UPSC Civil Service Exam Syllabus and Exam Pattern 2022

Table of Contents

UPSC has issued the Civil Service test pattern for 2022. The UPSC Civil Service Exam, also known as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), is widely regarded as one of the country’s most difficult exams. Candidates will be able to plan their preparations more effectively if they have a thorough understanding of the exam pattern.

The UPSC CS exam will be divided into three stages: preliminary examination, main examination, and personal interview. In order to be considered qualified, candidates must complete all three levels. Each level of the examination bears a distinct weighting of marks. Candidates will benefit from having an understanding of the UPSC exam format when practicing mock exams or series.

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UPSC Civil Service Exam 2022: Notification

Release of Notification	2nd Feb 2022
Prelims Exam	5th June 2022
Mains Exam	16th September 2022
Interview Process	Yet to be announced
Final Result	April/May of the following year

UPSC Civil Service Exam 2022: Overview

Exam Name	Civil Services Exam (UPSC CSE)
Conducting body	Union Public Service Commission
Exam Mode	Offline (UPSC Paper Pattern for Prelims- MCQ-based) (UPSC Paper Pattern for Mains – Descriptive) (Personality Test – Interview in front of board members)
Stages	● Prelims exam ● Mains exam ● Interview
Number of papers	Prelims: 2 Mains: 9
UPSC Prelims exam pattern: Marking scheme	Paper 1: +2 marks Paper 2: +2.5 marks Negative marking: Each question receives one-third of the total marks.
Time Duration	Prelims: 2 hours (Each paper) total 4 hours
Time Duration	Mains:Each paper takes 3 hours, for a total of 27 hours conducted across various days
Type of questions	Prelims: Objective type
Type of questions	Mains: Subjective type

UPSC Civil Service Exam Pattern 2022: Prelims

There will be two papers in the UPSC CS prelims test. Both papers will consist of multiple choice questions with an objective format. There will be two papers at this stage of the exam: Paper I (General Studies) and Paper II (Applied Studies) (Aptitude Test). Candidates who pass this level will be considered for the following round, which is the mains test. The UPSC prelims exam pattern is mentioned in the table below.

Subject	Exam Type	No.of Questions	Marks	Exam Duration
Paper I – General Studies	Objective	100	200	2 Hours
Paper II – Aptitude Test (CSAT)	Objective	80	200	2 Hours

UPSC Civil Service exam pattern 2022: Prelims Marking Scheme

According to the UPSC CS 2022 test pattern, each question in the prelims exam GS paper 1 will be worth two points, while GS paper 2 would be worth 2.5 points.
According to the CS paper pattern, for each incorrect answer, one-third of the marks would be deducted as negative marking.
It will also be deemed negative grading if a candidate attempts more than one response.
There will be no punishment for not answering all of the questions.
To pass GS paper 2, candidates must have a minimum score of 33%.

UPSC Civil Service Exam Pattern 2022: Mains

A compulsory Indian language paper, an English paper, an essay, four general papers, and two optional subjects will be included in the UPSC CS Mains test. We can now look at the UPSC Mains exam pattern in detail.

Paper	Title of the Paper	Marks
Paper 1	Essay Writing	250
Paper 2	General Studies–I (World and Society Geography, Indian Heritage & Culture)	250
Paper 3	General Studies –II (Governance, constitutional law, political science, social justice, and international relations)	250
Paper 4	General Studies –III (Technology, Economic Growth, Biodiversity, Environment, Security, and Disaster Management)	250
Paper 5	General Studies –IV (Aptitude, Integrity, and Ethics)	250
Paper 6	Optional Subject – Paper 1	250
Paper 7	Optional Subject – Paper 2	250
–	Sub Total in the written Test	1750
–	Personal Interview	275
–	Grand Total ( for merit calculation)	2025

UPSC Civil Service exam pattern 2022: Mains Marking Scheme

The CS Mains test has a total score of 1750 points.
In the mains test, each subjective paper is worth 300 points.
In the mains test, candidates can pick between two optional papers.

UPSC Civil Service exam pattern 2022: Personal Interview

The UPSC CS exam will conclude with a personal interview. The candidates who pass the mains examination will be summoned for an interview.
A series of open-ended questions will be used to test the candidate’s mental and social talents during this step. The board looks for mental alertness, critical absorption capacities, clear and logical exposition, a balance of judgement, breadth and depth of interest, aptitude for social cohesion and leadership, and intellectual and moral purity.
A total of 275 points will be awarded for the interview procedure.
Candidates for the UPSC CS will be chosen based on their performance in the mains exam and personal interview.

UPSC Civil Service Exam Syllabus 2022: Prelims

It is necessary to review the UPSC CS syllabus 2022 before beginning your preparation. This will help you determine your strongest and weakest areas.According to the UPSC CS prelims curriculum for 2022, there are two 200-mark papers. According to the UPSC CS curriculum, the major topics for the prelims stage are listed in the table below.

Paper

Important Topics

Paper 1 (GS 1)

Current events with national and worldwide ramifications.

Biodiversity and climate change in general, environmental ecology in particular climatic change, solar innovations, green energy, and so on

Economic and social development, particularly sustainable development, poverty, inclusion, government schemes, demographics, and social sector initiatives, to name a few.

General Science.

Geography of India and the World – Social, Physical, and Economic Geography of India and the World.

Political System, Constitution, Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, Vidhan Sabha, Governor and President Powers, Indian Polity and Governance Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Fundamental Rights Issues, State Principals’ Directive Policy

Paper 2 (GS 2) – CSAT

Interpersonal skills including communication skills

Comprehension

Analytical and logical reasoning skills

Basic numeracy (orders of magnitude, numbers and their relationships, and so on) is essential (Class 10th level)

Making decisions and solving problems

General Mental Ability Questions

Class 10th level data interpretation (graphs, charts, data sufficiency, tables, and so on)

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UPSC Civil Service Exam Syllabus 2022: Mains

Candidates who pass the UPSC CS prelims exam 2022 are eligible to take the UPSC CS mains exam 2022. There are seven papers in the UPSC CS core syllabus, including two optional papers. The UPSC CS admission card 2022 contains information about the candidate’s optional subject selection. Please see the table below for more details on the UPSC CS mains syllabus 2022.

UPSC CSE 2022 Mains: Essay Paper

The essay paper is worth 250 points out of a total of 1250 points in the Mains exam. It accounts for 12.5% of the total. The essay should be between 1000 and 1200 words long.

UPSC CSE General Studies Paper 1 Syllabus

The syllabus of (UPSC CSE) General Studies Paper 1 has been covered here for the UPSC Mains 2022 Exam for better understanding.

Subject	Topics
Indian Culture	From ancient to present times, key features of art forms, literature, and architecture.
Modern Indian History	● From the middle of the eighteenth century (the 1750s) through the present, significant events, issues, and individuals have occurred. ● In ‘The Freedom Struggle,’ there were numerous stages, key contributors, and contributions from diverse sections of the country. ● Consolidation and reform of the country after independence
World History	Since the 18th century, events, forms, and impacts on society have included world wars, the industrial revolution, colonisation, redrawing state boundaries, decolonization, and political philosophies such as communism, capitalism, and socialism, among others.
Society	● Aspects of Indian society and diversity. ● Women’s roles and organisations, population and related challenges, poverty and development difficulties, urbanisation, its problems, and solutions ● Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism, and secularism are all concepts that have been discussed recently. ● Globalization’s impact on Indian society.
Geography	● South Asia and the Indian subcontinent are variables that influence where primary, secondary, and tertiary industries are located around the world, especially in India. ● Important Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic activity, cyclones, and other geophysical occurrences are also significant. ● Changes in essential geographical features (such as water bodies and polar ice caps), flora and fauna, and the repercussions of such changes are all discussed. ● Physical geography of the world’s major characteristics are also important for this exam.

UPSC CSE General Studies Paper 2 Syllabus

Polity, Governance, and Indian Governance are covered within the Polity, Governance, and Indian Governance syllabus for the (UPSC CSE) Mains test.

Subject	Topics
Polity	● Indian Constitution ● Features of Indian Constitution ● Amendments in Indian Constitution ● Provisions ● Constitutional and non-constitutional bodies
Governance	● Government policies and interventions ● Governance ● Transparency ● Accountability ● E-governance applications
Social Justice	● Concerns about the growth and administration of the social sector/services ● Poverty and hunger-related issues
International Relations	● Bilateral Groupings ● Regional and global groupings ● India-related agreements and/or agreements affecting India’s interests

UPSC CSE General Studies Paper 3 Syllabus

Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security, and Disaster Management are all covered in the (UPSC CSE) General Studies III Syllabus. In the table below, you’ll find the following information:

Subject	Topics
Economics	● Economic Development in India ● Macroeconomics
Science & Technology	● Dark Matter ● Higgs Boson ● Rare Earth Elements ● GM Crops ● Gene Editing ● Artificial Intelligence ● Space Technology ● Defense Technology
Biodiversity	● Types of Biodiversity ● Biodiversity and Environment
Security	● Internal Security Challenges in India ● Extremism ● Terrorism ● Money-Laundering
Disaster Management	● Disaster Management in India ● PM Cares Fund ● National Disaster Management Plan

UPSC CSE General Studies Paper 4 Syllabus

To assess the candidate’s approach to issues of integrity and probity, the UPSC added Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude in the syllabus of (UPSC CSE) General Studies Paper IV. The following are the details of the syllabus:

Ethics and Human Interface

Ethics: Its Essence, Determinants, and Consequences in Human Actions;
Ethics Dimensions;
In both private and public relationships, ethics is important.
Human Values: Lessons from Great Leaders, Reformers, and Administrators’ Lives and Teachings
Inculcating Values: The Role of Family Society and Educational Institutions

Attitude

Content, structure, and function; influence and relationship with thought and behavior; moral and political attitudes; and social influence and persuasion
Aptitude and Fundamental Values for Civil Service, Integrity, Impartiality, and Non-partisanship, Objectivity, Dedication to Public Service, Empathy, Tolerance, and Compassion for the Undeserved

Emotional Intelligence

Concepts, their Applications, and their Utilities in Administration and Governance
Moral Thinkers and Philosophers from India and Around the World.

Public Administration

Ethical Concerns and Dilemmas in Government and Private Institutions; Status and Problems;
Ethical Guidance from Laws, Rules, Regulations, and Conscience;
Strengthening Ethical and Moral Values in Governance; Accountability and Ethical Governance
Corporate Governance;
Ethical Issues in International Relations and Funding

Probity in Governance

Concept of Public Service;
Philosophical Basis of Governance and Probity
Information Sharing and Transparency in Government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work Culture, Service Quality, Use of Public Funds, Corruption Challenges.

UPSC CSE Mains Optional Subjects

Candidates must select an optional subject throughout the application procedure. The UPSC CSE Optional Subject will be covered in two papers in the UPSC CSE Mains exam 2022. Each paper is worth 250 points. Except for courses relating to literature, the questions would be descriptive in nature and the question papers will be written in Hindi and English.