UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Exam – Complete Guide

1. What is UPSC Prelims?

• First stage of the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE).
• Conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) every year (May/June).
• Objective-type, multiple-choice papers.
• Acts as a screening test → only marks of GS Paper I are counted for cutoff.
• Total Marks: 400 (not counted in final merit).

2. Services After Prelims

• Prelims is only a qualifying stage.
• Success here allows entry into Mains (1750 marks) → then Interview (275 marks) → final selection into IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, and other services.

3. Eligibility for Prelims

• Age: 21–32 years (general; relaxations for reserved categories).
• Attempts: 6 (general), 9 (OBC), unlimited till 37 years (SC/ST).
• Education: Graduate from any recognized university.

4. UPSC Prelims Exam Structure

Two Papers (same day):

👉 Negative marking: –0.66 (GS) / –0.83 (CSAT) for wrong answers.
 👉 Only GS Paper I marks decide cutoff; CSAT is just qualifying.

5. Nature of Questions

• GS Paper I:
  • Current Affairs (domestic + international).
  • Indian Polity & Constitution.
  • Indian History (Ancient, Medieval, Modern, Freedom Movement).
  • Indian & World Geography.
  • Indian Economy.
  • Environment, Ecology, Biodiversity, Climate Change.
  • Science & Technology (applied, not theory).
• CSAT (Paper II):
  • Comprehension & English Language.
  • Logical reasoning, decision-making.
  • Basic numeracy (Class X level).
  • Data interpretation.

6. Marking Pattern

• Each paper = 200 marks.
• GS Paper I → Cutoff deciding (varies yearly).
• CSAT Paper II → Must score 33% (66 marks) to qualify.
• No sectional cutoff.

Recent GS Paper I Cutoffs (General Category):

• 2020: 92.5
• 2021: 87.5
• 2022: 88.2
• 2023: 95+

7. Exam Schedule

• Held once a year (May/June).
• Morning (GS) and Afternoon (CSAT) sessions.
• Results in June/July, shortlisting candidates for Mains.

8. Resources & Preparation Materials

• Polity: M. Laxmikant, NCERTs & Magme’s Guide
• History: NCERTs, Spectrum (Modern India), R.S. Sharma (Ancient), Satish Chandra (Medieval) & Magme’s Guide
• Geography: NCERTs, G.C. Leong, Atlas & Magme’s Guide
• Economy: Ramesh Singh, Economic Survey, Budget & Magme’s Guide
• Environment: Shankar IAS, NCERTs, current affairs & Magme’s 360
• Current Affairs: The Hindu, Indian Express, PIB, Yojana, Kurukshetra, Monthly compilations, Magme’s 360
• CSAT: Previous year papers, Arihant CSAT, RS Aggarwal (Quantitative Aptitude) & Magme Portal

9. Summary Table

10. Quick Reference

• What → 1st stage of UPSC CSE.
• Whom → Graduates (21–32 yrs; attempts vary).
• When → May/June.
• Where → Across India (centers).
• Why → Screening stage for Mains.
• Which → GS (200 marks) + CSAT (200 marks).
• How → NCERTs, standard books, PYQs, mock tests.
• How Much → Must clear GS cutoff + 33% in CSAT.

11. Preparation Strategy

Step 1 – NCERT Foundation

• Class 6–12 NCERTs for History, Polity, Geography, Economy.
• Build basic clarity.

Step 2 – Standard Books & Current Affairs

• Laxmikant (Polity), Spectrum (History), G.C. Leong (Geography).
• Daily newspaper + monthly compilations.

Step 3 – Practice MCQs

• Solve at least 5,000+ MCQs before Prelims.
• Revise previous 10 years’ UPSC Prelims papers.

Step 4 – CSAT Practice

• Don’t ignore → many fail here.
• Practice comprehension & reasoning weekly.

Step 5 – Mock Tests & Revision

• Enroll in Prelims Test Series.
• Simulate exam conditions.
• Revise notes 3–4 times.

12. Why is UPSC Prelims Important?

• Gateway to Mains: Only 2–3% of applicants clear Prelims.
• Elimination Stage: Out of ~10 lakh applicants, ~10–12k qualify.
• Tests Breadth: Wide coverage across history, polity, economy, geography, current affairs.
• Foundation: Prelims prep overlaps heavily with Mains syllabus.

✅ In short:

• Stage: UPSC Prelims (2 papers, 400 marks).
• Focus: Broad knowledge + accuracy.
• Best Prep: NCERTs, standard books, MCQs, current affairs.
• Outcome: Qualify for UPSC Mains (second stage).