UPSC Syllabus 2023: Download Syllabus PDF for Prelims, Mains..

Exams
Apr 17
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The UPSC syllabus for the Civil Services Examination is vast and covers a wide range of subjects. The exam consists of three stages: the Preliminary Examination, the Main Examination, and the Interview. The Preliminary Examination consists of two papers: General Studies Paper I and General Studies Paper II (CSAT). The Main Examination consists of seven papers, including an essay paper, four General Studies papers, and two Optional Subject papers. The Interview stage assesses the candidate’s overall personality, communication skills, and suitability for a career in civil services.

UPSC Syllabus 2023
UPSC 2023 Exam Pattern
UPSC Syllabus 2023 – Ethics Paper
UPSC Syllabus: List of Optional Subjects
UPSC Syllabus 2023 – Optional Subjects
UPSC Syllabus 2023 FAQs

UPSC Syllabus 2023

Stage	Examination	Papers	Marks
Preliminary Examination	Paper I	Current events of national and international importance History of India and Indian National Movement Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World. Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc. Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc. General issues on Environmental Ecology, Biodiversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization. General Science	200 marks
	Paper II	Comprehension, Interpersonal skills including communication skills , Logical reasoning and analytical ability, Decision-making and problem-solving, General mental ability, Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency, etc. – Class X level)	200 marks
Main Examination	Paper-A	Compulsory Indian Language	300 marks
	Paper-B	English	300 marks
	Paper-I	Essay	250 marks
	Paper-II	General Studies-I (Indian Heritage and Culture, History, and Geography of the World and Society)	250 marks
	Paper-III	General Studies -II (Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social Justice, and International relations)	250 marks
	Paper-IV	General Studies -III (Technology, Economic Development, Biodiversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management)	250 marks
	Paper-V	General Studies -IV (Ethics, Integrity, and Aptitude)	250 marks
	Paper-VI	Optional Subject – Paper 1	250 marks
	Paper-VII	Optional Subject – Paper 2	250 marks

Note: The marks obtained in the Main Examination (written examination as well as the interview) are counted for the final selection of the candidate. Candidates may choose any optional subject from the list of subjects which are mentioned in the official notification of UPSC.

UPSC 2023 Exam Pattern

Sure, here’s a detailed breakdown of the UPSC 2023 exam pattern in tabular form:

Stage	Exam Type	Papers	Marks	Duration
Preliminary Examination	Objective	Paper 1: General Studies	200	2 hours
		Paper 2: Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT)	200	2 hours
Main Examination	Descriptive	Paper 1: Essay	250	3 hours
		Paper 2: General Studies 1	250	3 hours
		Paper 3: General Studies 2	250	3 hours
		Paper 4: General Studies 3	250	3 hours
		Paper 5: General Studies 4	250	3 hours
		Paper 6: Optional Paper 1	250	3 hours
		Paper 7: Optional Paper 2	250	3 hours
Personality Test	Interview	–	275	–

Here’s some more information about each stage:

Preliminary Examination: The preliminary examination consists of two papers, both of which are objective type. Paper 1 covers general studies, including current events, history, geography, polity, economy, environment, and more. Paper 2 is the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) and tests the candidate’s comprehension, interpersonal skills, communication skills, logical reasoning, and analytical ability. The CSAT paper is of qualifying nature, and candidates need to score at least 33% marks to qualify for the next stage.
Main Examination: The main examination consists of nine papers, out of which seven are counted for merit. Paper 1 is the essay paper, where candidates need to write an essay on a given topic. Papers 2 to 5 cover general studies, including topics like history, polity, economics, and more. Papers 6 and 7 are optional papers, and candidates can choose a subject from a list of options provided by UPSC. Each paper carries 250 marks and has a duration of 3 hours.
Personality Test: Candidates who qualify for the main examination are called for the personality test, which carries 275 marks. The interview is conducted to assess the candidate’s suitability for a career in the civil services.

The final merit list is prepared based on the candidate’s performance in the main examination and personality test.

UPSC Syllabus 2023 - Ethics Paper

Topics	Subtopics
Ethics and Human Interface	– Essence, determinants, and consequences of Ethics in human actions. Dimensions of ethics. Ethics in private and public relationships. Lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers, and administrators on human values. Role of family, society, and educational institutions in inculcating values.
Attitude	– Content, structure, and function of attitude. Influence and relation of attitude with thought and behavior. Moral and political attitudes. Social influence and persuasion.
Aptitude and Foundational Values for Civil Service	– Integrity, impartiality, and non-partisanship. Objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance, and compassion towards weaker sections.
Emotional Intelligence	– Concepts, utilities, and application in administration and governance.
Contributions of Moral Thinkers and Philosophers	– From India and the world.
Public/Civil Service Values and Ethics in Public Administration	– Status and problems of public/civil service values. Ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions. Laws, rules, regulations, and conscience as sources of ethical guidance. Accountability and ethical governance. Strengthening of ethical and moral values in governance. Ethical issues in international relations and funding. Corporate governance.
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 and Quality of service delivery. Utilization of public funds. Challenges of corruption.
Case Studies	– Case studies on the above issues.

The Ethics paper in the UPSC Mains examination aims to test the candidate’s understanding of ethical and moral dimensions of various issues that arise in public and private life, and their ability to analyze and evaluate them. The topics covered under the Ethics paper include ethics and human interface, attitude, aptitude, and foundational values for Civil Service, emotional intelligence, contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and the world, public/civil service values and ethics in public administration, probity in governance, and case studies on the above issues.

The Ethics paper aims to test the candidate’s knowledge and understanding of various ethical issues that they may face as a civil servant. It also tests their ability to evaluate and analyze situations from an ethical perspective and come up with solutions that are in line with ethical values and principles. Candidates must be well-versed with the above topics and have a good understanding of ethical values, principles, and their practical application in various situations.

UPSC Syllabus: List of Optional Subjects

Group	Optional Subjects
Agriculture	Agriculture
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science	Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science
Anthropology	Anthropology
Science	Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, Zoology
Engineering	Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
Humanities	Geography, History, Philosophy, Political Science and International Relations, Psychology, Sociology
Commerce and Accountancy	Commerce and Accountancy
Management	Management
Medical Science	Medical Science
Law	Law
Others	Public Administration

Note: The above table is not exhaustive, and the UPSC may add or remove optional subjects based on various factors. Candidates should check the official notification for the latest information.

Candidates can choose any one subject from the above list as their optional subject for the Mains examination. The syllabus for each subject is detailed and covers a wide range of topics. Candidates should choose a subject that they are interested in and have a good understanding of, as it will help them perform better in the examination.

UPSC Syllabus 2023 - Optional Subjects

Optional Subject	Syllabus
Agriculture	Crop production, Horticulture, Plant breeding and genetics, Soil science, Agriculture engineering, Animal husbandry and veterinary science, Forestry and agroforestry, Fisheries
Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science	Animal nutrition and feed technology, Animal breeding and genetics, Veterinary microbiology, Public health and hygiene, Livestock production management, Animal diseases, Veterinary anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, and Parasitology
Anthropology	Social and cultural anthropology, Physical anthropology, Archaeological anthropology, Tribal studies
Botany	Plant physiology and biochemistry, Genetics, Plant pathology, Ecology, Economic botany, Plant breeding and biotechnology
Chemistry	Physical chemistry, Organic chemistry, Inorganic chemistry, Analytical chemistry, Environmental chemistry
Civil Engineering	Building materials, Construction technology, Solid mechanics, Structural analysis, Design of structures, Geotechnical engineering, Water resources engineering, Environmental engineering
Commerce and Accountancy	Accounting, Auditing, Income tax, Corporate accounting, Cost accounting, Business finance, Financial institutions and markets, Management accounting, Accounting standards
Economics	Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, International economics, Public economics, Indian economy
Electrical Engineering	Electrical circuits, Electromagnetic fields, Signals and systems, Electrical machines, Power systems, Control systems
Geography	Physical geography, Human geography, Economic geography, Environmental geography, Geographical information systems
Geology	Geomorphology, Structural geology, Paleontology, Mineralogy, Petrology, Economic geology, Stratigraphy, Environmental geology
History	Ancient history, Medieval history, Modern history, World history, Historiography, Historical methods
Law	Constitutional law, Administrative law, Public international law, Mercantile law, Criminal law, Labour law
Management	Organizational behavior, Human resource management, Marketing management, Financial management, Strategic management
Mathematics	Algebra, Real analysis, Complex analysis, Linear algebra, Differential equations, Numerical analysis, Calculus of variations
Mechanical Engineering	Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Power engineering, Manufacturing engineering, Design engineering, Industrial engineering, Mechanics of solids
Medical Science	Human anatomy, Human physiology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Pathology, Forensic medicine
Philosophy	Epistemology, Logic, Indian philosophy, Western philosophy, Ethics, Social and Political philosophy
Physics	Classical mechanics, Quantum mechanics, Electromagnetic theory, Thermodynamics and statistical physics, Electronics and experimental methods
Political Science and International Relations	Political theory, Indian politics, Comparative politics, International relations
Psychology	Perception, Learning, Memory, Thinking, Motivation, Emotion, Intelligence, Personality, Social psychology, Abnormal psychology
Public Administration	Administrative theory, Organizational behavior, Personnel administration, Public policy, Financial administration, Comparative public administration
Sociology	Sociological theory, Research methods, Social stratification, Family, Marriage, Kinship, Economic sociology, Political sociology, Environmental sociology
Statistics	Probability theory, Statistical inference, Linear regression, Multivariate analysis, Sampling theory, Statistical computing
Zoology	Animal diversity, Animal physiology, Ecology, Genetics, Evolution, Behavior, Applied zoology

Note: The syllabus for each optional subject is not exhaustive and may change from time to time. Candidates should refer to the latest official notification for the detailed syllabus of each optional subject.

UPSC Syllabus 2023 FAQs

Q: When will the UPSC Result 2023 be declared?

A: The UPSC Result 2023 is expected to be declared in March 2023, as per the tentative schedule released by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Q: What are the stages of the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022?

A: The UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022 is conducted in three stages, including the preliminary examination, main examination, and interview.

Q: How many candidates will be recommended for the appointment to the IAS, IPS, IFS, and other central services under Group A and Group B?

A: The number of candidates recommended for the appointment to the IAS, IPS, IFS, and other central services under Group A and Group B will be decided by the UPSC based on the number of vacancies and other factors.