How to know the exam pattern of UPSC exam ?

You can check out UPSC website at www.upsc.gov.in for complete details about the examination process ... in nutshell the UPSC examination for civil services is conducted in three stages: 1. Prelims - There are two objective type papers, one on General Studies and second one which is of qualifying nature has logical reasoning, basic maths, english comprehension etc 2. Mains - Those who clear prelims get a chance to appear in mains exam which is of subjective type with following papers: (a)English - qualifying nature (b)Hindi/Mother Tongue (eg. Bengali,Tamil etc) - qualifying nature (c) General Studies -I (250 Marks) (d) General Studies -II (250 Marks) (e) General Studies -III (250 Marks) (f) General Studies -IV (250 Marks) (g) Optional Subject Paper I (which can be any subject of your choice from given list) - (250 Marks) (h) Optional Subject Paper II - (250 Marks) Total - 1500 Marks Those doing well in mains exam get call letter for Personality Test which is the third and final stage 3. Personality Test/Interview - 275 Marks The scores of Mains and Personality Test get added up to determine your final score and rank. All the best ! read less

The UPSC Civil Services Exam is conducted in three stages Prelims and Mains which are then followed by an interview. If you failed at any stage then you have to start again from the first step. Preliminary Examination : There are two compulsory papers of 200 marks each in the Civil Services Prelims Exam. 1.GENERAL STUDIES PAPER -200 marks-2 hrs 2.CSAT PAPER-200 marks- 2 hrs (qualifying paper only 1/3rd marks are sufficient) Important Points: (i) Both the question papers are of the objective type (multiple choice questions). (ii) The question papers will be set both in Hindi and English. However, questions relating to English Language Comprehension skills would be provided only in English.. Main Examination:(written exam) Paper-I Section 1 Essay 200 Marks Section 2 English Comprehension & English Précis 100 Marks (The level of paper would be Matriculation/ Xth standard level) Paper-II General Studies–I 250Marks (Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the World and Society) Paper-III General Studies –II 250 Marks (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice and International relations) Paper-IV General Studies –III 250 Marks (Technology, Economic Development, Bio-diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management) Paper-V General Studies –IV 250 Marks (Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude) Paper-VI Optional Subject – Paper 1 250 Marks Paper-VII Optional Subject – Paper 2 250 Marks Total marks from written test 1800 Marks _______________________________________ Personality Test (Interview) 275 Marks. Grand Total 2075 Marks read less

The answers posted here give you all the information about the pattern of the civil services exam but I have only one correction. As the UPSC Civil Services exam notification says, the exam is conducted in TWO stages but not THREE. The competitive examination comprises two successive stages : (i) Civil Services (Preliminary) Examinations (Objective Type) for the selection of candidates for Main Examination; and (ii) Civil Services (Main) Examination (Written and Interview) for the selection of candidates for the various services and posts. 2. The Preliminary Examination will consist of two papers of Objective type (multiple choice questions) and carry a maximum of 400 marks in the subjects set out in sub-section (A) of Section-II. This examination is meant to serve as a screening test only; the marks obtained in the Preliminary Examination by the candidates who are declared qualified for admission to the Main Examination will not be counted for determining their final order of merit. The number of candidates to be admitted to the Main Examination will be about twelve to thirteen times the total approximate number of vacancies to be filled in the year through this examination. Only those candidates who are declared by the Commission to have qualified in the Preliminary Examination in the year will be eligible for admission to the Main Examination of that year provided they are otherwise eligible for admission to the Main Examination. Note I: The Commission will draw a list of candidates to be qualified for Civil Service (Main) Examination based on the criterion of minimum qualifying marks of 33% in General Studies PaperII of Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination and total qualifying marks of General Studies Paper-I of Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination as may be determined by the Commission Note II: There will be negative marking for incorrect answers (as detailed below) for all questions except some of the questions where the negative-marking will be inbuilt in the form of different marks being awarded to the most appropriate and not so appropriate answer for such questions. (i) There are four alternatives for the answers to every question. For each question for which a wrong answer has been given by the candidate, one-third (0.33) of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty. (ii) If a candidate gives more than one answer, it will be treated as a wrong answer even if one of the given answers happen to be correct and there will be same penalty as above for that question. (iii) If a question is left blank, i.e. no answer is given by the candidate; there will be no penalty for that question. 3. The Main Examination will consist of written examination and an interview test. The written examination will consist of 9 papers of conventional essay type in the subjects set out in sub-section (B) of Section II out of which two papers will be of qualifying in nature. Also see Note (ii) under Para I of Section II (B). Marks obtained for all the compulsory papers (Paper-I to Paper-VlI) and Marks obtained in Interview for Personality Test will be counted for ranking. 4.1. Candidates who obtain such minimum qualifying marks in the written part of the Main Examination as may be fixed by the Commission at their discretion, shall be summoned by them for an interview for a Personality Test, vide sub-section 'C' of Section II. The number of candidates to be summoned for interview will be about twice the number of vacancies to be filled. The interview will carry 275 marks (with no minimum qualifying marks). 4.2. Marks thus obtained by the candidates in the Main Examination (written part as well as interview) would determine their final ranking. Candidates will be allotted to the various services keeping in view their ranks in the Examination and the preferences expressed by them for the various services and posts. read less