The Union Public Service Commission's Civil Services Examination recruits to the IAS, IPS, IFS and other central services. Its pattern is set out in Appendix I of each year's examination notice; the figures below are from Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE (pages 25–37).
The three stages at a glance
| Stage | Papers | Marks | Counts for rank? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary Examination | General Studies Paper I | 200 | Decides who qualifies for Mains |
| Preliminary Examination | General Studies Paper II | 200 | Qualifying (33%) |
| Main Examination | Paper A (Indian language), Paper B (English) | 300 each | Qualifying (25% each) |
| Main Examination | Papers I–VII | 250 each | Yes — 1,750 marks |
| Interview | Personality Test | 275 | Yes |
Stage 1: the Preliminary Examination
Two objective papers of two hours each.
General Studies Paper I carries 200 marks. General Studies Paper II also carries 200 marks but is qualifying, with the minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33% (pages 25–26 and 32).
Negative marking. For each wrong answer, one-third (0.33) of the marks assigned to that question is deducted as a penalty (page 32). Paper II is qualifying, but the penalty applies to it too — so a careless guessing strategy can cost the 33% that the whole attempt depends on. The arithmetic of when a guess is worth making is worked through in negative marking explained.
Stage 2: the Main Examination
Nine written papers, each of three hours.
The two qualifying papers
Paper A is one of the Indian languages in the Eighth Schedule and Paper B is English, each of 300 marks and of Matriculation or equivalent standard. They are qualifying only: their marks are not counted for ranking. The notice adds the rule that matters most — the Essay, General Studies and Optional papers of a candidate are evaluated only if the candidate attains 25% in the Indian language paper and 25% in English (page 33).
The seven ranking papers
| Paper | Subject | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| Paper I | Essay | 250 |
| Paper II | General Studies-I | 250 |
| Paper III | General Studies-II | 250 |
| Paper IV | General Studies-III | 250 |
| Paper V | General Studies-IV | 250 |
| Paper VI | Optional Subject — Paper 1 | 250 |
| Paper VII | Optional Subject — Paper 2 | 250 |
Seven papers of 250 marks make 1,750 marks. The syllabus of each optional subject is printed in the notice itself (page 37 onward), which makes it the first document to read before choosing one.
Stage 3: the Interview
The Interview/Personality Test carries 275 marks, with no minimum qualifying marks (page 25, para 4.1).
How the final rank is made
Add the ranking stages: 1,750 marks from the Main Examination and 275 from the Interview — 2,025 marks in all. The Preliminary Examination decides who reaches the Main Examination; it does not add to the final total, and the two Main qualifying papers decide only whether the other seven are evaluated.
What this means for preparation
- Two different examinations in one. Prelims rewards breadth and accuracy under negative marking; Mains rewards written answers, and seven of its nine papers count. A plan that only reads is a plan for Prelims.
- The optional is a seventh of the written ranking total. Two papers of 250 marks — 500 of 1,750 — come from one subject you choose, which is why that choice deserves its own time.
- Qualifying papers are gates, not formalities. CSAT at 33% and the two language papers at 25% each end a candidacy if missed, regardless of everything else.
If you are preparing for a state commission at the same time, the overlap with TGPSC and APPSC Group 1 is large; preparing for all three together shows where. PrepShark's UPSC Civil Services page lists the pattern with the chapters that cover it.
Always check the current notice
This guide follows Examination Notice No. 05/2026-CSE. UPSC publishes a new notice each year; check Appendix I of the notice for your year before relying on any figure.