2- General Studies and Civil Service Aptitude Test (CSAT) |
Number of Questions | Paper 1- 100; Paper 2- 80 |
Question Paper Type | Multiple Choice Questions |
IAS Prelims Total Marks | 400 |
Nature of Exam | Qualifying |
Exam Duration | 2 hours each (only blind aspirants will get additional 20 minutes) |
Exam Language | English and Hindi |
The aspirants may get negative marks in the IAS Prelims Exam. More specifically, in the case of three incorrect answers, the aspirants will get a deduction of 1 mark. That is, the aspirants will get a 1/3 mark deduction for every incorrect answer. On the other hand, there will be no deduction if the candidates will leave blank any of the answers.
Candidates will have to score a minimum percentage in the qualifying exam to qualify for the exam. The question papers are prepared to test the intellectual and interpersonal skills of the candidate. The essay type questions will test the student's understanding of the subject and the concept. The students will be tested on the strength of an Indian Language. There would be two optional papers that the candidates would have to select.
Title of the Paper | Marks Allotted |
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Essay writing | 250 Marks |
General Studies–I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History, and Geography of the World and Society) | 250 Marks |
General Studies –II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations) | 250 Marks |
General Studies –III (Technology, Economic Development, Bio‐diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management) | 250 Marks |
General Studies –IV (Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude) | 250 Marks |
Optional Subject – Paper 1 | 250 Marks |
Optional Subject – Paper 2 | 250 Marks |
Sub Total in the written Test | 1750 Marks |
Personal Interview | 275 Marks |
Grand Total ( for merit calculation) | 2025 Marks |
Detailed Optional Paper Preparation Tips | ||
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Anthropology | Civil Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
Geography | History | Management |
Mathematics | Mechanical Engineering | Medical Science |
Philosophy | Political Science | Psychology |
Public Administration | Sociology | - |
UPSC Toppers' Strategy for Interview Strategy |
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Check IAS Selection Procedure
Ques. What is the IAS Exam pattern of the UPSC main?
Ans. There are 2 compulsory language papers, 4 general studies papers, and 2 optional papers in the UPSC Mains. The total marks for all the exams are 1750 and each paper has 3 hours’ time duration. You can check the details of the main exam here.
Ques. How many subjects are there for IAS Prelims?
Ans. There are 7 compulsory subjects for IAS Prelims-
Ques. How many papers are there in IAS Mains?
Ans. There are 9 papers in IAS Mains.
Ques. What is the passing percentage of IAS Prelims Exams?
Ans. The passing percentage of IAS Prelims Exams are 25%
Ques. Does my Class 12th percentage matter for IAS?
Ans. No, Class 12th percentage does not matter for IAS. The candidate just needs to be a graduate to be eligible.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.